Saving Peyton

I Love You

Chapter Twelve

Mac's POV

It was like everything was in slow motion when the glass shattered. I was by her side before she hit the ground.

Blood was seeping from her shoulder at a scary fast rate. Nurses were pouring in by the dozens. Peyton's mom was screaming something, but I couldn't make it out, I was solely focused on Peyton.

"Peyton..Peyton...PEYTON!" I scream.

Another gunshot goes off and I instantly shield her from it, even though it misses. I knew who was the shooter, but there was no way I could tell her, even if I could.

She looks at me, her eyes glassy. Words start to form on her lips, but then she closes her eyes.

"No!" I scream, wishing this was all another bad dream.

"Sir, we need to take her into surgery now," a nurse hastily says, while another nurse pries her from my arms. My shirt was stained red.

I look between the nurse and Peyton. "Where do I go," I whisper.

"You can wait for her in the ICU waiting area. We will come get you when she is out of surgery." she explains to me, before helping wheel Peyton off on a stretcher, leaving me devastated.

I wait in the ICU waiting area for over four hours. With each hour, my nerves grow worse and worse. I pace the room until the receptionist told me to sit down, that I was making some of the other people uncomfortable.

But sitting didn't help me. I continually tapped my foot.

"Mac Rosscran," a nurse says, walking through the double doors.

I shoot up out of my chair and over to her in a flash. "Is she okay?"

She looks at me nervously. I'm not that intimidating, am I?

"She is alive, but there has been so much damage done that she has slipped into a coma. You are welcome to join her now, if you'd like." The minute the words part her lips, I push past her and down the aisle. "She's in room C 413," she calls after me.

I run down the hallways, looking for her room. After bypassing it once, I backtrack and open the door.

She is laying so still, not moving. All the machines are hooked up to her and beeping. She looks peaceful.

Upon closer inspection, I could see the bags under her eyes, from the countless of sleepless nights.

Pulling up a chair beside her, I sit down and stroke her hair. She doesn't move.

"Peyton, I don't know if you can hear me, but you need to live," I choke out.

"The first day I saw you at school, I was so surprised that you were the girl from my dream. At first I thought you were some rich, snobby girl, but you aren't. You're funny, gorgeous, thoughtful,and strong. I'm so sorry. I told you that I would protect you and not let anything happen to you, but I failed. It should have been me who got shot, not you." I sob out.

"But I swear to you, that if you wake up, I won't ever let anyone hurt you ever again. Please wake up."

I reach for her hand and squeeze it. "Please don't leave me. You can't. I'm in love with you." With those words, I break down for the first time in years.

I press my face against her arm and cry.

It was my fifth night in the hospital, watching her, waiting for something.

I had just started drifting off to sleep, my head resting against her hand, when I felt the bed move.

Jerking my head up, I look at her expectantly. That's when I see it, her fingers were moving.

Ecstatic, I press the button. "Nurse! Nurse! She's moving!"

Two nurses rush in and look at her signs. They turn and smile at me. "Looks like your girlfriend is waking up. She should be up soon, but there is no guarantee, whether or not she will remember you."

I nod my head, understanding fully, but it wouldn't matter to me. As long as she was alive, I would be alright.

I had just started to drift back to sleep when I heard it.

"Mac...I love you, too."

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Sorry that the past two chapters have been short! I'll try to make the next ones longer! I don't know when I will update next, but in the meantime read some of my other stories!! Thanks for reading!