Hands Of Time | Ezria

Chapter Ten

ARIAS POV
I felt Ezra's hair becoming loose as I ruffled his locks, as I always did. I pulled away and I held a handful of his beautiful strands of  brown hair.
"Ezra, oh my god," I said, sniffling. Tears flowed out of my eyes, as his eyes started to water too. He took me in for a hug, and I accepted his embrace.
"It'll be okay, baby. I promise," he breathed against my ear.
I shook my head and clutched his hair. I looked up at him and noticed a big, bald patch on his head from where the hair had come from. My tears were red hot and salty as they trickled down my face.
He kissed the top of my head, as he held onto me longer and stronger. I never wanted to let go of him. Ever.
"I love you so, so, so much," I said into his shirt. I pulled away and could see a huge wet patch on his polo from where my tears had been.
He chuckled as he looked down and saw the wet-patch.

EZRAS POV
As I looked down to witness the huge wet patch of tears Aria had left on my shirt, I couldn't help but laugh.
The fact that my hair was falling out wasn't the reason I was crying. I knew it was going to happen. I was prepared for it. Seeing Aria cry was the reason. I couldn't stand to hurt her. This wasn't fair on her, or anyone. Again, I didn't want her to miss out on the things somebody else could give her. She was taking up all her time looking after me, and I didn't like it. I loved her being with me, since I struggled to last a minute without her, but the fact she is giving up all her study time and everything, hurt me. She deserves better than me.
I looked into her gorgeous, hazel eyes, and the warmest feeling filled up inside me. I became weak looking at her, her beauty was a rare thing. I'd never seen anyone or anything as beautiful as Aria Montgomery.
She felt me shudder as she touched my earlobe, as I witnessed another slight tear race down her soft cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb, as I smiled.
"It's going to get better," I whispered.
"You don't know that," she mumbled back, caressing my stone cold hands.
And as I leaned in to kiss her temple, as I always did, the sharpest pain hit my chest. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I collapsed into Aria's arms, almost lifeless.
"Ezra?!" She cried. But I couldn't answer. The world went pitch black.

ARIAS POV
"Ezra?!" I screamed, gripping him tight. He seems lifeless. I didn't hesitate from calling an ambulance straight away. On the first ring, the operator picked up.
"What service do you wish to use?" The female operator said.
"Ambulance, I need an ambulance, straight away!"
"Okay ma'am, what's going on?"
"My boyfriend has heart Cancer and he has just collapsed. He's lifeless. Please hurry, please!!" I yelled, still clutching Ezra close to me, crying hysterically.

Five minutes later, an ambulance appeared outside Ezra's apartment building. They hurried Ezra onto a stretcher, clasping a breathing mask around him. I gasped at the sight, and ran towards the van.
"I have to go with him!" I cried out, puddles pouring out my burning eyes.
"What are you to the patient?" The man said, looking at me, then his clipboard, then me again.
"I'm his girlfriend. I was the one who called you guys," I said, almost immediately. The man nodded and let me set foot in the ambulance.
All sorts of machines were connected to Ezra. My Ezra. My Ezra was strong - I knew he could fight this. He had to.
I held his warm hand, which was stone cold, but must've warmed up once the machines got him successful breathing again.

As we arrived in the hospital, tons of doctors and nurses wheeled Ezra off into a room which I didn't know. Nobody would tell me. I sat in a waiting chair, crying my eyes out. I was praying he was okay. There is nothing worse in the world than losing the one you love. Nothing.
My knees were twisting and my stomach was painfully knotted. My cheeks were sore, and getting sorer from my tears, which were still pouring out of my eyes.
I found it hard to breathe, and I waited and waited for the receptionist to call out my name.
But two hours past, and still, nobody would tell me what condition Ezra was in.
I suddenly heard my phone vibrating in my purse. I brung it up to my face and read the screen. It was an incoming call.

Spencer.

I picked up, trying to sound fine. But I couldn't. The tears kept falling. And Spencer could tell I was upset.

"Aria?! Aria what's up? What's going on?!" She cried.
I sniffed and wiped my tears as if she was watching me.
"Spence...Ezras in the hospital," I replied, and I broke down again.
"Aria, do you want me to comfort you or something?" She asked. I could really use a Spencer hug right now.
"Yes. Yes that'd be amazing. I love you Spence,"
"I love you too, Ar. I'm on my way," she said, and hung up.
I flopped down back in my seat, taking off my sweater which was drenched with tears.

Ten minutes later, I could see Spencer approaching me in the corner of my eye. She came up to me, and saw how puffy and red my face was. It was pretty obvious I had been crying hysterically. She pulled me into a big, comforting hug, and I cried, hard, on her shoulder. She stroked my hair. Spencer was literally the best friend anybody could ever ask for.

"Thank you for coming, Spence," I said, still tearing up.
"You really thought I would leave you here alone? No chance! Wait, why are you here, again? What's wrong with Ezra," she asked, trying to not make me cry even more. I bit my lip, and i desperately didn't want the two words to slip out of my mouth.

"Spence...he has...he has Heart Cancer," I cried, but I bit the inside of my cheek, very, very hard, to prevent myself from crying even more.

"Oh my god, aria," Spencer pulled me into another huge hug. I was sure she was tearing up too.

"I was hugging him and I pulled away and I held huge strands of ha..." I stuttered. I choked on my tears, and my chest felt super tight.
Spencer pulled away and took my hand.
"Listen to me Aria. Ezra will be fine. I promise you. You can tell how much he loves you, he won't give up that easily. Everytime I look at him when you're together, you're the only thing he's looking at. He's a fighter," she explained. Spencer sure knew how to make someone feel the tiniest bit better. Although I was dying inside, there was some hope, when the receptionist stood up.

"Aria Montgomery?" She called out.

My eyes widened and I rushed straight over to the reception desk.
"Yes?!" I said, quickly, tears welling up in my eyes.

"We need you to know that you are free to go in and visit Ezra Fitz. We need you to also know he's in a very weak condition. He's in a sleep very similar to a coma. He should wake up in a day or so. And I'm sorry, but there is only one visitor allowed at a time," she looked at Spencer. Ezra was in a sleep like a coma. I ran into his room, C12, after the receptionist told me where he was lay.

And there he was. Laying almost helpless on the hospital bed. He had a nasal cannula connected, and wires everywhere. I struggled to stay stood up as I witnessed the love of my life clinging to life in that very hospital bed.

I sat down in the almost-plastic like chair next to his bed. I took his hands. They were warm, but they felt stone cold at the same time.

A strange aroma surrounded the room. It was almost like his spirit surrounded me. And that's when I was most scared. Although the heart rate machine was still beeping, I felt as if he had already left. I thought as if I could feel two ghostly hands cling onto my shoulders. No. He couldn't have.

I stood up to go and call a nurse, when I heard a faint movement behind me.

"Ezra?" I whispered. No answer. The strange aroma had left, and I felt as if he was alive again.

I kissed him softly on the lips, still clutching lightly on his hand. I felt a slight tug.

"Aria?"