Unspoken

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Declan. This is the first thought that my mind grasps onto as I make my way back to consciousness. I fight to open my eyes, but I can’t seem to figure out how. I know where my eyes are supposed to be, but I can’t actually feel them or anything else. It is kind of like when your arm falls asleep and you can’t move it or do anything. I realize that I can feel a slight pressure on my hand, but then the blackness swallows me once again.

When I come to the next time I am able to open my eyes. The white walls and smell of bleach gives away my location. Why am I in a hospital? I can’t seem to remember how I got here. I look for injuries because if I’m here than something must be wrong. All that I can see is some bruises and cuts covering my arms and legs. My head throbs and I wonder if I might have hit it. Just then a nurse walks into the room. When she notices I’m awake a smile spreads across her face.

“How you feeling, sweetie?” she asks while checking some monitors. I shrug and she looks at me questioningly. “Oh that’s right! You don’t talk.”

I nod, wondering who told her. Are my parents here?

“You were very lucky, that accident could have caused a lot worse injuries!” the nurse exclaims. Accident? I try very hard to figure out what accident she is talking about and suddenly the memories come flooding back. Images come to me in broken pieces forming a picture I don’t want to see. I remember broken glass and the smell of gasoline, along with flashing lights and screaming that I realize now was coming from me. I know that there was someone else there with me, but I can’t put a name on it. I close my eyes and search my memory for what is missing. I come up with sparkling green eyes and a beautiful smile. Declan!

I can’t believe that I forgot about him, even for a second. Where is he? Panic seeps into my body and my face turns white as the walls. Last time I can recall seeing him, he was being put on a stretcher still calling my name. Is he okay? He has to be okay.

The nurse doesn’t seem to notice my sudden panic and goes on chattering about what a miracle it was I even survived. A miracle I survived, but what about Declan? I hop off of the bed and almost collapse to the floor as pain shoots up my left leg. I ignore it and try yanking the IV out of my arm.

“No, no! You can’t do that! Please, sit back down, you need to rest,” the nurse says trying to usher me back onto the bed. I refuse and make my way toward the door. I have to make sure Declan is okay and there is no way this lady is stopping me. I make it into the hall before I am stopped by none other than my mother.

“And where do you think you’re going?” she says, arching an eyebrow. I stubbornly remain standing and try to push past her. She grabs my arm to stop me.

“Get back on the bed and I’ll tell you what you want to know,” she says not leaving room for argument. She isn’t going to let me pass or tell me anything until I sit back down, so I listen to her. I lean against the bed, waiting for my mother to tell me about Declan. Anxiety snakes it’s way around my heart, squeezing so hard I can’t breathe.

“Right now, he’s in surgery. He wasn’t as lucky as you,” she says trying to look sympathetic. It’s more than I can say for my dad, who walks in behind her a scowl on his face. The color drains from my face. Surgery? He must have gotten hurt badly if he has to have surgery. My breathing comes in little bursts and the room start to spin.

This is all my fault! I never should have gotten Declan involved in my search for Caleb’s murderer. I should have known something bad would happen. Tears slide down my face and my hand tightens around the bed railing for support.

“Relax, would you? He got it worse than you, but he was still pretty lucky. I mean he is only getting pins put into his arm because it was broken badly. Other than that he has a few broken ribs and a lot of bruising, but he will be fine. So, just calm down, okay?” my mom says, awkwardly patting me on the back.

I stare at her incredulously. Seriously? She couldn’t have told me before that he was going to be okay? When she said surgery I was picturing all kinds of horrible things. Not that his injuries still aren’t serious, but it is relieving to know that he isn’t going to die.

I make my way to my feet once again, needing to see him for myself to make sure that he is okay. Three pairs of hands reach out to block me, though. I glare at everyone and cross my arms.

“You need to stop trying to stand. You sprained your ankle and really shouldn’t be putting pressure on it. If you want to see Declan than I will take you as soon as he is awake, but for now you need to try to relax,” the nurse begs. I sigh and once again sink onto the thin mattress.

My mom stays with me, while my dad goes to get something to eat. The nurse also leaves to get me an update on Declan. I try to watch the TV to distract me, but it doesn’t help at all. My mom tries to take my mind off of Declan, but she talks about the accident. This doesn’t exactly help a whole lot because it only makes me think of him more.

“I promise we will find out who that other idiot was! He must have been drunk, driving in the wrong lane like that. You think he would have had the decency to stick around to see if you two were alright, but no!” she sniffs haughtily.

I think about watching the black truck coming towards us. It didn’t seem like the driver was drunk. To be honest it was like they were trying to hit us on purpose, but why? The only thing I can come up with is whoever murdered Caleb knows about my investigation. If this is true than this is even more my fault than I thought. I put Declan’s life in danger. I realize I’m probably just being overdramatic. No one would actually try to kill us for talking to some people about Caleb. I almost start to giggle, thinking how absurd I was being! It was just a hit and run, that’s all.

“Arianna, Declan is awake if you want to see him,” the nurse says as she comes into the room. I nod eagerly and she pushes a wheel chair over. I try to protest, but she refuses to let me walk on my ankle.

She pushes me to Declan’s room and his mom is standing outside the door. When she sees me she rushes over to pull me in for a hug.

“Oh, Arianna. Thank God you’re okay!” She says, trying not to cry. I wrap my arms around her tightly, glad for the comfort. “Go ahead in, he’s been asking for you.”

I wheel myself into the room, but stop when I see him sprawled on the bed. His face is covered in little cuts and bruises. I notice the sling on his arm and I feel tears spring to my eyes. Seeing him like this makes me start to shake violently. I could have lost him today.

I shakily get up from the wheelchair and make my way towards his bed. His eyes were closed when I came in, but now they shoot open. When he sees me a smile flits across his face.

“Hey,” he says softly, voice cracking. Hearing his voice makes me lose it and sobs rack my body. Declan reaches his good arm out toward me and I collapse onto him. He winces and I try to shift my weight off of him, but he holds on to me tightly. I sob into his shirt and he rubs my back soothingly.

“I love you,” he whispers into my hair. I kiss his lips once and then lightly trail my lips along one of his bruises. He closes his eyes as I move onto a small cut.

“You’re so beautiful,” he says, gazing at me intently. I blush and look away. Right now I probably look terrible, but I think that makes his words worth so much more. If he thinks I am beautiful when I am wearing a hospital gown, my hair pulled up in a messy bun, and face covered in cuts from the shattered glass, then he must really love me.

“Will you stay?” he asks me before kissing away a tear that lingers on my face. Honestly, there is nothing that could possibly make me leave his side right now. “So, does this mean that you forgive me from before? Will you be my girlfriend again?”

I laugh and shake my head yes. Does he even have to ask? After knowing there was a chance of him dying today I don’t know if I will ever be able to let him out of my sight again. I don’t want to waste any more time being angry. If I lost Declan I really don’t know what I would do. I plan to spend every second I have left with Declan, until he decides that isn’t what he wants anymore.

I watch as the pain medicine kicks in and Declan drifts off to sleep. I listen to his breathing until mine slows to match it. When the nurse comes in to tell me it is time to leave, I just hold on tighter, never letting go.