MAD

~ Chapter 21 ~

People were talking loudly, walking at a fast pace as they went passed the hospital room they were in.

The machines connected to Maddeline kept beeping, letting Zach hear the steady beating of her heart. The sun rose a long time ago and Zach had had his hands bandaged.

Sitting by the hospital bed where Maddeline still lied unconscious, Zach had fallen asleep to the sound of her heart monitor. Every hour or so, a nurse would pass by to see her evolution, letting Zach know everything was working for the best and that she would, hopefully, be up soon. 

Maddeline moved in her sleeping state, startling Zach from his slumber, only to see she was still sleeping peacefully and safely.

Finally reuniting the courage, Zach pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled Nate's number.
"What the fuck could you possibly want so early in the fucking morning?" Nate mumbled into the phone, half asleep.

"I... fuck Nate, I'm in the hospital." Zach stammered, feeling a knot forming in his throat.

"The hospital? What the fuck did you do this time?" Nate yelled, sounding more alert than before and definitely pissed off at Zach.

"I ran inside a building that was in flames because Maddeline was inside."

"I'm sorry, did you just say Maddeline? And flames?" Nate asked, and Zach knew he was definitely clenching his jaw in an attempt not to yell again. "Why the fuck didn't you call me immediately? In which hospital are you at?"

"The one closest to the discotheque, I don't know the fucking  name..." Zach mumbled.
"I'm gonna fo get the guys and we'll be there as soon as possible. Don't move."

"As if I could..." Zach mumbled to himself, knowing Nate had already disconnected the call.
So he waited for them to arrive, holding Maddeline's hand and listening to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

Finally, when the boys entered Maddeline's room, they found Zach sitting next to her, singing quietly to her.

"I'm caught in a dream
And my dreams come true
So hard to believe
This is happening to me
An amazing feeling
Coming through."

The four of them walked further into the room, still completely unnoticed by the man, who kept singing to her.

"I was born to love you
With every single beat of my heart
Yes, I was born to take care of you
Every single day of my life."

All of them kept silent for a while longer as Zack kept humming the tune and his hand carefully caressed her face.

Once one of them finally moved, Zack broke out of his own mind and stopped humming, turning towards the door.

"Oh, you're here." He said softly, letting the other notice how raspy his voice was and how red-rimmed his eyes looked.

"Yeah, we just got here..." Michael said slowly. "So, will you tell us what happened? And why is Maddeline's head stitched?"

Taking a deep breath, Zach looked back to Maddeline and his eyes instantly filled with tears once more.

"There was an explosion at the discotheque, like a fucking big one, I'm not really sure of the details, but she was still inside an I... I just had to find her and get her out of there..."

"Are you telling me you walked into a building that had just exploded and was on fire. Just to get her out?" Nate asked, rhetorically. "I'm not sure if I should hit you, or kiss you..." he said, letting out a deep breath of relief.

Zach let out a breathy laugh, feeling breathless as tears streamed down his face.

"Yes, I couldn't just not go in, knowing she was inside."

Have you talked to the doctors or a nurse or anyone really that could give you information about Maddeline's condition?" Gabe asked, voice low and scared.

"Yes. The doctor came by after they brought her back from stitching her up. She has a head trauma. According to the doctor, they already ran some exams and surgery won't be necessary, but it could have some repercussions on a short term. Also, she may need physical therapy."

"Oh lord... so much information." Nate sat down next to Zach, holding Josh's hand. "So there won't be any long-term damage?"

"According to what the doctors said, the probability of that happening is very low, but we'll have to wait until she wakes up so they can do some further testing," Zach explained, hand never leaving Maddeline's.

"That's another thing I've been meaning to ask: shouldn't she be awake by now?" Josh asked.

"Actually, yes, she should," Zach answered, raising the hand that wasn't holding Maddeline's quickly to prevent more questions before he could finish "but the doctors gave her a sedative, so they could stitch her up and look for further damage without alarming her." He explained.

Suddenly, the door to her room slammed open, making all five of them turn abruptly towards it.

"Is anybody going to tell me why nobody bothered to inform me that Maddeline was in the hospital?" His voice boomed from the entrance. "And why, in the name of God, is that rock start wannabe holding my girlfriend's hand?!"