Bring It // EDITING

Chapter Twenty Three

Once class was dismissed, I went straight to his dorm room, knocking on the door.
"Ashton, it's me, Delaney." I said softly. There was silence, nothing but the sound of my shuffling feet. I knocked again, then reached into my bag and pulled out the spare dorm key he gave me. I unlocked the door and walked in, then let our a horrified gasp.
*
"Ashton!" I screamed, running straight towards him. He laid on the carpet, unconscious, with pools of blood under his arms. I fell on my knees in front of him, clutching his face. "Ashton, wake up. Wake up, Ashton, Please wake up!" I cried. I set my ear on his chest, searching for a heart beat. Once I finally found it, I checked his pulse, both of them were beating slow.
I leaned up, my vision spinning. I can't think, my thoughts are clouded up. I grabbed my phone, my hands violently shaking. I dialled Michaels number, setting the phone to my ear, my other hand trying to wake Ashton up.
"Hello?"
"Michael get down here now, please!" I cried into the phone. Tears were streaming down my face, landing on Ashton's plaid shirt.
"Delaney, what's wrong, what happened?" he asked worriedly.
"Ashton did it, he's bleeding badly, I'm sitting in his own fucking blood, help me!" I yelled.
"I'm calling the ambulance." he said, then hung up. I dropped my phone, my fingers going numb. I looked at his face, seeing his pale lips and lifeless cheeks. His eyes moved around, so I know he's alive, but he's hanging on by a thread.
I looked down in his hand, seeing the sharp razor he used so many times before. I threw it away, I know I did. I guess he got it back all those years ago. Why couldn't I have been less selfish with myself, I could have stopped him from doing this.
I grabbed the razor, throwing it across the room, screaming. I can't control anything right now, I can't feel anything, I can't see or hear, I can't do anything.
I grabbed his wrists, willing the blood to stop pouring from his wounds. The red liquid dripped off my fingertips, making patterns on the floor.
I heard sirens outside, and multiple people came in, pulling me away from Ashton. I thrashed around, trying to get back to my big brother, but the EMTs were too strong. They loaded him onto a stretcher, carrying him out.
"No! Let me go, he's my brother! Please, let me go with him!!" I screamed and cried. Michael ran inside, straight to me.
"Delaney, let them go." he said. I shook my head violently, pulling with all my strength. Michael picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder, carrying me outside. I saw the Ambulance drive off.
"No, don't let him go alone, he doesn't like being alone!" I cried. Michael carrier me to his car, putting me inside.
He climbed into the drivers seat, driving behind the emergency vehicle.
It was silent during the ride. I stared off into space, letting the events happen around me. I feel almost dead, like I have no emotion left in me anymore.
"Delaney, your hands." Michael whispered. I looked down at them, seeing the underside covered in blood. I stared at them, a memory of Ashton and I at a park flashed in my mind. I remember walking down a path, when I tripped and fell on some rocks, slicing the skin below my knee wide open. I remember laying in the grass, clutching my throbbing knee, and I couldn't stop crying. He had a bandana with him at the time, so he wrapped that around my knee and carried me back to the house. After my mother cleaned my knee, he washed my blood covered hands off with a warm wash cloth.
Now, it's me who's going to help him, I'm going to be the one to clean him up.
We arrived at the hospital, I immediately walked around the hospital, trying to find the intensive care unit. Once I located it, I searched for Ashton's room. As I walked, I found him lying on a bed, the heart monitor beeping. I slowly walked in, standin beside him. If I didn't know any better, I would think he was dead.
But the thing is, I don't know any better.
I grabbed his hands, white bandages covering his entire arm from his wrists to his elbow. I rubbed my thumb over his knuckles, his clean, soft hands differing from my bloody, damaged ones.
"Oh god.." I choked out, tears slipping from my eyes. I laid my head on the bed, crying once again. I squeezed my eyes shut, my choked out sobs echoing in the white room. I clutched his hand, my fingertips pressing into his palm, feeling the familiar warmth of them.
I remember a few days after my dad died, Ashton was the only person to comfort me. I distinctly remember being either in my room, my closet, or even in the bathroom laying either on the ground or sitting against the wall, crying so hard I nearly threw up. He would always come to my rescue, either hugging me until I fell asleep or finally stopped, or talked to me. He would always make me smile and laugh, even after I finished crying. He's been my super hero, all of this time. He is basically my father figure, he sure reminds me of my father, they are almost the same person.
I felt him move his arm. I shot my head up. "Ash?"
His eyes remained closed, but his hand continued to twitch. Then his entire arm, and soon, his whole body began shaking violently. I pulled my hand away, turning to the door. "Doctor!" I screamed.
A doctor and three nurses ran in, two of them holding his arms down while the doctor began injecting Ashton with something.
"Don't hurt him!" I shouted, running to them. The third nurse caught me, pushing me to the door. "Miss, you need to leave now."
"I'm not leaving him!" I shouted, pushing with all my strength.
"He's stabilised." said a nurse. I reached out to them. "Please let me stay with him."
"You can see your boyfriend later." the nurse pushing me snapped. "Let her stay, everything is alright." said the doctor. She huffed, letting me go. I glared at her. "For your information, he is my brother. Refrain from trying to make any more smart ass comments towards me, please and thank you." I spat. She glared at me before walking out. I stepped towards Ashton's bedside.
"Is he alright? What happened?" I asked the doctor.
"He had a minor seizure. He is stabilised now, he will actually wake up soon." he said, checking his IV. I sat in the chair.
"Will he be ok?" I asked him, holding his hand. The doctor faced me, nodding. "He lost about two pints of blood, but he will receive more today." he said. I nodded, looking at my hands.
"Delaney?" I heard someone say in the doorway. I turned my head to find Michael and Niall.
"Niall? What are you doing here?" I asked. He ran over, pulling me into a bone crushing hug.
He hugged me for a few seconds, hut then quickly pulled away, leaving me with an empty feeling. "Fuck, don't scare people like that." he said.
"Well, I didn't know what to do." I mumbled. He sighed. "I get it, it just scared all of us, hearing all the screaming and the sirens. We saw you crying." he said. I looked down, lacing my fingers together.
"Delaney, what's on your hands?" he asked. I flashed my bloody palms, making him gasp. "Why is there blood on them?"
"I-I was panicking, I just wanted him to stop bleeding, I tried to stop it." I said, tears pooling in my eyes once more. He gently grabbed my wrist, walking me to a nearby bathroom. He turned the water on, sticking my hands under them.
"Are you ok?" he asked, rubbing my hands. I sighed. "No."
He worked on my palms, the blood mixing with the clear water, turning it pink.
"Is Ashton ok?"
"He's alright, he had a seizure not too long ago, but he'll be ok." I said. "A seizure?"
"Yeah, it was minor, though. He'll be ok." I said, mostly to myself. He nodded, scrubbing the dried blood off. Once my hands were clean, he gently dried them off with a towel.
"Better?" he asked. I looked up at him, staring at his eyes. He seemed concerned, and frightened.
"Yeah."
"Good, because I think Ashton's awake." he said.
I grab his hand and walk towards the hospital bed, but he stopped. I turned to him.
"It's probably best that I not see him, I'm pretty sure I caused this, and I don't want him getting mad at me." he said. I nodded. "I'll go with you."
"You need to see your brother."
"I will, but not right now." I said, looking back at Ashton and Michael. He nodded, walking to the door, my hand still in his.
He walked me down to the cafeteria, sitting down at a table.
We sat in silence, not knowing what to say. There's nothing really to say.
"Do your parents know?" he asked. I shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I know for a fact that I will be blamed for this, which won't be surprising, this is my fault after all." I said, locking my hands together. "It's not your fault, Delaney."
"Niall, don't tell me it's not. A blind man can even see that this wouldn't have happened if I would have just been a normal person and listened." I said.
He didn't say anything, which I took as a sign that I was right. He knew that I caused this.
"Are you hungry?" he asked. I shook my head.
"Are you suuure?" he asked again, nudging my hands. I shoo my head again. "I'm fine."
"Do you want ice cream?" he asked me.
"No."
"How can you say no to ice cream?"
"Like this, no."
He smiled. "No one can resist ice cream, not even you."
"I've been doing a pretty good job at it so far." I said. He rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I'm getting some."
"You go right ahead, sir." I said. He smirked. "Sir? I can get use to that." he teased. I rolled my eyes. "Get your damn ice cream, you wank."
He laughed, walking to the line. I couldn't help but watch him as he walked. The way he sometimes sticks his hand halfway into his pocket, leaving the other one out, or how his butt would sometimes shake. He has a cute little butt.
I look down at my hands, watching my twiddling thumbs. I won't even try to deny it anymore, I know I like Niall. I know I'm falling into the little trap he has, and I will probably become one of the many girls he fucks and drops off, but right now, at this very seconds, I don't care.
"I'm losing my shit." I huffed, holding my head. I felt the table move a bit as someone sat down. I looked up to find Michael.
"Hey." he said. I rubbed my eyes. "Hi."
"Are you ok?" he asked. I shook my head. "I'm not sure anymore, honestly."
He nodded. "Well, Ashton's awake. He wants to see you." he said. I nodded. "Ok, I'll see him in a few."
Niall came back, sitting down at the table. He slid over a cup of ice cream. "I said I didn't want any." I said.
"Well, I didn't believe you." he said, eating spoonful of the frozen treat. I looked down at my ice cream, he scent of vanilla wafting through the air. I caved, grabbing the spoon and shoving some into my mouth.
"I told you." he said smugly. I made a face at him, eating some more.
"Ashton's ready to see me." I said as I finished my cup. He nodded. "I won't stop you."
"I think you should come with me." I said. He shook his head. "He wants to see you, not me."
"I want us all to be ok with each other."
"As in how?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, I want us all to be.. friends again, I guess."
"Not to ruin anything, but Ashton and I weren't friends to begin with."
"Maybe you two can become friends?" I asked, more as a question. He shook his head. "I still don't see what you're getting at."
"I just want settle things."
"What are you trying to settle? There's nothing to settle. I'm pretty sure I won't be interacting with Ashton, me and you are nothing but friends, there's absolutely nothing to settle." He finished. I bit the inside of my cheek. "Alright. I guess I'll see you later then." I said, walking to the door. I pulled it shut, the slam echoing around the cafeteria.
I walked down the hallway, the only sound are my shoes and my sniffs, trying to hold back the angry/upset tears. Why am I doing this to myself? I'm basically liking a guy I won't be able to have, I'm sure liking a celebrity would be easier than this.
I made it to Ashton's room, I nervously knocked on his door.
"Come in." he said in a normal voice. I slowly opened the door to find Ashton upright in his bed. He had a tube in his arm, leading up to two bags of blood.
"I guess they started the transfusion." I said, walking up to his bed. He nodded. "Yeah, they started after I woke up. I'm feeling a lot better." He said. I gave a small smile. "That's good." I said, pulling up a chair and sitting down.
We sat in silence for a bit, until he spoke up. "I'm sorry." he said.
"What for?"
"For handling this whole situation the way I did. It was the worst possible way to, and I regret putting everyone in the state they are now." I shrugged.
"Michael told me, how you reacted I mean." he said softly. I sighed. "I suspected the least."
"I'm so sorry, Delaney. I didn't know this would... affect you the way it did."
"Affect me the way it did? Ashton, you are my brother, how did you think I would react? 'Oh look, my brother is lying in his own blood, let me calmly call the ambulance and stay as level headed as possible.' No. I will lose my shit and then some." I said. He chuckled. "That's my sister."
I laughed breathlessly. "Yeah, I'm your sister." he set his hand on mine. "You didn't tell dad and mum.. did you?" I cocked an eyebrow. "You think I'd tell Chad? He'd blame it on me like last time." he nodded. "Thank you." he sighed in relief.
"Don't thank me, I was kite than happy to not tell them." I said. He laughed. "Yeah, I wouldn't have if it were you."
"Glad to know we're on the same page." I said, lightly bumping his leg.
Hope you liked it (: leave a comment or two, if you'd like.
28 votes pls
-Stephanie <3