Hey There, Delilah -DISCONTINUED-

Chapter Thirty-One

~Ben's point of view~

*two hours later*

Caity and Hayden walk into the waiting room from seeing Delilah. "How bad is it?" I ask them, and Caity shakes her head before sniffling once more.

I've asked everyone that's gone to see her how bad it is, but no one says anything. I get up from my seat and tell them where I'm going.

I walk down the hallway and press the button to call the elevator up to the floor.

Each second that passes seems like an eternity, the jazz music that pours from the speakers making it even worse. Finally, the doors open and I bolt out. I walk up to the desk and ask which room she's in.

"Thirteen. Are you family?" The nurse asks. I shake my head. "I'm her boyfriend."

"Go on back and see her." She says. "Just mind the tubes." She adds and I nod, thanking her.

I find the door opened and the curtain pulled halfway. I step around the curtain and nearly fall to my knees when I see her. I grab onto the doorframe as air escapes my lungs and my heart drops to my stomach.

Now I understand why no one told me how bad she was. Her arms and face seem to lack all color except for the light bruises that pepper her arms and the few scratches on her face.

I take a step or two closer and shake my head, trying to hold in tears. She looks so small and broken.

Delilah always had a look of innocence and fragileness to her, but this is completely different. She's so fragile looking I'm afraid to even touch her.

"Delilah." I whisper and breathe out in a sigh. "Oh, Delilah." I say. I pull a chair up to her bed and sit down.

I scoot closer to her bed, sitting at her left side. "They put restraints on you?" I quietly ask even though I know she can't hear me.

I reach up and slowly undo the belts, trying not to wake her. I gently lift her arm from the cuff and repeat it on the other side.

"That's better." I quietly say.

I gently caress the left side of her face in my hand, her skin cold against my warm hand. I slowly run my thumb over the cut on her cheek, tears burning my eyes. I look at her closed eyes and sniffle.

"Delilah," I whisper. "I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." I whisper, but it comes out as more of a quiet sobbing noise. I take a deep breath and sniffle, moving my hand from her face to hold her hand, finding that it's surprisingly cold.

I glance down at her arms and notice they've wrapped bandages around the palms of her hands. She must've gotten cut in all the glass.

Itake her hand and sandwhich it between mine, trying not to bump the IV in her hand. "God, Delilah, you're freezing." I say.

I get up and grab the blanket from the back of the reclining chair and lay it over her lower body, tucking it close to her body to make sure that she's warm.

I hear the curtain draw back a bit and I look up, seeing the same nurse from the desk.

"She looked cold." I sheepishly explain myself.

"She lost a lot of blood and it made her body temperature drop. She'll be really cold for a while." The nurse says and checks Delilah's monitors.

"Is she going to be okay?" I ask her, taking my seat again.

"She'll be fine. She should wake up any minute now, she's showing signs of consciousness." The nurse says, writing something down.

I hold Delilah's hand again, trying to transfer my body heat to hers. The nurse walks out of the room, but turns on her heel.

I look at Delilah, taking a shaky breath in.

"Delilah," I start, searching her face for any sign of consciousness. "It's me.. Ben.." I quietly say, but loud enough for her to hear me in her sleep.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." I say. I look at the dark marks that pepper her pale and delicate skin, and the cuts, scrapes and scratches that vary in sizes and shapes along her arms.

I look at the clock and realize that I've been sitting here for nearly an hour and a quarter, and the chair is getting very uncomfortable.

I tilt my head from side to side to get that horrible crick out and sigh in satisfaction as it pops.

It's nearly two am, no wonder I'm so tired.

I sigh and slowly stand up. Leaning down, I place a gentle kiss on Delilah's forehead and move a bit of hair from her face.

"I'm so sorry, Delilah. None of this should have happened." I say.

I place another kiss on her forehead before I quietly leave the room and retreat back to the waiting room.

I can only hope that Delilah wakes up soon, and that she'll be okay when she does.