Ashley's POV
I open my eyes and all I see is white.
Am I dead?
I blink a few times, and hear a heart monitor next to me. I gather my bearings and look around to find I'm in a hospital. I hurt all over, and my head is pounding. I glance down and see UV's in my arm, as well as a bandage that covers my right arm from my elbow to my wrist, also wrapping around my hand. Tears spring to my eyes and my hand hovers over the bandaging. I know what lies beneath.
It was real. It was all real, every last bit. The pain, the abuse, the torture. Brad and Jeff were real, and what Mitch and I went through was real.
But where is Mitch? He said he loved me, that was more real than anything else.
I sit up abruptly in bed, and my vision goes a little blurry, but I ignore it. The heart monitor speeds up next to me.
"I love you Ashley. More than anything in the world. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, and now it's too late. I'm so sorry Ashley, because now we're never going to have a chance to be together, and it's all my fault."
He said those words to me, with tears in his eyes, holding me, ready to spend his last moments with me. He loves me, and I love him with all my heart. I have to get to him. I have to know he's okay. I try to swing my feet out of the bed, but a doctor bursts in the room and holds me down.
"You have to stay in bed, Ms. Surcombe. You're not well." he says, trying to lay me back down. But I don't want to lay down. I need to see Mitch. He doesn't get it. I shake my head at him, and try to gently move his arms off me.
"Ms. Surcombe, please. You're not well." he repeats, as if I didn't hear him. I shake my head at him again, because clearly he's not the one understanding. He looks a little flustered, with his glasses sliding down his small nose.
"I don't understand, Ms. Surcombe. Please tell me why you desire to get up." he pleas. I look at him blankly, as it's so blatantly obvious what I desire is to see if Mitch is okay. Just then, another doctor comes into the room, this one female.
"What is this?" she says, slowly closing the door behind her. The male doctor is still trying to hold me down, while both my legs are swung off the bed. It's quiet for a minute, save for my heart monitor, which is slowing down now.
"This patient is refusing to get in bed, and will not say why." the male doctor reports, straightening but keeping a hand on my leg. I still say nothing, although I'm not sure why. The female doctor looks confused for a second, but her expression then changes to a look of empathy. She walks over to me, and the other doctor moves out of the way. She takes my hand, smiling.
"Are you looking for Mitch?" she asks, understanding coating her voice. I nod vigorously, like a little kid saying yes to going to a candy store.
"Okay, but you have to stay here, and I'll bring him in. If you get out of bed, you won't be able to see him, understood?" she says. I nod again, and quickly get back in bed. I watch her go, the other doctor following behind.
Mitch's POV
I wake up in a hospital to my mom's face looking down on me, her eyes red, new tears falling from them.
"Mitchell..." she whispers, sobbing and taking me up into her arms.
"I thought I lost you, I thought you were gone. I love you so much. I love you so much." I hug her back, and let the tears fall from my eyes as well.
"I love you too mom." I whisper back. I'm sore all over, but I don't care. I notice I have a cast on my hand, and i'm wearing the same clothes as I've been for the past...I don't even know how many days. I open my eyes and see my father, step-father, sisters, and brother standing behind my mom, and I hug them all, telling them I loved them and I missed them, and they say the same things back, kissing and hugging me.
