fameless → ZACH HERRON ✓

t h i r t y - f o u r

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
( FOR YOU )

     CARMEN OPENS HER eyes. The girl winces from the amount of light in the room, closing them immediately. She groans, stretching her aching limbs. But she contracted them as the pain hit her intensely, making her regret the decision of moving even an inch.

A nurse who looks to be around the age of thirty leans against the bottom railing of the hospital bed, smiling down at Carmen. She looks expectant, her arms crossed over her chest with raised eyebrows.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked for your friends yet," The nurse explains, tilting her head to the side. "Especially since how close you are with them."

"How do you know that?" Carmen croaks, her throat dry and aching.

"We had four kids in a fight yesterday," She replies, shoving her hands into the pickets of her purple scrubs. "All of them happened to be here for you, and two of them were defending you."

"Who got in a fight?" Carmen questions, slightly worried.

"Calm down, hun," The nurse chuckles. "How about I go get some of your friends? Would you feel better?"

"A lot," Carmen nods eagerly.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," She nods, giving Carmen a smile before she exits the room.

Carmen sighs, sinking into the uncomfortable bed. She adjusts her body position, but only in the slightest. As she stares at the ceiling, she smiles to herself. She was finally going to Zach again, after all of the waiting she had been put through.

It had been only days, but she felt as thought it were a century. Time without him seemed to go slower, dragging by as she hoped it would hurry. By now, she had pushed aside her previous thoughts. Despite what Jackson had done to her, she decided that for now, she would ignore her promises to herself.

Carmen wanted to be happy. And the only way she could be happy is if she were with those she loves- Aurora, Jonah, Callie, Jack, Daniel, Corbyn, and her mother.

And most of all, Zach.

Even though it was in her last moments, she finally had the confidence to tell Zach the way she felt. And she meant it.

As the door swings open, Carmen glances away from the ceiling. Seeing that it was Aurora, Jonah, and Zach, the girl gasped lightly.

"Caramel?" Aurora asks softly, her eyes pooling with tears as she assesses the girl's injuries. It was worse than what she thought- so much worse.

"The one and only," Carmen smiles weakly, moving to sit up in the bed. But as a sharp pain tingles in her ribs, she winces, and sinks back down as Zach moves to her bedside. He grabs her good hand, supporting her back as she faces Aurora and Jonah.

"How bad is it?" Jonah hesitates, leading Aurora to the end of the bed.

"I have several broken ribs, a broken ankle, a severe concussion," Carmen sighs heavily, gripping Zach's hand as she furrows her eyebrows from the pain in her lungs. "And my right arm is broken in two different places, aside from the stab wound."

"I'm so sorry," Zach apologizes, a few tears falling from his eyes. "I never should've slept in the living room. I shouldn't have left you alone- I should've stayed."

"It's not your fault," Carmen tells the boy, turning her bandaged head slowly to look him in the eyes. "This is just like the last time I was in the hospital. There was no way you could have known this would happen."

"We should have found you sooner," Aurora argues, her voice cracking as she leans into Jonah's shoulder. "I should have-"

"Aurora," Carmen cuts the girl off, giving her a stern look, despite the weakness of her voice. "There's not a doubt in my mind that you did all you could. I'm so thank-"

Their conversation is cut off as a doctor steps in, glancing around the room. Taking in the anguished expressions of the teens, he smiles sadly.

"I hate to do this to you so soon, but I'm going to have to lower the number of visitors to one," He explains. "This many people is messing with her vitals."

Jonah nods in confirmation, giving Aurora's shoulder a reassuring glance. "We'll be out in just a moment."

Stepping closer to the bed, Aurora grabs Carmen's hand from Zach, giving the girl a gentle squeeze as the doctor leaves the room. She smiles, her tears making an appearance. "I'll be back to visit as soon as they let me. I'm so glad you're awake."

She lets go of Carmen's hand, Jonah guiding her to the doorway.

"Aurora," Carmen stops her, leaning into Zach's chest as the girl turns again. "I hope you know I love you. You too, Jonah."

"We love you too," Aurora replies, her smile broadening as they exit, closing the door behind them.

As silence sets in, Carmen relaxes, laying down again. She looks over to Zach, a genuine smile tugging at her lips.

"You scared me so much," Zach mumbles, rubbing her cheek softly with his thumb. "You have no idea how worried I was about you."

"I'm sorry I put you through that," She frowns, lacing her fingers in his again. "And I'm sorry I made you sleep on the couch."

"That was the worst sleep I've had in weeks," He confesses with a chuckle. "I have to admit, you make it easier for me to sleep."

"And you with me," Carmen says, a lone tear falling from her eye. "I-I saw you, when I was . . . out. It was like I was seeing everything from a different point of view."

"What do you mean?" He furrows his eyebrows.

"I was there- when you calmed me after the accident. I was asleep on the couch, and you were with me," She says softly. "I had a nightmare, and you held my hand. As soon as I knew you were there, it stopped."

"I remember that," He nods, the corner of his lips twitching upwards.

"And I saw you getting clothes for me the first time I stayed the night," She adds. "And I saw something that hasn't happened yet- Jonah proposing to Aurora, and new years. A-and I saw Elle again."

"Jonah proposing to Aurora this soon?" Zach questions. "To be honest, I saw it coming. He loves her more than she knows."

"And I love you more than you'll ever know," Carmen smiles, her tears beginning to show. "I had a choice when I was out- it was when I first met you. Only I didn't. Elle and I managed to get through the crowd at the mall, without me tripping and you catching me.

"I had the chance to go with Elle, Mark, and my dad. Or I could stay . . . with you."

"And you stayed," Zach finishes for her, crying through his words.

"I did," She says as he lays his forehead on hers. "For you. Because I wasn't ready to leave you, Zach."

"I love you," He murmers, his eyes meeting hers.

"And I love you."

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