Shattered: Broken Series // Michael Clifford (book 2)

Chapter 19

(Michael's POV)

My foot taps nervously on the hard floor, all the digested cups of coffee now surging through my veins. I click open my phone, the bright screen reading 3:46am. I have been here in this waiting room for over seven hours, and I refuse to leave. I left Kate when she needed me, and I swore I would never do it again. I still remember her small hand, so delicate in mine. A tear falls from my eye as I remember her. The last glimpse of hope had lingered, but grew into a roaring flame when she finally gripped my hand back.

Flashback:

"Kate. Kate! Please don't leave me! I need you! I'm sorry! Kate I love you! Please, please wake up! I'm not going to lose you again! God no... I should have gone. Not you. I'm so sorry." My cries are the only thing that can be heard in the empty house as I hold her seemingly lifeless body in my arms.

"I love you. Please don't go. To the moon remember?" I grip onto her hand, never letting go.

I yell for help, and suprisingly, footsteps come rushing in my direction. Luke and Ashton push open the door, staring wide eyed. I look up to them, tears in my eyes. Luke looks at me in shock, droplets already brimming his blue orbs. Ashton seems to be the only one to take action.

"I...I..." My mouth stutters, but I can't find the right words.

"Save it. Watch out Clifford." He replies. I give him room as he gets down on his knees, assessing the situation. He also takes note of the pills, and quickly opens her mouth, shoving two fingers down her throat. In no time she regurgitates the pills, coughing. She falls in and out of consiousness, but Ashton keeps with her, trying to keep her breathing. The breaths are shallow, but still present.

"Call 9-1-1 Luke. I will try to keep her alive until the paramedics come in. The pills didn't hit her intestines, so she should live. Michael, I don't even want to know what you did to cause this."

"How do you even know all of these things?" Luke asks Ashton, picking up his cell phone.

"I wanna go to med school." Ashton replies simply, finalizing the conversation.

-

The paramedics get here quicker than thought, and Ashton talks for me. He tells them the situation, and in a flash of red and white lights, Kate is gone. Luke sits by my side, while Ashton paces the room.

"Michael, what the hell happened?"

"I..I told her. Well, she found out. She went through my med records and saw I made a full recovery. Then I kinda flipped my shit on her and told her that she shouldn't snoop, and that she was an annoyance. Then I left. She hinted about her wanting to leave, but I didn't think she would kill herself. I should have been there for her. It should have been me, not her. She didn't deserve this."  I start to  breathe heavily, and I know I'm on the verge of a panic attack. I grip my head in agony, trying to keep the dark thoughts from surpressing my mind. Everything seems like a daze, and I can't stop crying or shaking. Two firm hands grip mine, and I look up to see two blue irises giving me a hard look.

"Michael. Stay with us. We are going to go to the hospital okay?" Luke carefully tells me, and I nod, following him out the door. My hands continue to shake as I watch a tear fall onto the anchor tattoo, placed over my newly scarred wrists. (a/n: sorry that was a little triggering but important to the story)

(Flashback over)

-

"Oi, mate you gotta go home. I can take it from here. You need rest." A tall boy sits down beside me, eyes as red has mine. He has been crying as well.