The Storm Herald Series {#Wattys2018}

2.1

"I'll kill him, I swear."

After I hear those words, I launch myself at my father. No way in Hell is he hurting Clark. I feel a red haze go around my vision, making everything seem surreal. I know I'm about to black out, but not before I feel the warm barrel of a gun pressed against my head. I haven't yet heard it go off yet, so that's a good sign. I'd rather the gun shoot me, than even touch Clark. I quickly shove my father down, and I hear him give a loud yell of pain.

Good.

I'm about to launch myself back at him, when I hear the gun finally go off. I expect to hear Clark yell out in pain, but instead I feel the bullet strike my shoulder. I cry out in pain, the red haze fading away into black.

***

When I come to again, I feel strong arms surrounding me.

"We're almost there," a voice says in my ear. Clark's voice. I mutter something unintelligible to myself, but no doubt Clark can understand it.

"I know it hurts, but we're getting there," he tells me. I fall back unconscious, the pain too much for me.

***

"Please, wake up," I hear a voice say. My eyes are taped shut, for some reason, and it itches. A heart monitor beeps somewhere in the background. I want to open my eyes, see who's crying, but the tape keeps my eyelids down. Maybe it's because the doctors and nurses were afraid that I would wake up when they were removing the bullet.

"Clark?" I murmur. "Is that you?" I feel a large hand interlace with mine,"yes. I'm here, Kenzie. I'm here." There's a gentle kiss on my forehead, and it makes my heart swell. Clark has always been so sweet, even when we were younger.

No, stop it, I order myself. You don't love him anymore.

Do I love him? No, I don't. I don't love anyone like that, anymore. Not since Cato broke up with me.

Gosh, was that only three days ago? Only three days ago that I blacked out after the break up? It seems like a surreal dream.

"Clark, my father, he killed Queenie, didn't he?" I ask. A deep sigh comes, before the answer,"yes, he did." My lips part in surprise, but no sound comes out. Maybe, I'm just too far to actually feel grief, anymore. Clark murmurs something, his thumb brushing against my knuckles, trying to get me to be calm.

"C-Clark?"

"Yes?"

"D-Do you love me?"

"I think I do love you, Mackenzie."

"I think I love you, too."

After I say those words, Clark is asked to leave, so the doctor can see me. I don't like not being able to see. It makes me feel vulnerable.

"Ah, Ms. Wright, glad to see you're on the mend," a voice says, from where I'd guess the door is. I turn my head in that direction.

"I suppose you'd like that tape off your eyes." Footsteps come over, then I feel a hand carefully peel the tape off my eyelids. I open them, then blink multiple times at the sudden bright light. A woman smiled down at me.

"Nurse Coleson says you were asking for someone named Clark in your sleep," she tells me, smiling. "I assume that was him?" I nod,"yes, it was."

"He seemed nice," she comments, before checking the clipboards at the foot of my bed.

"He is," I smile. "He is amazing."