Save Me from the Dark (A John Gage 'Emergency!' love story Fanfiction)

Chapter 28

Scarlett pulled the oxygen mask off again, much to his annoyance.

"Hey, Johnny?"

"Yeah?" There was a note of concern again and she couldn't help but feel even more guilty.

"Will you lay with me?" She patted the space next to her. "Please?"

He looked almost incredulous and it took a second before his words came sputtering out.

"What?! No... I... That's... Not... I mean..."

"Please?" Scarlett asked more forcefully this time. Johnny definitely took some badgering to do even pleasant things sometimes.

"I.. Uh... I don't want to hurt you." Johnny's indecision was clear as day on his face and Scarlett knew that he really did want to. Of course it was so like him to be afraid of causing her pain. 

"You won't hurt me though, I'd say I'm good and doped up for awhile." She gave him what she hoped was a convincing smile and prayed that her badgering had finally worked. Scarlett could feel the exhaustion setting back in and all she wanted was to cuddle up to Johnny and sink back into the blissful depths of sleep once more.

There was a split second more of indecision as Johnny seemed to mentally struggle with himself, but Scarlett cheered in silent victory as he kicked off his shoes and carefully climbed into the bed next to her while avoiding the many wires.

"Tell me if I hurt you. I'll get up."

Scarlett didn't bother replying as she laid her head on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat under her ear and to her it was the sweetest sound in the entire world. It was hard to believe that her own had stopped briefly. She felt Johnny gently pulling her closer and she couldn't even imagine the agony it must certainly have caused him to see her so lifeless.

Something was eating away at her though.

"Johnny?"

"Yeah?"

"I heard you when you were calling to me that day. You told me that I'd be okay."

"What?" He said, the shock was clearly evident in his voice. "You couldn't have heard that. You were..."

"Yeah, I know, but I did. It hurt me to hear you sound so worried, but... Before I could do anything I was somewhere else and I couldn't hear you anymore."

Scarlett chanced a look at him and his face was oddly unreadable. Oops, maybe she shouldn't have told him after all. Now he probably thought she was crazy which was what she'd always tried to avoid with him.

Whatever she was expecting, it definitely wasn't the next thing out of his mouth.

"Did you see anything?"

"What?" Scarlett couldn't believe he'd ask that. She didn't know exactly why, she just didn't. Maybe because it was a weird topic, almost bordering on crazy and she didn't expect Johnny to entertain it. Maybe there was more to him than she realized.

Johnny made a sound of annoyance like he didn't want to have to explain it. "You know, see something. Like a bright white light, angels, pearly white gates. That type of thing."

"Oh, uh no, I didn't see anything. I more... Felt things."

Now it was his turn to be confused again. "What? What do you mean you felt things?"

"It's hard to explain really. I felt warm and peaceful. Like everything was finally okay. But then.. I felt you." Scarlett suddenly felt super awkward about telling him what happened. Telling him this went beyond anything else she'd ever dreamed of saying to him and she was afraid of how he'd react. "Basically I could feel your soul...or something... and it was warm, similar to how where I was felt. But, at the same time, it was different. Yours felt more right and I followed it. I wanted to be with you again more than anything."

Scarlett awkwardly bit her lip and let the embarrassment of her emotional confession wash over her. She really shouldn't have told him that. Chancing a look at him, he surprised her yet again. Reflected in Johnny's eyes was more love than she could imagine. Scarlett had seen his love filled expressions before, but never like this. This was completely different.

"You came back. For me?" Something in Johnny's voice made her uncomfortable. Was he going to cry? Scarlett had worried about this possibility more today than she ever had. His emotions just seemed extra raw today, for good reason, but it was uncomfortable for her.

The next thing out of his mouth was even more unbelievable than him asking if she had seen anything while she was technically dead and Scarlett had thought sure nothing could top that. Boy she was wrong.

"I love you, you know that don't ya?" Johnny gently pulled her as close him as he could and ran his fingers through her hair. "I really, really love you. I thought I was going to lose you and it was the scariest thing in the world."