Spark

Chapter 6.

I wake up with a body gripping me tightly. I look to the my right to find Owen lying with his warm, strong arms wrapped around me. I look around and for a split second forget where I am. Karen is asleep in the chair next to the door and Gray is sitting on the other one with his head dangling over the end of the chair. Clearly asleep. I look at Owen who is sound asleep and try to weave my self out of my arms.

"Claire? Be careful please." I jump as I hear Owen's voice, when I slide from his tight protective grip. It is in the moment that I realise he is practically a stranger to me. Yet I seem to feel as if we have known each other for years.

"Owen. I need the toilet." He looks up to me and lets go of me letting me walk to the small bathroom that sits in the corner of my room.

I lean up against the door and slide down it, feeling a shark pain pinching at my stomach. I massage my hands around my stomach and chest, and stop when I feel a lump sitting to the right of my heart, where all my stitches are. I gasp as I realise why my surgery will be so life threatening. If something goes wrong, my heart will be damaged and I will die. I feel around whatever has been inserted to my body.

"Claire? Are you okay?" I hear Owen's voice echo through my head.

"I am fine. You can go home." Reality sinks in and I know I shouldn't let him think he has been forgiven. Because he hasn't. I am still really annoyed that he kissed me and even more annoyed that whatever drug I was on, has created this false reality where I would forgive Owen and actually let him stay with me in the hospital only to let him wake up next to me.

"Go home? Don't you need someone to help you?"

"I have my sister, Karen. And her husband and kids." I say through the door.

"Owen please just leave her be. If you really do care about her, then you will let her go and leave. It's the best for her. Besides you may not ever see her again after the surgery. Her odds of survival are lower than low and the doctors don't think she will survive." My sobs become harder and turn into crying. Clearly Karen forgot I could still hear. I don't care though. I would rather know the truth rather than have false hope.

"I do care about her. A lot. I know that I have only known her for a day, but it feels like so much longer. How long was it before you knew Scott was the one for you?"

"An hour. I knew within an hour to be frank. He knew within about three hours." They both giggle before Owen speaks up again.

"Then you should know that for me, it was about a minute. Really less than that because I knew as soon as I saw her. And that really is saying something. I have never actually really had feelings for someone. I was always using them to stop the pain I felt at the time. And I feel like Claire really is the one for me. She may not think that, but I do. She may hate me right now, but I don't care. She may be so irritated by me, but again... I do not care. And there is nothing that will stop me from getting to be with her. At least let me see her once more, before I leave." I stand up and slam the door open. Reminding them that I can hear them. Before anyone says anything I throw my arms around Owen's neck and slam my lips against his. All feeling in my lips goes when his hands wrap themselves around my waist. I still feel vulnerable and weak, yet something in the way our skin touches makes me stronger. I forget everything in these seconds that Owen and I are kissing. I don't need to remember anything. Owen moves one hand to small of my back and the other to my hair. His fingers twist through my curly red hair and my fingers wrap around his face to cup his cheeks. His hand comes up to rub my cheek and his other hand reaches for my other hand. I swipe my tongue across Owen's lip. If I am to die soon then I want this to last forever. His hand falls to the top of my chest and pushes away slightly to speak.

"Claire? I thought you hated me..." He pants into my mouth.


"I did, but that monologue back there changed everything. I never do this just saying. So you are extremely lucky to have this happen to you." I breath out. His lips attach themselves to mine again.

"Thank you Claire. Thank you so much." He pants.

"If I am going to die soon, I want to say that I have had a real passionate kiss before I die." He giggles and releases me from his grip.

"Well..." Karen says clearly super uncomfortable. In that time I forgot Karen was there. I can feel the heat run to my cheeks, turning them bright red.

"Uh... Sorry Karen. I uh... after his... uh, you know what never mind." I walk back to the bed and sit down. I rub my hands over my face trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Claire, I am going to go." Karen and Owen speak together. I want them both to stay but I know I can really only have one stay. I know my sister came from a long way away but so did Owen.

"Owen? I was just wondering if you were coming in to work tomorrow?" I ask, slightly hesitant.

"I am coming into work, but I don't think you are... You can only leave the hospital in two days."

"No, no, no. I have to leave at least tonight. I need to get work done tomorrow-"

"Claire, you still need have surgery. And speaking of that you need to have that in a few minutes, so we are going to leave you," Karen reaches down and kisses my forehead before ushering Owen and herself out of the room.

I sit in silence for a few minutes. Waiting. Thinking about what comes next. If I survive, then I continue life. But if I don't... then... I don't.