Broken || h.s. AU (old version)

Chapter 38 - Hourglass

Chapter 38 - Hourglass

My whole body stings and aches and there's a high pitched whine. Darkness clouds the edges of my vision and I feel exhaustion in every cell in my body. But right as I start to give in to unconsciousness, I hear a small whisper in the back of my mind.

Why did the impact come from the right?

My eyes shoot open.

Every muscle in my neck screams in protest as I turn my head.

But I don't care.

Because the impact came from my right.

And the only thing to my right, was Julia.

Awful realization begins to settle in my aching bones.

Because the car didn't hit me.

No, the awful force was Julia smashing into me.

Julia saved me.

The sight before causes my stomach to heave in horror. Her tiny form is curled into a tight ball as she clutches her chest, eyes wide in panic as she hiccups in tiny breaths.

"NO!" The hoarse scream rips its way out of chest and my vision begins to tremble. I can feel my throat bleed from the horrid sound, my eyes throbbing as a few blood vessels break. My head swims as I peel my aching body off of the pavement and over to her.

"Julia.." I choke. "Julia.. Julia.."

It's all I can say as I reach her trembling body, gently scooping her into my lap. Her eyes clench shut as she lets out a brief, rasped cry of pain, locking her jaw.

"I'm sorry, I'm s-so sorry." I whisper and all I can do is stroke her face as blood pulses steadily from somewhere along her hairline. A car door slams behind me but I can't tear my eyes from the broken girl in my lap.

"Man, is she okay?! My brakes- My brakes wouldn't work, is she- is she dead?" I hear a frantic man's voice behind me. I look over my shoulder. A man in his mid-thirties stares at me with wide, dark eyes, his lips parted as he rakes his hand through his hair.

"No, she's not okay!" I hiss venomously, shooting him an icy glare through the veil of tears that try to escape.

"You did this to her!" I shout, my voice cracking through sobs.

"Harry.." Julia barely gasps and that's all it takes for my attention to be redirected.

"Don't yell at him.." Her brown eyes are locked on mine as she clasps at her chest, struggling to take in a breath. I only nod in reply, glancing back at the man that's already on his phone, calling for help.

"Harry.." Julia repeats, her voice a frightened squeak.

"You'll be fine, help's coming..." I whisper shakily, dipping my head down to press my lips against her forehead. "I can't breathe." She barely chokes out, tears rimming her dark eyes, her bottom lip trembling.

Everything inside of me dies.

Blood flows steadily from her head, dripping gruesomely onto the dark pavement and seeping into the knees of my jeans. I can feel my stomach lurching in nausea. There's so much blood.

Her face is so pale and her breath's are so shallow and uneven, there's up to two second pauses before each feeble gasp. Tell me someone didn't breathe for two seconds any other day and it wouldn't have meant a thing. But now I can see the tole it takes on her.

Her eyelids occasionally flutter shut before she'll catch herself and hiccup in another gasp of air. I can feel her getting weaker, slowly sinking into my arms. I can feel her dying.