The Guardian Wars: Part One #Wattys2016

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 I kept slipping in and out of consciousness. I opened my eyes a few times but all I could make out were muffled voices and blurred shapes. I wanted to see Rowan. I wanted proof that he was actually alive, but I couldn't force myself to wake up. At one point before I woke up I could hear pieces of the conversations being held around me.

"She's going to be fine. Quit beating yourself up," Clive said

"I won't believe it until she wakes up. I should have done more. I should have kept her from getting shot," Mabel wept.

"Mabel, you did everything you could," Clive reassured her.

"Tell Rowan that. He won't even look at me," she said, sourly.

"He's madder at himself than he is at you. Just give it some time," he answered. I heard Mabel's muffled crying for a while longer before the room was filled with silence again.

The next voice I heard was Rowan's. It was impossible to tell how much time had passed, but just hearing his voice made my heart happy.

"I wish I could talk to you. I want to ask you so much, Liv. For example, I'm dying to know why you're blonde. Although, I'm pretty sure I can answer that one on my own," he sighed.

"I've been so worried about you. I kept picturing you lost somewhere in the wilderness, but here you are. You found me. I just wish you would wake up," he said. I could feel him pick my hand up and press his lips to my palm.

I heard an unfamiliar woman's voice next.

"Rowan just needs to be patient. She's going to be fine," she said from a distance.

"You don't know Rowan very well, Holly," Clive said with humor in his voice.

"You're right. He's just acting a little ridiculous," she agreed.

Clive laughed.

"You haven't seen ridiculous yet. Just wait until she wakes up," he said.

I didn't know how long it had been when I finally opened my eyes. I was laying on a cot in a room with pale blue walls. There was a wallpaper border that followed the top of the wall. It had a pattern of cartoon pictures of Band-Aids, stethoscopes, and other medical items on it.

I looked around the room. No one was there but me. I was hoping I would wake up to find Rowan. I just needed to be sure that I had actually seen him. I looked down at my bandaged arm. I had lost a lot of blood before he carried me away. I very possibly could have dreamt him or imagined him like I had before. I sat up slowly, noticing that an IV was in my arm. I had a tube plugged in my nose that wrapped around the back of my head. I pulled it out to allow my head more freedom. My arm was killing me, but it wasn't bleeding. It must have been stitched up. The door to the room opened slowly and Mabel popped her head in.

"You're awake!" she shouted, running over to my cot. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight. I hissed as she squeezed my arm.

"Sorry." she said sheepishly as she released me.

"Hi," I said still feeling groggy.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Tired. My arm hurts. I'm kind of confused," I answered, honestly.

"I'm so sorry, Liv," she gushed. "I never wanted this to happen to you. I should have protected you." I smiled and shook my head.

"We made it. That's all that matters," I said softly. We turned toward the door as we heard it creak open. Clive walked in, but froze when he was us sitting there.