Stalker

Chapter 10~ I Survived

I slowly blink my eyes open, the sudden brightness blinding me for a few moments. I let out a groan and look around the white sterile room.

Where am I?

As if on cue, a man in a white coat walks into the room. He has brown slicked back hair and amber eyes framed by thin rimmed glasses.

"Zachariah..." He studies the clipboard carefully, "I see..." He adjusts his glasses, "you are a lucky man, Zachariah."

"Just Zach is fine," I wheeze out.

"Don't talk," the doctor said sternly. "You aren't fully healed yet. And with that wound," he sighs, "it'll be a while."

I feel pain shoot through my abdomen, curses fall from my lips as I cringe.

The doctor walks to me and changes the empty plastic bag on a metal hook. He gives me an impressed smile, "you're a lucky man, Zach. Not many people survive Jeff."

I give him a challenging grin through my pain, "I didn't just survive him once, I have multiple- nh!" I get cut off by more pain but continue. "And not only that..." I take a deep breath, "I killed him, too."

The doctor stares at me in disbelief.

"He isn't lying," a feminine voice comes from the doorway.

I turn to the door and give a soft smile, "Anne."

"You are one stubborn son of a bitch, you know that, right?" She gives me a teasing grin before walking into my hospital room.

The doctor looks between us before leaving us alone in the room.

"Good to see you too, Anne." I roll my eyes.

"Really, I should be thanking you," she sits at the edge of my bed.

"And why is that?"

She gives a cheery grin and looks down to her fiddling hands, "you saved the only three people I care for..."

"Three?" I cock my head to the side, "Rem, Jennifer..." I pause, "I didn't save anyone else."

She chuckles, "you saved yourself."

I feel a burning sensation crawl up my face, "oh..."

She looks at me in the eyes and for once, I see her real feelings. Tears film over her eyes and she leans over to hug me.

I jump slightly in surprise.

Oh so the demon does have a heart.

I hug her back for a second before she pulls away, planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you."
~
Surviving was the easy part. Suffering through all the pain at the hospital, that was all too easy.

Now comes the hard part.

Rehabilitation.

Anne kindly offered to let me stay at her house, mainly because I can't go up stairs very well and everyone uses the elevator.

I walk through the house with careful, and painful, steps. It's been roughly two months since the incident, and since then, Rem and I were both released from the hospital.

I slowly sit down on the couch to rest.

"Zach!" A young voice rings from the front door. Jennifer runs to me and hugs me.

I wince but hug her back.

"I missed you..." Her voice is gentle and caring.

"I missed you, too," I smile and nod to Anne, who was walking in.

Jennifer let's go of me and hands me a piece of paper, "I drew this for you while I was and grandma's!"

I nearly cry at the childish drawing.

Five people are in this picture. I can easily pick out the ones who are me and Jeff. Upon closer inspection, I recognize the other three as Anne, Remington, and Jennifer. Jeff was dead in the picture and I had a gun in my hand which was aimed on the the stick figure with black hair and a forever smile. Jennifer was cheering, Anne was love struck, and Rem was smiling in a wheelchair.

I hear Rem coming towards me and I see him on his wheelchair, "hey..." His voice is full of something I've never heard from him before. Kindness.

"Hey," I smile, "how are you doing?"

Remington look down at his bandaged legs, "I'm fine. Just thought... I'd say thank you... For saving my life..."

I nod, "anytime. It's my job to save people's lives."

"No... I mean... I don't want my mom to feel any more sadness than she already does. Because of you... She has been happier," he gives me a weak smile. "So thank you."
~
I look down to the gravestone. I lean on my crutches to keep off of my left side.

"Jeff... I'm sorry all this happened..." A tear slips down my cheek, "you didn't deserve any of this."

I look down to my feet and begin to cry. After a minute, I look up to see two boys. One had light brown hair and green eyes. He wears a black jacket and a black and grey striped scarf. Next to him was a boy with darker brown hair and blue eyes with a clean white hoodie and a pair of black slacks.

They both look transparent, like ghosts. I stare at them in awe. The one in the white hoodie nods once with a smile and a look of gratitude. He mouths thank you before him and the other boy vanish into thin air.

My jaw drops slightly before I smile and the tears fall more frequently. I look up towards the sky, watching the sun set in the distance.

"Thank you, Jeff... Thank you for everything... I wouldn't be where I am now without you..." I nod and hesitantly bend down to place a bouquet of flowers on the grave before turning and walking back to Anne's car.