Emerged In Darkness

Chapter 11

"Saran? Saran! Please wake up Saran! Please!" A familiar voice cried out to her.

It sounded so far away but the voice was so familiar. And if it wasn't so insistent, she would have just ignored it altogether but something about the voice nagged at her.

"Saran, please! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry just please, wake up!" It called out again.

Slowly but surely, she pulled herself to consciousness, willed herself to open her eyes. When she was aware enough, Saran felt the full brunt of the pain plaguing her.

Her chest and side felt like they were on fire. Burning, simmering agony pulsed through every inch of her body, putting her in torment. This was way worse than when Mason had broken her hand. Way, way worse.

Her eyes clouded with tears and she gave a hoarse cry of pain.

"Saran? Saran!" The voice spoke from above her.

She looked up through teary eyes.

Ethan hovered over her. His blue eyes were frantic and filled with fear. Blood covered parts of his white button up and his hands were speckled with it. He was looking at her in equal parts of relief and joy. A couple of tears slipped down his cheeks as he carefully hugged her body to him.

Saran gave another cry of pain and spoke, "E-E-Ethan, it h-hurts."

He gave a relieved, watery chuckle. "I know. I know, just hang on."

One arm unwrapped itself from around her and went off her field of vision. She heard rustling, something hitting the floor, and then he brought his arm back. In it was a bottle of the green slosh that seemed to heal any and everything.

Saran gave a pained groan as Ethan lifted a part of her shirt up and poured the medicinal liquid onto the bloody wound. Instantly, the pain of the wound soothed and she could breathe deeply again. Ethan grabbed a rag from beside him and began cleaning the blood off her side.

"W-what happened?" She croaked out hoarsely.

Ethan froze up, guilt masking his features.

"I....I shot you. Lucas told me that he was behind the door, waiting for me. Said he'd come talk to me. I didn't think, I just...shot. And when I saw it was you?" He paused before speaking again.

"I'm just lucky the bullet hit your side, missed anything important. I'm even luckier it straight through. I...I don't know what I would have done if you had died."

He turned away from her, shoulders hunched over.

Saran sat up slowly. Her side still ached but it felt like nothing in comparison to the guilt and mental pain Ethan must have been feeling.

She edged her way over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault."

Ethan flinched but said nothing.

"You couldn't have known I was behind that door. I couldn't have known you were in front of it. It was all just a sadistic game that Lucas wanted to play. The fault isn't on you, it's on him. He was the one that caused me to be shot, not you."

Ethan turned back to her, blue eyes aflame in self-anger.

"But I was the one to pull the trigger, Saran! You could have died!" He shouted at her.

Her gray eyes softened and she grabbed his hand and gripped it tightly.

"Ethan, you saved my life. You kept me from dying like you've done the whole time we've been here. I'm not mad and I still trust you," She spoke softly.