The Assignment (Lesbian Story)

Bad News

Chapter 18

(Tegan's P.O.V)

I felt my jaw fall open as I heard Alex mutter Vanessa's name. I had never even thought of the possibility that it could have been her. I thought she was in Canada for gods sake! What was she doing in the States?!

As realization hit me I watched as Alex started to hyperventilate. She grabbed her chest, heaving and fighting to get air. But then the pain in her stomach came back and she started bleeding through the bandage and gown. I quickly ran to her side and lifted her gown over her stomach and put a tissue over her wound so she wouldn't get blood all over the sheets. I yelled for the nurse and started pounding on the emergency button that she had on the side of her bed. Her heart monitor started to beat faster showing her heart rate increasing. If she couldn't slow it down she could go into cardiac arrest.

"Alex please calm down, the nurses are coming." I pleaded through tears as I watched her struggle to get air into her lungs. I looked helplessly at Sara as she started to cry in the corner with Alex's brother holding her close to him.

Then it happened.

Alex's heart monitor flat lined.

"No!" I cried and started to pound on the button, it felt as if they didn't come soon, I was going to punch a hole into the damn wall.

When the nurses finally ran into the room, they looked breathless as they quickly took in the scene. They shoved everyone out and slammed the door shut as I watched doctors dart into Alex's room yelling instructions.

Damian quickly grabbed me as he noticed me eyeing the wall that I was about to punch. "Tegan that won't help anything." He said looking at me with worry. I pushed his hands off of me and stormed out of the hospital. No one could understand what I was going through right now.

The woman that I was absolutely and totally in love with had been shot, by my ex-girlfriend I might add, and is now fighting for her life. This day just couldn't get any worse!

I groaned in frustration as I looked up at the sky only to feel water fall onto my face. It was raining. Great. Just what I needed.

I kept walking, shoving my hands into my pockets, as I walked down the deserted street. "Tegan...." I heard a familiar voice say. I turned around to find Sara shivering in the rain as she watched me closely. "Tegan it's going to be okay. You just can't lose hope on her. She needs you right now and you're standing outside in the rain yelling at the sky." She said, walking closer to me.

I felt myself grow weak and wrapped my arms around Sara before I could lose my balance. She held me close to her as I finally felt the hot tears slide down my cheeks that I had been holding back for so long. The tears of wanting Alex when I was with Vanessa, the tears of sorrow and rejection when she pretended to date Sara, the tears of heartbreak that I felt when she got shot, and the tears now that I felt as my girlfriend was having a heart attack inside.

(Sara's P.O.V)

I was shocked when Alex started to have a heart attack from all of the stress that she felt. I didn't know what to do as she started gasping for air as Tegan panicked and yelled for the nurses. She pounded on the button until I thought that she was going to break it.

Alex started to bleed through her gown and that's when I was actually scared that we were going to lose her. Finally the nurses rushed in and hurried us out of the room. I felt my heart beat loudly in my chest as I struggled to catch my breath. Alex had just flatlined. Her heart had stopped beating completely.

I watched Damian constrain Tegan as she lurched for the wall, attempting to get her frustration out by punching the it. I had no idea how hurt she was but I knew that she wasn't going to get through this alone. As I was about to comfort her she pulled away from Damian and stormed out of the hospital and down the street, going god knows where. On instinct, I followed her outside, watching as she stopped and looked up at the sky as it began to rain. She started to yell and scream at the dark gray clouds until I felt like she was going to lose her voice.

"Tegan...." I said, watching her turn around, finally noticing me. I told her how she couldn't give up on Alex as she fell into my open arms.

"Tegan I know that this must be extremely hard and painful for you but you need to be there for her. I know you love her. I can tell by the way you look at her, how you act, and how vulnerable you look. She loves you too Tegan, you need to help her win this fight." I whispered, rubbing her damp back as she sobbed.

"Sara I'm so scared, I honestly don't know what I would do if I lost her. She's my everything Sara and that scares me." Tegan confessed as she pulled away to look at me. I tried to wipe the water away from her cheek but as I did more would fall onto it again. "Let's get out of this rain so that we can talk." I said and wrapped my arm around her, leading Tegan back inside.

As we stepped back into the warm hospital I could tell that Tegan was a lot calmer than she had been before. Her eyes didn't look as red and blood shot and her stance was stronger rather than small and fragile.

I watched as she sat on the floor against the wall and patted the place next to her. I smiled and sat next to her, pulling her body onto my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. I wanted her to feel better. I hated seeing her this upset about something. The only time she was ever like this was when we lost a relative.

She laid her head on my shoulder and looked at me. "Are you scared Sara?" She asked softly. "No I'm not, she's strong Tegan. She took a bullet for you. She may have had her armor scratched but that's not going stop her." I replied, hearing Tegan giggle. She nodded and closed her eyes, trying to get some much needed rest.

I watched as the doctor came back into the waiting room, walking over to me once he found me. "You're Sara, right?" He asked as I nodded in response. "Can you wake her?" He asked politely, looking at Tegan sleeping in my lap. I nodded and shook her softly, watching her eyes open slowly. Her eyes met the doctors and grew wide.

"It's okay Tegan, Alex had a minor panic attack... She is fine now." He said, expecting Tegan to be happy. "Minor?! Her heart stopped!" She shot back, glaring at him. "I know that, but it was only for a few seconds. That happens on occasion. Her body was able to start her heart again without our help. Once we got her to calm down her body went back to normal. We put her on some medicine so she will seem very calm and collected when you visit her. Try not to stress her out because we're not sure when the medicine will wear off." He advised before leaving us alone to think.

I sighed and watched as Tegan climbed out of my lap and stalked back towards Alex's room.

(Tegan's P.O.V)

I slowly opened Alex's door to find her sleeping softly. I quietly stepped into her room and sat in the chair next to her bed, taking her soft hand in mine. Her eyes fluttered open and her head turned towards me as she smiled softly. "Hey babe" I said quietly, pushing her hair out of her face. She smiled and kissed my hand before I drew it back. "How do you feel?" I asked, watching her think. "I'm doing okay, you don't look okay though. Are you alright Tegan?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

My heart fluttered as my name left her lips and I couldn't help but smile. "I'm doing fine now, I was just worried...." I said, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. She nodded and took a deep breath as I watched her eyes travel all over my body. She grinned and looked away, staring at the ceiling.

Her hold on my hand tightened as she squeezed her eyes shut. As quickly as it happened though she let go and ran her hand over the bed sheets. "Tegan?" She asked as I watched her, puzzled. "Yeah?" I asked, looking at her concerned. "Come here." She said, turning to gaze at me. I noticed that her eyes were darker but I couldn't tell why. I'm guessing it was because of the lack of sleep.

I stood up and looked down at her as she smiled. Her hand reached up and grabbed the collar of my jacket and she pulled me down gently. I furrowed my eyes as she rested her hand on my neck and started to kiss the other side of it. I felt myself begin to grow weak from the lust as she tried to remove my jacket. Her lips crashed into mine, distracting me as she removed my jacket from my wet shirt underneath, her tongue attacking mine as her hand ran through my soaked hair. She pulled gently as I felt a moan escape my lips.

"Alex, we can't." I said breathlessly, finally able to get some self control. "Why not?" She asked, looking somewhat hurt. "The doctor gave you some medicine so you're not fully aware of your actions. I would feel like I was taking advantage of you." I said, watching her look away from me sighing. "Fine." She said irritated as I sat back in the chair. "Alex please don't be mad at me. If they wouldn't have given you medicine and you weren't in the hospital I would have gladly continued, but given the circumstances, I can't." I said, trying to comfort her.

She turned to look at me as best as she could and smiled lightly. She nodded before hiding her face into the pillow as I heard her take a deep breath. I rubbed her back as I watched her look at me. "It hurts Tegan." She finally said. I felt my heart rip as she said those words to me. I hated that she was in so much pain. I couldn't stand it. And I hated it even more because I couldn't do anything about it but watch.

"I know it does but it won't last forever." I finally said, kissing her cheek. She nodded and looked at the other side of her bed that was unoccupied. "Can you lay down with me? I don't like sleeping without you...." She confessed as I felt tears fill my eyes. I had never seen her this vulnerable before. She was usually so strong and confident but now I didn't know when she was going to fall apart.

I smiled and nodded as I went to the other side of her bed, taking my shoes off before sliding in beside her. She turned to face me as best as she could and laid her head on my chest. I ran my hand through her hair repeatedly as I felt her body relax under my touch. I watched as her eyes slowly drooped closed and her breathing grew soft.

(Alex's P.O.V)

These last few hours have been hell for me. First I found out who shot me, then I had a damn panic attack. I don't even understand how that could have happened. I've never acted like that in my entire life. And to make matters worse, I could tell that Tegan was now terrified that I was going to die. I hated doing this to her. I could tell that she barely got any sleep and was constantly worried.

After I had woken up from my nap with her, I smiled as she remained next to me as Sara and Damian came into the room. "Feeling better?" Sara asked as I nodded. "You guys look so cute!" Damian said as I giggled, rolling my eyes. "Well since you're awake I better let you have more room.." Tegan said lifting the covers from her body. She was about to leave when I wrapped my arms around her waist tightly. "Don't leave, you're warm." I whined, watching her smile.

She slid back in but stayed close to the edge, trying to give me as much room as she possibly could. I giggled and kissed her neck as that was the only place that I could reach from the position that we were in. She smiled and looked down at me, rubbing my back softly.

"So um... the police tried to track down Vanessa..." Sara said, interrupting Tegan and I. "And?" I asked, looking up at her. "They found her.... unconscious...." Sara said. I gasped, shocked. I don't even know who would have even done that. "She was barely alive.... Someone really beat the crap out of her.." Sara said as I looked at Tegan.

"Do you really think that I would do that?" Tegan asked, looking at me with hurt in her eyes. "No.... Do you know who would though?" I asked looking at her. "I have no clue, do you?" "No" I responded and looked at Sara. "Where is she?" I asked. "Ohio" She said, naming the state where my parents lived. "Oh..." I said confused. "Have they questioned her yet?" I asked as she sat in the chair. "They didn't have to, she gladly confessed to it." She said as I glared at the floor.

Of course she would. She would have killed me if she could. "And um... Tom needs to tell you guys something..." She said as I felt my heart race. By the sound of her voice I could tell that it wasn't going to be good news.

I watched as Tom came into room staring at the floor, he looked uncomfortable. My grip tightened on Tegan as he stared at us. I could tell that Tegan looked nervous too.

"There's no easy way to say this so I'll just come right out with it... Tegan, Alex isn't going to heal before we leave back on tour... So we're going to have to leave her here at the hospital until she's fit to come back. We'll have someone here with her but she won't see you again until she's healed... I've talked with the doctor about other possibilities but that's the only thing that we could come up with... I'm sorry girls.." He said as I felt my jaw drop.

"What? that's ridiculous!" "That's not fair!" I heard Tegan shout, glaring at Tom. "It's the only thing that we can do, Alex still needs to heal so she doesn't need to have to deal with the stress of touring." Tom said, trying to reassure us. But that wasn't going to happen, I would be fine with going on tour with her now. I feel fine.

"Please don't be mad at me or the doctor. We have talked about this for awhile now. It's the only way. We're not saying you have to break up, all that we're saying is that you won't be able to see each other for awhile." He said, looking sadly at Tegan.

She started to protest again but I put my hand up to stop her. "Tegan stop, Tom's right. This is the only way." I said, looking at her sadly. "When are we leaving then?" She asked, defeated.

"Tomorrow...."