Don't Look Back

I'd Take A Bullet For You

Ross’s POV

Sky was scared that her dad was going to come after her. I didn’t know what to do to help her, except be there with her. He was smart, really smart. He always seemed to have a team, a getaway, and a weapon. What did I have? A fist? That wasn’t going to do any good against a gun. I went over to Sky’s place anyways. I needed to give her some sort of support and comfort. Great, now I sound like a bra… Whatever, so I drove to Sky’s house and used my key to get in. I knocked at Sky’s bedroom door, but she didn’t answer. I heard footsteps, I opened the door, and I saw that Sky was hidden behind it. “Sky?” I said. She let out a sigh of relief, “Oh, it’s just you Ross.” I closed the door, revealing her poor hiding place. “Well, hello to you too. Why are you hiding behind your door?” I said, “I thought someone broke in, I thought my dad broke in.” I made her sit down on the bed with me, “Sky, you need to stop calling him that. He’s not your dad anymore.” She looked past me, “Sky? Did you hear me?” I said, she looked terrified, I said, “What are you looking-“ I turned around. It was him. Mr. Reed was standing in Sky’s doorway. We both stood up, I made sure Sky was behind me. I wouldn’t let him hurt her, not again.  He stepped in, and we stepped back. He had his hands in his coat pockets. I said, “What are you doing here? What do you want?” He said, “Ross, I just want my daughter back.” Very calmly. I said, “Well you can’t have her.” He said, “Let me know something, and answer honestly. Are you in love with Skylar?” I lied, “No, but she’s like a sister to me.” He said, “So am I like your father?” I said, “No, why are you asking me this?” Sky stepped next to me, she said, “Why are you doing this?” He said, “Well, if Ross doesn’t love you, he won’t stop me from doing this.” I saw him reveal a gun from his pocket and aim it at Sky, I did love her, and I was willing to take the bullet. I lunged in front of Sky.

Ross’s POV

As I lunged, Sky looked at me in fear. But then she pushed me back, and I fell onto the bed. I shut my eyes, and I heard the gunshot. When I opened my eyes, Mr. Reed was gone, and Sky was still standing. I stood up and smiled, “Oh thank goodness, I thought I almost lost y-“ I saw that I was wrong. Sky looked down, we both saw the blood. But she was in shock. I said, “No, but, no.” I was in shock too. She looked up at me, I caught her just as she collapsed, and I ran. I ran to the hospital that was down the street, with her in my arms, she was slowly turning pale. "It's gonna be okay Sky, you just, have to stay with me okay? You can do that, I know you can. Come on Sky, open your eyes. Please? Sky?" When I got there I handed her over to some nurses rushing at us with a gurney. I saw the blood, and the hole in her chest. I fell to my knees, and I cried. Hours later I stopped, and looked around, all of the people in the waiting room were staring at me. I was covered in blood. I looked to my left, a little old lady was sitting on the floor next to me. She had a tissue in her hand, offering it to me. I took it and wiped my eyes. She rubbed my back and hushed me. When I finally calmed down I said, “Thank you.” She said, “Why don’t you come and sit with me in the private waiting room. It’s right across the hall from your friend, you’ll be able to see through the windows.” I nodded and got up. She had some trouble so I helped her. She held my hand as we walked down the hallway. The waiting room was empty, it was about ten by ten foot room. There were chairs along the wall, I sat down and the old woman sat down next to me. Ten minutes later, she said, “My name is Mabel.” I said, “I’m Ross.” I knew she was just talking to me to help me calm down. She said, “My husband Herman is in surgery. What’s your little friends name?” I said, “Skylar.” She said, “Herman fell down the stairs, and a rib punctured his lung. What happened to Skylar?” I said, “Her father shot her. I tried to take the bullet, but she pushed me out of the way last second.” She seemed really calm. She said, “I think she’s going to be okay.” I got a little annoyed, “Well I don’t think so! She got shot in the chest!” She said, “Then why did the doctors just leave the room smiling?” I turned around, and looked out the window, the doctors were leaving the room with happy faces shaking each other’s hands. One nodded at me. I saw Sky, she was all cleaned up. But she was unconscious. I shook Mabel’s hand, “Thank you.” She nodded at me and smiled. I ran into Sky’s room, and I went over to Sky’s hospital bed. She was getting her color back. I held her hand, “Why do things keep happening to you?” I whispered. I knew she couldn’t hear me. I said, “Why didn’t you let me take the bullet?” She shifted, “Wait, can you hear me?” She didn’t move. I pulled a chair over to her bedside and sat there the rest of the night, waiting for her to wake up. Eventually I fell asleep though.

Sky’s POV

I woke up, and looked aroun. I was in a hospital. I saw that Ross had fallen asleep next to my bed, his shirt and lap was covered in dried blood, he was resting his head and arms on my legs. I didn’t want to wake him. Also, I had a pounding pain in my chest. I looked under my hospital gown, I had a large bandage wrapped around my chest. The gauze underneath the bandage stuck out where I must have been shot. It was so close to my heart. Why did Ross try to take the bullet? Ugh, it hurt so much. I tried to sit up, and I moaned from the pain, wait a minute, no I didn’t. I didn’t make a noise. I tried to say something else. I felt my mouth move, but no sound came out. I started to freak out. I shook Ross’s shoulders. He woke up, “Huh? Oh, Sky! You’re okay!” He hugged me. I pushed him off, and shook my head. He looked confused, “You’re not okay?” I shook my head and grabbed my throat. He said, “Are you choking?” I shook my head. I tried saying things, he said, “Wait, you can’t talk?” I nodded. He called for a nurse. She ran in, “Ok, you’re up. That’s good. Well, Skylar, your medicine, it seems it made you temporarily mute. It numbed your throat, just a side effect. We are going to switch your meds and you will get your voice back. Probably by the end of the day you'll be talking again, so don’t worry.” I nodded, reassured. Ross said, “What are her other meds going to do?” I nodded and looked at the nurse. She said, “Well, they will make the pain stop. But you might be a little loopy, but I’m sure your friend here will make sure you don’t do anything crazy. I suggest staying in bed.” Ross said, “Right, I will. Thank you.” And the nurse left. I called my family to let them know Sky was awake and okay.

Ross’s POV

Riker said that he, Rocky, and Ellington would be coming to the hospital to visit Sky. He asked me if there was anything I needed. I told him to bring some markers and two notebooks. They showed up about half an hour later. Ellington came in with balloons and the biggest pink bunny stuffed animal I had ever seen. He put it down on one of the chairs in the room and tied the balloons to the side of Sky’s bed. She let out a silent laugh. Rocky walked in with Riker. Rocky said, “So, Sky, how are you feeling?” She pointed at the notebooks in Riker’s hands. He handed her one and a sharpie. She wrote, “I can’t talk.” He said, “Really?” She nodded. I said, “It’s her medicine. She’ll get her voice back by the end of the day, I guess they don’t want her straining herself.” Sky nodded. Riker said, “Ross, can I talk to you in the hallway for a minute?” I nodded and Rocky and Ellington kept her company. We closed the door behind us. He said, “What happened?” I explained what had happened. Riker said, “I know I’m going to sound like an asshole, but why did you try to take the bullet for her?” I said, “I felt like I had to protect her, I couldn’t let her get hurt again.” He said, “Okay, now what’s the real reason, because that was a lie.” I said, “Because, she’s my best friend and I think I might have some feelings for her.” We looked at Sky, who was sitting up in her bed, Rocky, and Ellington, and they were all looking at us, but Sky’s notebook said, “It’s not soundproof glass you know.” She smiled at me. I smiled back, praying she didn’t hear that last part. Riker said, “Damn. That sucks.” We walked back in and just hung out with Sky for the rest of the day, we were later joined by Rydel, Ryland, and Dylan. Ryland brought cards so we were all playing on Sky’s bed in a big circle. We were all laughing and fooling around, but Sky was silent. She was having fun too, but she couldn’t say anything, I felt a little depressed that she still took the bullet. I knew she was looking out for me, but I was looking out for her. I should have said, “Yes I do love her, I’m madly in love with her.” Just, anything, and maybe he wouldn’t have tried to kill her. I stared down at my cards and felt a hand on mine, I looked up, and it was Sky’s. She said, “Thank you.” I said, “You can talk!” She nodded, and hugged me. I hugged her back. But I didn’t want to let go.