Cold Hearts - Mark Tuan fanfic

33 - Desolate

Bleep Bleep Bleep!

The regular sound feels like a lullaby keeping the girl asleep. 

Bleep Bleep Bleep!  

She doesn't know how many hours or days or weeks or even months she's been sleeping. But, she likes it. It's peaceful, nothing to worry about, no need for running, no need for talking....just deep, restful sleep. 

She feels a slight pain inside her, just at the side of her stomach, but she couldn't reach it. She couldn't move any part of her body. 

Bleep Bleep Bleep! 

Is this living? Where am I? She asks herself.

She hears whispering beside her, but the voices are too soft to understand. There are shuffles of feet on the floor, opening and closing of a door, glass clanging....She tries to open her eyes, but they won't budge. It's like a glue has sealed them shut. She tries to open her mouth, but it, too, won't move. She forces a sound out of her throat, but is only successful to make a very soft moan. 

Footsteps...they're coming nearer. A voice, saying 'Are you awake, Elysa? Babe?'. A deep voice...sweet...loving...familiar.

She feels a hand on her fingers, playing with them. It's warm, soft.....familiar.

Another voice comes beside her. "I think you just imagined it, son."

"I heard her...it was soft...but I heard it."

"Come on, Mark. We have to go back to the police station. They're waiting for our statements." It's a female voice. 

Fading footsteps...clicking of the door....Then there was silence.

Bleep Bleep Bleep! 

   

______________________

Mark is in the backseat of the car, his dad is driving and beside him on the passenger seat is his mom. They're on their way to the police station to give out their statements...yet again...on what happened four days ago. He still can't believe how they were able to survive that day. He can still imagine what Elysa looked like when he entered the room - she was in so much pain that he didn't know what to do. 'I just wish I was the one who put a bullet on Thorne's head', he thinks. 

Tears run down his cheeks as he remember his girlfriend on the floor, in agony. Like a slug with salt covering it's entire body, she was shriveled. 

He still couldn't forgive himself for letting her go between him and the bullet. 

His mom looks over her shoulder at him and pats his leg, saying it's ok. But, it's not. She's still in that hospital, with cables and tubes attached to her and she hasn't opened her eyes for four days. Her desolate body is just laying there, not moving. "How can it be ok?", he thinks. 

"After seeing the news about Mary's death on TV, we received a call from Thorne. He said he wanted Elysa back. At first I was against it." Mr. Tuan is saying to the investigator. "The police talked me into getting with their plan."

"What was the plan?"

"We let her go so they could get to Thorne."

"The police?"

"Yes."

"Then, what happened next?"

"Five minutes after her car left, we followed. But another group of police were already on her tail before us. They followed her until she stopped and was transferred to another car. Then they trailed that car, too. The police we were with received an update on his radio on their location. We headed straight to the beach house. And that's where we saw them.

"My son, Mark, rushed to the house after hearing guns being fired. When I got in, Elysa was already on the floor...she was bleeding. Thorne was also there, beside her on the floor."

"Thank you, Mr. Tuan. If not because of you and your family, we won't be able to get Thorne." The investigator stands up and shakes the old man's hand. "I appreciate your coming here."

"Anything to help," he says. 

"Let's go back to the house first," Mrs. Tuan is saying as they head out the station and into their car. "Mark, you need to sleep. Take a long bath, honey."

"I'm going back to the hospital." Mark insists. The time they spent in the station is already a waste of time for him. He just wants to be beside her when she wakes up. He doesn't want her to be alone for even a second.

"No. Go and rest. Besides, Phoebe said she's watching her tonight."

"Mom..."

"Mark. Please...Look at you. You haven't eaten a decent meal. Your eyes are dark and deep. Please, honey. You don't want to be in a hospital bed, too, do you? We'll go see her early in the morning."

Mark knows that he can't win this argument. With a heavy heart, he goes home with his parents. 

______

Phoebe is sitting by the bed, holding her friend's hand and letting her listen to a song she is practicing for a dance number in school. 

Tears flow down her eyes as she looks at Elysa's lifeless body. She strokes her hair while telling her stories about what's happening in her school. 

"You know what? I met this really good looking guy. He goes to the same university. I just wish you were there so I could introduce the two of you. I'm sure you'll like him." Even with her cracking voice, she still manages to smile. "So, you have to wake up soon...ok?" 

She bursts into tears again. 

"I miss you, Elysa. Everybody misses you. I saw Mark this morning. He hasn't slept in days." She gives a small chuckle. "If you see him, I think you're gonna get mad. He looks like he hasn't showered." 

She wipes her tears with the back of her hand. "He loves you, Elysa. I haven't seen a guy love somebody that much."

___________

What is she saying? The girl's voice beside her is clear..but she can't understand what she's talking about. 

Mark? Mark loves me?

Who is Mark? Is he the guy in my dreams? 

Bleep..............................Bleep bleep bleep....................bleep bleep bleep.

The female voice earlier shouts, "Nurse.!"