Have you ever seen it?
You know, the one scene in life. That scene. The one memory you have that, to this day, is enough to turn your insides around in circles like a dryer machine on hyperdrive and make your chest ache with this pain that makes it feel as if your heart was tearing apart by each individual cell and muscle fiber?
That one.
If you're asking yourself if you've experienced such a feeling, congrats. You most likely haven't. But you will. Just not today. For that, you are undeniably lucky.
For those who just remembered that. I apologize for bringing it up. But I don't think you know exactly what happened to Paxton unless you bring that feeling back to the forefront of your mind.
Paxton knows that feeling now. In all his amount of time spent with the Price family, he had never experienced this trauma. This pain.
Screaming.
"Oh my god, the medicine!" Justine screamed.
Pushing.
Paxton was pushed against a wall, growling so loud he was sure everyone could hear. No one focused on him. Everyone's attention was on the girl on the floor.
Her.
Sarah.
Paxton pushed his way through everyone, going straight to her side, trying to feel her breath against his cheek. Nothing.
Paxton felt his scream. The strain of his vocal chords, the air leaving his lungs, his muscles locking, everything. But he couldn't hear it.
Everything was normal. Safe. They were playing a game on some thin scratchy material called a board.
Laughing.
Sarah.
Paxton could feel his face being drenched in his own sweat and tears. He'd never cried like this before. No, not even when he was abandoned. The saliva that hung around his gaping mouth, the snot building up at the top of his lip, the burning of his eyes as his sight left him.
This was different.
She was doing so well today. She taught him a few vowels and even how to write their initials.
S.
Arms pulled at Paxton, trying to peel him off the girl who he had protected. He screamed louder and fought hard. He would not leave her. Ever.
"Paxton!"
Sarah.
All at once, reality came crashing back to the boy. He had seen Sarah fall and her breathing cut off. His mind had wandered and had pictured what it would have been like to lose her. To lose her in his own arms. He shook his head, running straight to Sarah and pulling her up in a sitting position on his lap.
Justine had grabbed several colored tubes from a small door by the cold box. She had a cup of water as well as several of those tubes, filled with miniature ovals and a sort of torture looking device that he was sure would do more harm to Sarah than good.
He growled warningly at Justine before pulling Sarah closer to him.
"Paxton, damnit, let me save her!" Justine made a dive for her daughter and managed to pull her away enough for her to attach the device to her mouth and turn it on.
The sound was deafening.
Finally, he could hear her breathing match the hum of the machine and Justine let out a sigh of relief.
"Next time, let me take care of my daughter." Justine told Paxton, grabbing a wet rag and slowly wiping it across Sarah's forehead.
Breathing.
She was alive.
The slight hiccup in his mind had terrified him. To think his thoughts could go to a place so dark, to see his Sarah dead like that...
He shook himself out of it and sat on the floor by the couch. Sarah was now sleeping soundly on the sofa, Paxton at her feet, watching her. It had been hours since her episode had ended but Paxton didn't leave her side in fear of it happening again on his watch.
Paxton stared at her. He was making some sort of pattern in the carpet with one of his fingers and he just kept staring at her. He knew she was sickly, but to this extent? He would need to be careful with her from this point on. His finger couldn't stop its pattern in the carpet, nearly cutting into the floor with his longer nails. Paxton frowned as he felt the harder floor underneath the carpet reach his finger and looked down to see what he was doing.
S.
-Megan
So, it's been a minute. I just want to thank everyone who is still interested in this story and anyone who is new! For those who want to know what is up with me, hey!
Basically, I went to uni, couldn't handle myself, went to a mental hospital, got diagnosed with panic disorder and major depressive disorder, quit school, have been working, and have been working really hard on myself the past few months. So yeah, sorry for the late update but hey, life happens.
Yes, I'm okay. I have tattoos to prove it. I'm just like everyone else but I deal with a little extra thing on the side. Can't wait to start writing again to see if this will help me as well!
Vote and comment please!
