First Impression 2

Chapter 73

-Hayley's POV-

Nights meshed together with days. I didn't know whether it was daylight or stars outside. The only certianty that time was ticking by was when a nurse came in every hour to check on him, take some blood tests, or shoot more pain killers.

My hand tightly holding onto Niall's limp one. The same short dark nurse who took the bullet out of my leg eariler came by with a blanket and a pillow for me. I smiled a thank you before she left. Every once in a while, I'd talk to Niall in hopes that he could hear me. Hoping that somehow he understood how much I needed him to stay here with me.

The doctors allowed Niall to continue wearing his leather band that I had given him back at Christmas. I had spent months trying to think of something that he would like. Even after I had this idea, I wasn't sure if he'd actually like it or not. Judging by the obvious tan line, I knew he never took it off.

No one visited besides the nurses. I didn't want my mom or Logan to come in and try to comfort me. I didn't want anyone in here unless they were here for Niall not me. The loneliness pressed hard on me. Normally I enjoyed the silence I spent with Niall, but it's different when you're not sure if they will ever wake up.

Sleep was nearly impossible and only lasted a few hours at a time, if lucky. Instead I passed the time trying to study or reliving the past. Neither of them relieved the pain.

The shingles turned my butt numb but I didn't want to go back inside yet, so Niall and I continued to sit on the roof, staring at the stars.

"Hey, look it's the big dipper!" Niall said tracing the constellation with his finger.

"Stars are so weird." I whispered without even needing too.

Niall turned to face me and wrapped a toned arm around me. "What to do you mean?"

"Like all they are are these balls of gas that look so tiny but honestly they are huge things that are destructive."

"They aren't really destructive. They give off a lot of beauty at night. The slaves used them as a way of hope and direction. In a way it lead some to freedom. How is that destructive? It's more beautiful than anything."

I shrugged. "Beauty is often a destructive thing. Everything that is once beautiful gets destroyed."

Niall propped himself up on his elbows. His fingers barely touching my face as he pushed a few stray hairs out of my face. "You grew up with destruction everywhere, babe, didn't you?"

My eyes wavered but I tried to keep eye contact with him. "I grew up in reality."

Niall chuckled and shook his head. "Not all reality is that bad."

I shook my head. "Can we talk about something else. I don't want to start an arguement over this."

We returned our attention back to the stars above us, trying to find constellations and make up new ones. And again, we scheduled into a silence.

Niall broke the silence again. "Have you ever wondered what it's be like to save someone's life?"

It was now my turn to prop myself up and look at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I guess you would know," He muttered. "but I always wonder that."

"Are you saying that you haven't saved people?"

Niall shurgged.

I inched closer to him, my hand cupping his chin. "You saved me. Every damn day. You also have saved hundreds, thousands of other girls. You have saved people more than you'll ever know."