The Sacrifice

Chapter 21: Strengthen Me...Enlighten Me

*Ashley's POV*

I remember everything that happened up to this point, despite what I have heard before. The last thing to go is definitely your hearing because when they loaded me into the ambulance, I could hear Dean screaming for me to keep my eyes open. I felt them load me on to the gurney, and heard them yell for someone named Dr. Hale as they began to check my vitals. I could hear people saying numbers and feeling someone check my neck and arms, to stop the bleeding and other various things. I wanted the pain that I was now feeling to go away as I screamed inside my own mind. I thought Death was supposed to be painless, not making me scream at the top of my lungs. They must have known that I was in pain because all I felt was a needle enter into me and then, the numbing of some kind of painkiller entering my system.

I floated for a few hours again as I heard them say something about emergency surgery to remove the bullets. I must have caused quite a scene because I heard them say get the best doctor and the best team to save me. I heard them ask for several items such as scissors, tweezers and gauze. I was more than ready to tell them to pull the plug, to let me die like this because at least then I know that the power is safe with me and they will not get their hands on it. Nevertheless, my friends...my family, they will finally be safe and not hunted by my past anymore. Yes, I knew I was walking into a trap when Moriarty started his game with me, that all he really wanted was to see John and Sherlock suffer but this time; I refuse to let him do this.

I wanted to tell everyone that I was ready to go, that I was going to die happy unlike I was almost a year ago. Then, I did not mind dying because that meant I was free from all the pain and now...I did not mind dying because then it meant that I could protect those that I love. Yet, there was still this small voice in my mind, telling me that I was not going to die tonight, that I have to stand and fight. I then heard something I did not think I hear coming from me. I had started to flat-line. 'We are losing her!' I heard a woman scream and before I knew what was going on, I felt someone doing chest compressions on me until I heard static discharge; they were going to shock my heart to get it pumping again.

After the second shock, I felt my heart beating again and heard the shallow beeping of my machine beside me. 'She is stabilized. We have to stop the bleeding and get to her surgery...Stat!' I heard a male voice say as I then felt people trying to apply pressure to my wounds. If I survive this despite the amount of pain I am in, I am seriously going to kick Moriarty so hard where they sun do not shine, he will go from being a Jim to a Jane. 'Don't you give up on me...' I heard a voice yell and I remember that voice from the dark parts of my mind...it was Dean's! 'You hear me...Don't you give up on me! You are not going to die tonight Ashley!' He kept yelling from some far of place and I wanted to tell him that I was ok, that I was not afraid anymore.

I floated for what felt like hours, I could hear random voices talking about removing things and stopping this while I was in surgery but mainly, I saw memories of the past making me cry yet smile at the same time. One of the most amazing ones was that of meeting Nana Hudson for the first time at the Airport and I remember feeling of belonging when she hugged me and told me to call her Nana. As I remembered each one of these memories, I see something more and more clearly, it looked like a light but I wanted to remain on memory lane for a while, not going to the light. I smiled as I watched the memory of myself watching Konnie play his violin for me the day we met and how he complimented me on joining him on the song. I laughed to myself when I remember about hearing about how Stormy decided to compete in the drinking game with a random alien, which she won when Jack carried her home but her not having a hangover the next day, only Jack did.