A TALE OF LOVE...AND SORROW

A TALE OF LOVE...AND SORROW chapter 5

Hey watt pad heads!

Awww.... I missed saying that (

Sorry I haven't uploaded chapter 5 yet! I have been really busy with...watching TV and such...

BUT I am going to Wales for the weekend for a wedding which means I have to take my laptop there and write/upload there.

That would all be fine except the village we are staying in might not have Wi-Fi. AAHHH!!!!!!! I can't live without the internet!!!

So, to prevent you from having to read one of my written rants, I am going to try and post chapter 4 there and if not, I will post two more when I get back.

Deal? Done....

A TALE OF LOVE...AND SORROW... chapter 5

I feel a tear trickling down my cheek as I re-live those moments. I can not forget how John was sprawled on the floor; how he looked up straight into my eyes and silently begged me. But, on with the story, sweetie, and see how our lives changed from that moment.

***

Numb. I felt numb. All over my body. I couldn't move, couldn't hear, couldn't smell the blood. All I could see was John. John dying in front of me. My John. It was like I was in a trance. I was feeling things I never did before; true pain; numbness; regret.

But then he looked up at me. He looked straight into my eyes. I looked into his beautiful blue eyes and he moaned. He closed his eyes and grabbed his leg. And moaned. He snapped me out of the trance.

The next few moments were a blur; Suzie's incessant shrieking; Hugo handing me a piece of his ripped tux; running to John and trying to cover up the wound; teachers crying out at the sight; students being ushered away; and the screeching of the ambulance. But I remember this part so clearly.

I held the material from Hugo's shirt which he had ripped off hard against John's wound, attempting to stop the bleeding and trying to hold back tears. I still felt numb. John moaned again but I kept talking to him;

"John. John!" I lightly slapped his cheek and slowly he revealed his pain-ridden eyes. I winced. "You need to keep your eyes open."

"Hannah?" He whispered.

"Yes, John. Now I need you to promise me something. Keep your eyes open. Look at me, John." I surprised myself how well I was handling this. Numb...

"Gladly..." John smirked at me but I was enormously relieved he was still alive.

"Hugo?" I turned around and saw Hugo rushing towards me. There was a small crowd of teachers around us, whispering and trying to calm each other down.

"I'm here, Hannah." He crouched beside me near John and looked expectantly at me. His jacket was thrown to the side to show his white t-shirt which had been ripped at the bottom to reveal some of his perfectly chiseled abs.

"I need more..." I gestured towards his t-shirt and looked back at John; "It's alright, John. Just keep looking at me and everything will be just fine." I still couldn't believe we were in this situation. John...

"How much, Hannah?" Hugo looked at his shirt and began pulling some off questioningly.

"No," I shook my head "Much more." I grabbed his shirt and ripped off a larger chunk. My knuckles grazed his 6-pack and I looked at them, wondering how they would feel if I laid my hand on it. He cleared his throat and smiled at me. I grinned at him and focused on John again.

Carefully, I lifted up his blood-stained leg and wrapped it around his wound. He moaned a couple of times but I continued talking to him. And sure enough, he looked at me the whole time. When I was done, I scooted over to his face and looked into his eyes;

"It's OK, John. I'm here. I won't leave you. I'm here." I kept on repeating that as John stifled his moans but he glanced back at me now and then, just to show he was hanging in there.

"Hannah!" Mr. Jenkins ran into the corridor, his face turning white as he saw his star pupil almost dead on the floor. "The...nurse...just locked up...and went out of town...But I just called an ambulance. They should be here any minute..." he glanced at me but looked at John who glanced up at him and managed a weak smile. He was such a soldier.

"See, John. Everything is going to be fine. Just hang in for another couple of minutes and it will be OK." I looked at John but all I could see was pain carved into his face. I looked at his wound and my heart skipped a beat. The blood had completely soaked up the material. I crouched beside his leg again and felt Hugo's eyes on me.

"Here." He took his shirt off and wrapped it around John's leg and tied it forcefully.

John moaned again and I saw his hand grope the floor then finally found mine. He squeezed it so tightly I had to grind my teeth to stop from pulling away.

"It's OK. John. I'm here. It's OK." I managed in between flinching with the pain.

I could hear the screeching ambulance speed into the school. Seconds later, three men appeared holding a white carrier. They ran into the school and burst through the throng of teachers.

"What happened?" One of them asked.

I didn't bother to look up at any of them. I just carried on looking at John who lessened his grip on me; "He was shot." As soon as I heard the words come out my mouth, I felt my whole body numb over again.

"OK." None of them asked any more questions; instead they picked him up and loaded him onto the carrier. I kept a tight grip on his hand and he did the same as they lifted him up. They stood near the doorway and glanced at me;

"You are going to have to go, ma'am" One said.

"What?" I nearly screamed. John's eyes looked droopy again and I squeezed his hand.

"Are you a family member?"

"NO! But surely...please...let me on...please..." I spoke to all the paramedics but they were busy opening the door. John was getting further and further away from me.

"You can visit him." They began walking to the ambulance.

John stretched his arm out and I held tightly, willing him to be alright.

He whispered something to me; "I'm sorry."

And just like that, John disappeared.

And then I let it out; the screams; the sorrow, the tears. The love.