Living With Mr Mysterious

Chapter Ten - Blood and Bandages

Blood and Bandages

"Mase, please let me in!" I begged, banging on his door desperately. I was worried about him, but I also wanted to ask him a question. I guess my days of minding my own business were over.

I heard a crash from inside and my heart skipped a beat. Oh god . . . I jiggled the handle, found the door locked and rushed into my room. I was panicking now. I threw the doors to my balcony open and judged the distance between myself and the railing of Mason's balcony.

I told myself I was an idiot for even considering it, but concern for Mason won out and I leapt from my balcony, through the air, grabbing at the concrete railing.

For a second, I was terrified that I wouldn't make it, but I slammed into the balcony, my hands slapping and then gripping on the concrete.

My heart was racing and my ribs were throbbing where they'd hit the rail. I quickly scrambled up and onto the balcony, thanking whatever god may be real that I'd made it. I breathed a couple of deep breaths of the cool evening air before I remembered why I'd risked my life jumping from my balcony to Mason's.

I pushed through the doors into Mase's room, finding him lying face down on his bed. My stomach lurched up into my throat. The white bedsheets weren't white anymore. They were a bright shade of crimson that could only be blood.

~*~

The sirens were giving me a headache and the bright, flashing lights made my eyes hurt. The paramedics rushed past me up the stairs into Mason's room while I stood by in shock. How on earth had this happened? More importantly, why?

I texted mom to let her know we were on our way and got into the back of the ambulance with Mase, who was stretched out, unconscious, on a gurney. I tried not to cry as I looked at him, white gauze and bandages wrapped around his forearms.

Why didn't I think that this could be a possibility? Riley had told me that Mason had been angry when he and Fiona had brought me home last night, why didn't it occur to me that that could trigger him to cut again?

I was so stupid, I thought to myself as the paramedics pulled into the emergency wing and wheeled Mase away. I should have taken the lock off his door. I should've hidden all of the sharp objects. I should've been more careful. I should've been a better friend.

Once Mason was in surgery and I was sitting in the waiting room with tears rolling silently down my cheeks, mom came and found me. "Oh, Rosa!" she exclaimed, pulling me up into a hug.

"Mom, how did this happen?" I sobbed, "How did I let this happen? I knew it could and I didn't-"

Mom cut me off. "Rosaline," she said, pulling away and holding my shoulders at arm's length. "What do you mean, you knew?"

My eyes went wide as I realised what I'd just let slip. I swear my heart stopped. "I-I-" I stuttered, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse. In the end, I sighed and flopped back down into the plastic chair. "He made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone."

Mom was outraged. "WHAT ON EARTH MADE YOU THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA, ROSALINE?!"

"Kara?" called the surgeon, still wearing her scrubs and covered in blood. I sat up straighter and mom turned and ran a hand through her blonde hair. "The boy's out. He's in room two-thirteen, you can visit him but he's still asleep. He's going to be okay."

I could see mom relax visibly at the same time I slumped back in my chair in relief. He was going to be okay.

Hey, guys! I'm kinda on a roll with the updates now, as it's the school holidays! This one was written mostly in a cramped car during a three-hour drive, so I hope you consider yourselves lucky! If any of you even care, ahaha . . . Anyway! Enjoy! I love you all! <3