Reawakening Eve--WATTPAD PRIZE 2014

Chapter 1: Dream

"This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last." -Oscar Wilde

Beep....Beep....Beep...

  Cadence Matthews checked the health monitor and jotted down some notes on her clipboard under the name Ashton Klaine. She stared down thoughtfully at the bandaged young man. He seemed to be about her age, but it was hard to tell from his bruise smeared face. He was pretty banged up, with 3 broken ribs, a concussion, severe bruising, and a broken right arm. The doctors and nurses were even surprised that he survived the crash. All Cadence knew from gossiping nurses was that their car was rammed into by a sort of truck and was tossed around like a bag of marbles. The nurses also said there was another person with him, but before she could ask the nurses about the other person, a team of EMTs hustled in with a stretcher with an old woman was knocked out on top, and the nurses flew off like a flock of birds.

  Cadence was a student nurse, so all she did now was check the health monitor, record their data, attach fluids, bring them lunch, and help patients bathe themselves. When she had spare time, she was able to actually spend a good chunk of time connecting with the patients and helped them deal with the anxiety of being in an hospital. It was an important task for those in the medical field to know how to guide patients to a positive aspect of life.

  She heard a slight moan and looked away from the clipboard to see what was wrong. His full lips started to move a bit, as if he were trying to say something. They pursed and tried to shape a vowel, but his lips faltered and frowned again. His eyebrows were furrowed, as if he were having a bad dream. Cadence couldn't help but run a gentle hand through his chocolate dark brown hair and smiled as his face slowly relaxed and was lulled back into peaceful slumber. She could feel her heart warm a bit at this. And from that, she knew she would definitely visit him again. For a moment, she was so immersed in stroking his soft hair that she didn't hear the quick footsteps of Head Nurse Tasha McKenzie come into the room.

 "Cute isn't he?" She asked, with a crooked smile on her round, cocoa tinted face.

 Cadence stifled a yelp and quickly slipped her hand out of his hair, banging her hand against the sharp corner of the monitor screen, head. She hissed in pain and placed her hand behind the clipboard.

 "Um, I was just checking his vitals...Nothing else." She replied hastily.

 Tasha snorted and crossed her arms. "Uh huh."

 Cadence sighed in defeat. "Okay, maybe a teeny bit, but I just saw him." She raised her clipboard and flapped it up and down in a gesture of "calm down lady".

 Tasha chuckled. "Don't worry Cade. I won't tell."

 Cadence gave a small grin and decided to change the subject before Tasha could torture her any further,"Do I need to go somewhere else?"

Tasha nodded and stared down at her own clipboard, decorated with Dora the Explorer stickers. "Yep. Go right on down to room 536." She handed Cadence a paper and gave her a wink, "I'll give you the details on pretty boy right here later."

Cadence blushed beet red, shook her head, and left with Tasha's soft rumbling laughter trailing behind her.

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  Cadence appeared in front of room 536. Apparently, the girl was in critical condition as well,which was well beyond an understatement when she walked inside the crisp, sterile room and encountered a flurry of white snakes laced around the girl.

  The sight of the girl stopped Cadence, Of course she had seen stuff like this before, but she could barely find a piece of her flesh, for it was covered by casts, bandages, and tubes. Feeling ashamed for staring at her for too long, Cadence quickly took down her vitals then replaced the fluids. However, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl, whatever had happened to her. Then, with a final look, she headed out the door. The nurses and doctors always said she was a softy around patients, despite what they've gone through. In fact, they always said that she was too soft, to the point of her not being able to withstand being around blood for too long.

  Cadence grimaced silently as she remember that awful knot she received the first time she saw so much blood...It was something indescribable that was for sure. She tucked the blanket securely around the girl's thin waist and patted her hand. She then checked her watch and seeing that it was 12:45, headed down for a lunch break and a solid 45 minutes to eavesdrop on some nurse gossip.

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 Ash didn't, couldn't, open his eyes...

 because he was in a dream,

 with Eve.

  The two of them stood under the Watergate bridge, looking out the moonlit river sashaying lazily from side to side They were holding hands and hadn't said a word. The crickets chirped quietly, yet tauntingly, making fun of their separation. It was so oppressing to the point when suddenly Eve spoke up.

 "Ash. I'm not going to be here much longer." Eve said softly, turning toward him, her blue eyes eerily calm yet stern.

  Ash, dumbfounded, asked, "What? What are you talking about Eve?" He gave a small smile and leaned down to kiss her forehead, but she backed away.

 Tears dribbled down her face as she said this, "Ash. You need to forget about me. I won't make it."

  Ash strode forward and grasped her shoulders. This time, she didn't back away, but buried her face into his shoulder and cried silently. Ash began to feel something wet on his cheek as well and tried to shake them away, not wanting to show Eve that she was probably right.

  "No Eve. I believe in you. You will make it through. You will." He gritted his teeth.

  "Ash. You can't stop fate." Eve whispered.

"But I can believe that you will push on." Ash replied, raising a hand to brush her wavy black hair. As he did so however, his hand slipped through her now translucent form. He was  hugging himself.

Eve shook her head slowly and gave him a long stare. A stare that meant there was no going back, that she was now disappearing from him, never to be looked back upon. She expected him to dismiss her from his mind and she was going to do the same. She placed a tender hand on his cheek, like she always did before she gave him a kiss, except now she didn't give him one.

"I forgive you Ash. Now please leave, because I am already leaving you."

She turned around and walked out across the river. And with a gust of wind, her form abruptly disappeared, leaving Ash stranded beneath the Watergate bridge with only a trail tears in her wake.

"See? I've already left." Her voice echoed.

 Ash woke up.

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