Red

Chapter Thirty Four

Chandler POV:
Something's happening. I'm not in the hallway anymore, and I don't see Kurt. My stomach hurts like a bitch. I try to open my eyes. Everything is blurry. Someone is saying something. Are they talking to me? No. I see flashes of pale blue hovering above me, moving around in what feels like slow motion. Someone says something about more CC's of something. Everything is fading around me again.

***

I'm back in the hallway again. Jesus Christ.

Kurt looks almost nervous when I see him, and I rise shakily to my feet.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about that whole thing," he says. "I was just trying to stop you from panicking again. I guess I made it worse."

"It's, um... it's okay," I reply, feeling oddly dizzy. "Why am I so dizzy? What happened?"

"They almost lost you," he tells me. "Again. The dizziness could be a good sign, though. You might wake up soon."

"Oh." I consider this for a moment. "What happens to you when I wake up?"

"If you wake up, then I go," he says. "I'm free after that. This is like some sort of middle ground. I can still wander around as a ghost, and even though that's pretty fucking cool, I'll be glad to get out of here. That unfinished business shit is true. You're my unfinished business."

"I didn't know you... regretted all of that so much," I say. "All the shit you did to me, I mean."

"I did," he says, and he sounds genuine. "Really."

"Thank you," I say. "For helping me. For trying to help me, anyway."

"No problem, Heather," he replies.

I'm fine for a moment, and then everything is spinning. The hallway looks like it's getting shorter. Kurt looks confused but excited. Then, I can't see him anymore. He's fading. The hallway is fading.

Then, everything goes black once more.

I have a feeling that I won't be coming back to this stupid fucking hallway anymore.

***

Veronica POV:
They almost lost her three times. She almost died. Somehow, she didn't. Somehow, she's okay. She was asleep for a few days, still recovering from the surgery, but now they say that I can go in and see her. I'm not sure MacKenzie should see her yet as it might scare her to see Chandler all bandaged up, so I ruffle her hair and tell her to wait with Auntie Mac. She agrees, but I know she wants to see Chandler. I know she wants to make sure that she's okay.

The nurse walks me down a hallway towards the room where Chandler is staying. I'm anxious to see her. My hands are shaking. I've been so worried about her. The nurse approaches a door on the right side of the hallway, and she pushes it open slowly. As I walk into the doorway, I see my beautiful wife asleep on the hospital bed.

Her skin is pale, and on this rare occasion, she's not wearing any makeup, and I can see the freckles that dust her face. She's hooked up to an IV, and I can see the bandages peeking out from under her hospital gown.

I approach the bed, sitting in the chair beside her. I reach out a shaking hand and interlace her fingers with mine. Her hands are cold, and it almost upsets me. I hate seeing her like this, but I know I'm lucky to be seeing her at all.

I'm okay with sitting here, holding her hand and watching her sleep, and then suddenly her eyes flutter open. I feel my heart skip a beat, and I nearly lean in closer to her but decide against it. She looks groggy, and she shifts her beautiful grey eyes to look at me.

"Veronica?" she mumbles. "You look like hell."

I almost laugh. "Yeah? I just got back," I tell her. I must look awful. I still haven't slept, and the last time I ate was when Duke brought me those fries yesterday.

A sleepy smile appears on her face, but it fades as quickly as it appears. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "Did... did he hurt you?"

I feel my heart break. How could that matter to her right now? She must be in so much pain, and the first thing she asks me is if I was hurt in the whole scenario. "No, I'm fine," I tell her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "How about you? Are you feeling okay right now?"

"Not really," she replies, and even as she speaks, I can hear the pain in her voice. "But I'm glad to see you again."

"You think you're glad to see me? Chandler, you've been asleep for two days," I tell her.

"I... I have? Really?" She looks extremely confused. It must have gone by quickly for her.

"Yeah, really," I reply. "I... I missed you so much, Chandler. You scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry," she says again, and she looks like she genuinely feels bad for running out after me. "It's just... He had a gun. I couldn't let him hurt you, Sawyer. I couldn't..."

She's fading. She needs more rest. There's a spot next to her in bed, and I pull back the covers and slide in next to her. She rests her head on my chest, and I sigh.

"It's okay," I tell her. "Just get some sleep. You need rest."

"Veronica?" she says, and I can hear the sleepiness returning to her voice.

"Yes?" I reply.

"I love you," she says. I kiss the top of her head,  leaning back against the pillows.

"I love you, too," I reply. I sit with her in the bed for a while, neither of us saying anything. Then, her breathing slows, and I know she's asleep. I stay with her for another half hour or so until the nurse tells me that I should leave and come back tomorrow. As much as Chandler needs her rest, I know that I should get some rest, too.

I'm careful as I get out of the bed, trying not to disturb her sleep. Once I'm out of the bed, I turn back to her again, kissing her forehead.

"I love you," I whisper, and then I'm gone.

***

A/N:

Hey, guys! I wrote this update on a train, so it's not very long or very well-written, but I hope you liked it! I'm on my way to see Hamilton in Chicago, and I'm super excited! I will update again tomorrow! As always, leave a vote if you liked it and comment if you feel so inclined!

Thanks for reading!

-LittleMissBlitz