Broken

Chapter 51

"Kristen stop," he said, holding me at arms length and wiping my tears away.

"Did she...did she survive?" I asked, my voice shaky.

He shook his head and I gasped, covering my mouth. They had put Harry through all that pain for nothing.

"No...she got better, she did. But it came back," he whispered, fighting back the tears himself, " I failed her."

"Hey, don't say that! These things happen," I said, reaching my hand up to his face.

"I was her only match..."

"Stop!" I cried," you did what you could."

"But it wasn't e-"

I pressed my lips against his to make him shut up, a little moan escaping from his mouth.

"I love you," he breathed.

I smiled and threw my arms round his neck, staring at his hips where the pain would have been.

"I love you too."

He decided to go home so I could talk to Nat, feeling ashamed for running away from her. I so wished I could go home too.

Luckily she was still there, twiddling her thumbs and staring at the flower beds. She smiled when she saw me and patted the bench beside her.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

I took a deep breath and smiled back, "yeah, he wasn't quite...feeling himself," I said, which wasn't a lie yet not the truth either.

She shook her head and tutted, making me freak out thinking she knew I was lying to her.

"What this place does to you," she sighed, letting me breath again.

"I know."

We sat in awkward silence for a while, staring at the hospital walls around us.

"I wish I could get out of here," she said, looking up at the sky," I want to make the most of the time I have left, and wasting away in here isn't doing that."

I nodded and looked at the ground, feeling sorry for her. If it was me I would hate knowing how long I had left, counting down the days till the very moment I died. Seems more depressing to me.

"Is there anything you've always wanted to do?" I asked.

She looked up at me and grinned,

"I've always wanted blonde hair," she said, giggling to herself.

I laughed softly and looked at my own hair, wishing I could take it off like a wig and give it to her. After spending time at the hospital I wanted to give them something back, they had all been so kind to me.

Nat told me about all the charity work she had done before she got seriously ill, she was so inspirational and calm even though she was in agony.

I felt really emotional as she told me about her four kids and husband back home, how worried they must be. I know my parents treated me badly, but at least I had them around. The thought of losing your mum sounded terrible.

"I wish my mum had been like you," I said, " brave and thoughtful, never laying a finger on her kids..."

She smiled sadly and took my hand, squeezing it tight, "your a really inspirational woman, Nat."

"I just get on with life. I tried sulking and feeling sorry for myself, but in the end it's better to take it one day at a time and paint a big smile on your face," she said.

I nodded and took her words in, squeezing her hand back. And I made a decision at that moment, I was going to get Nat her blonde hair.