Broken Souls

Chapter Two

Tanner's POV

The flames flicker around us. Muffled shouts for help seem to echo through the rubble. I bring my hand up to my face, its black with dirt and stained with blood what's going on? I glance around the darkness looking for Piper. "Piper?" I try to shout but my voice is rough. I look around again straining my eyes until I noticed a glimmer of silver. I made my way over, shaking my head, praying that she's okay. Then I saw her. Laying face down on the concrete, her body at an awkward angle. "Piper?"

My eyes darted open staring at the bright white lights above me. A young lady stood at my bed side fiddling with the dials on the machine next to her.
"Hi there, are you okay?" She said in a soothing voice "I'm lily-ann and I'll be your nurse for today." I looked up and smiled, nodding my head as I took in the information she was giving me.
"Is Piper alright? She was in the accident too!" I blurted out, I needed to know.
Lily-ann looked at me and smiled reassuringly "she's stable love, she's a fighter." I nodded again trying my best to look okay with the little information.
"Can I go and see her?" "Please?"
Lily-ann moved a strand of her blonde hair out of her face and smiled, "of course you can, let me just finish your vitals and then I'll take you up there myself"
"Thank you" I sighed and brushed my hand through my hair. She's stable. She's a fighter.

As Lily-ann finished writing on the clip board stuck to the end of my bed she smiled at me "I'll just get a porter to bring you a wheel chair and then we can head up."
"Thank you" I said as I sat up. Lily-ann left the room coming back moments later with a large balding man who was pushing along a wheelchair.
"In you pop mate" he spat in a gruff voice. I pulled my legs over the bed and shuddered as my feet touched the ice cold floor, stretching out a big hand the balding man helped me slide into the wheel chair, I looked up and smiled "thanks" I muttered. The man spun the wheel chair around and headed out the door humming quietly.
"How you feeling love?" Lily-ann said calmly reaching out and placing a hand on my shoulder.
I nodded "I think I'm okay. Just worried more than anything."
The lift beeped as the doors pulled apart. "I hate lifts" Lily-ann murmured as we made our way in. She pressed the button for floor two making it light up fluorescent green.
'Lift going up'
I stared the wall until the loud voice of the lift broke the silence.
'Second floor. Doors opening'
As the doors slowly dragged themselves open I stared out at the room labeled 3. Behind that was my best friend, the love of life. Laying cold and silent, trapped inside her own body, unable to move. Unable to love.

The porter pushed my wheel chair into Pipers room and helped me sit on the chair that was placed next to her. Nurses smiled at me watching as I stared at my lost friend.
"Hey Piper" I whispered reaching out and sliding her hand into mine.

Piper's POV

"Hey Piper"
"Tanner? Tanner is that you?"
I felt his hand slide onto mine making my whole body feel warm.
"I know you probably can't hear me and this is probably pointless but I saw on the TV once that talking to people in your condition can help."
"Tanner! I can hear you? Tanner can you hear me" I shouted. But it didn't seem to make a difference. What's going on?
"There's so much I need to tell you Pippy. I should have told you before but I never had the right time. Remember my charm went black?" "Yes!! But you're still here because you're truly in love with someone"
"Remember I told you about the loophole, I didn't die because I'm truly in love" "that's what I said. Gosh Tan do you ever listen"
"

Well I need you to wake up. Because I'm in love." "Well I know that!"
"I'm in love with my best friend. Piper Collins. I'm in love with you and I always have been. Now you list-"
"YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ME?! AND YOUR TELLING ME NOW?" I have six hours to live and your telling me now?!
"-en to me, I know you don't have long left but either way we either both live or we both die and there's nothing I can do! So please wake up so I can spend the last few hours with you" he whispered, his voice becoming hoarse, I could tell he was about to cry.
"Tanner I love you too. I know I can't tell you but hopefully this will work. I love you too."
I heard a nurse ask him if he was okay, the door creak open and then silence. Silence filled with the beep of the machinery that was helping me breath.