Consulting Fangirl

Chapter 15: Mai

The next time my eyes opened, it was for good. I didn’t feel as though my world would collapse in on me. I was sore as hell, yes, but I could keep my eyes open. This time around it was far less dramatic.

John was there when I woke. He sat calmly by my bedside. His eyes were a tide of emotion, but he was holding it in for me. I was grateful. The headache pounding my skull couldn’t have handled much emotion.

Dan came next, making sure to extravagantly point out the fact that he had brought me The Hobbit. He seemed rather confused when he noticed the bookmark at the end of chapter five. I wasn’t surprised, though. Even in my pain addled, comatose state, I’d recognized those words. John had read the book to me. I let Dan believe that a ghost had appeared just to mess with his bookmark, though. It was quite amusing.

When Katie came to see me, I actually cried. It had been so long since I’d seen her. I’d nearly forgotten how much I valued her friendship.

“I’m so sorry, Mai. I should have come sooner. Collin was working me like hell and my mother’s sick, I haven’t had the chance to-,”

I cut off her worried rambling with a gentle raise of my hand.

“Hey, it’s alright. I understand. I was unconscious anyways. I wouldn’t have made much company. Besides, I had Dan, my second best friend.” I put emphasis on the second to make her smile. It worked.

“Alright, but I’ll be here a lot more often.” She looked around, almost as if to make sure that no one was listening, then she leaned closer to me.

“Seriously, though, John fucking Watson saved your life. He kept you alive until the ambulance came.”

Something fluttered in my stomach. My mind went back to the moment of the accident, trying to remember this, but all I could see was blackness after the impact.

“Really?” I asked, bewildered. I owed John my life. On top of everything, I owed him my life. I could picture him, bent over my dying body, trying to be calm as he struggled to keep me alive.

“Mai,” Katie started, raising her eyebrow at me, here eyes wide with distress. “You were gone. On the side of the road, you were dead. John brought you back to life just as the ambulance got there.”

Her words seeped into my veins like ice water, chilling me to the bone. I felt numb, muscles hardening at the news. Everything seemed to fade in that moment.           

I’d been dead. Not breathing. Gone. It didn’t matter that it had only been for a few minutes. I was gone. John brought me back. He saved my life, despite how panicked and tormented he must have been. I owed him my life.

“Mai. Mai are you alright?” Katie’s voice finally registered again in my shock-addled brain. I blinked slowly at her before nodding my head. Luckily she was oblivious enough to believe that I was alright. I didn’t have the heart to tell her otherwise, so I let her go back home.

I wasn’t alone for long, though. After she’d gone, John popped his head into the doorway, an uneasy smile on his face. When our eyes met, I let out a strangled sob. His expression changed immediately and he rushed forward to my side.

"Is everything alright? Mai, what is it? What’s wrong?” His voice was shaking, but his hands on my shoulders were steady. I shook my head, holding onto his wrists and leaning my head against his chest.

“John, I- I’m so sorry.” I cried, my tears staining his jumper.

“Why are you apologizing?” He asked, his fingers squeezing my shoulders lightly.

“You saved my life, and I’ve been awake for this long without saying thank you, and I owe you so much and you deserve-,” John cut me off, pulling my hands from his wrist to wind them with his own.

“Would you stop pushing me away? Please? And for god’s sake, I’m a bloody doctor. I don’t expect thanks from every single person I save.” He smiled lightly at me, but I wasn’t ready to let this go.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” My voce was trembling as I asked him. Tears still drenched my face, but the sobs had stopped. Now that I knew John wasn’t angry, I could breathe a bit easier.

“I didn’t tell you because I knew this was how you’d react. I knew that you’d be angry with yourself, have a panic attack and then think me angry with you. I didn’t want that, especially not a day after you woke up. The last thing you need is guilt, Mai.”

When he realized that I was going to keep talking, he leaned down and kissed me. My mind was clamed instantly, all the worries and voices pushed to the back of my head. I relaxed.

“There, I got you to shut up. Now, you need some sleep. Doctor’s orders.” He commanded, stepping back.

I thought about protesting, but was too tired to care. So, against my normal instincts, I decided to listen to John.

When I fell into a sleep once more, it was not ominous and confining. It was peaceful, sweet darkness, the sort of darkness that brought back sweet memories of lying in the grass at midnight with my mother, or sitting alone on the roof of my old house, watching the stars. Distantly, almost as if reality was the dream, I heard John’s calming voice as he recited chapter six to my sleeping form.

I smiled. 

A/N HAPPY MAI DAY EVERYONE! In honour of May first, I thought I'd update early, just to mix things up. Since it is May, one of my favourite months, let's play a game. My favourite band is Mayday Parade, so anyone who can name and give me a line from 3 Mayday Parade songs can get a dedication, PLUS I'll read and comment on one of their stories. Sound good? Okay, enjoy May everyone :)