Insomnia

BABY OLD

Evie immediately scrambles for her phone, nearly dropping it in the process. She drops her bag on the floor and pulls her parka off as as fingers shake and she dials out 9-1-1. She rushes to him in the process, her fumbling fingers trying to put pressure on his wound.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"I-I need an ambulance. He's been shot o-or stabbed, I don't kn-know."

"What is your location, ma'am?"

Evie quickly and shakily feeds the woman her address, finding the closest piece of fabric and holding it to the wound.

"We'll send emergency services to your location. Stay on the line, please."

"It was... A fucking big ass hunting knife..." He mumbles, his hands falling from the wound. "I didn't know you could get them that big, honestly.

"H-he says it was a knife." She quickly repeats to the operator, looking up to see his eyes fluttering, trying to close. "No!" Evie suddenly cries, dropping the phone and grabbing his face. "No, no, Caden, please!"

"I like it when you call me that." He murmurs.

"No, please stay awake. Please, please stay awake!" She begs, shaking his shoulders. His blood begins seeping through her jeans.

His eyes close, and don't open again.

"Cade!" She shrieks. "Cade, damn you! You said you couldn't sleep so don't you dare do it now!"

•

Stillness is not an option.

Her fingernail beds bleed.

She can taste the metallic on her tongue but refuses to sit down and put band aids over them to stop the habit. She's still covered in blood. Her hands are stained red. His blood. I'm tasting his blood. Oh, dear god.

She stops dead in her tracks, staring at her reddened hands. He could've died in my arms. Did he?

Every time she closes her eyes she can still see the pools of crimson on the floor. She can still feel the cigarettes against her innocent skin, and his cruel touch of her attacker's fingers.

She rubs at her wrist, almost still able to feel the indentations in her skin.

The bruises are still there. It hurts.

Hours pass.

She curls up in a ball, awaiting news.

"Cade Harmon?" A surgeon asks, pulling his scrub cap off his head.

Evie gets up, walking a little shakily to the doctor.

"The knife did a lot of damage." He begins. "It was serrated, so it was nearly impossible to remove without tearing major vessels. We did, however, remove it." He puts a hand on her shoulder. "He was in shock when the EMTs got there. It's just a matter of whether or not he makes the next 24 hours. We'll do all we can. You can see him later. I'd recommend you clean up before you do. He'll be drugged heavily, something could set him off, if you get what I mean."

"Oh..." she breathes out. "Okay."

Blinking, she turns. I shouldn't... see Cade again... He's too much. She walks out of the hospital.

•

He listens to her soft hum as his hands trail the top of the doorframe — wait, she's too short for that. He kicks up the edge of the welcome mat, finding nothing. She wouldn't hide it in the same place anyway. Where else...? A slight shine on the edge of the doorframe catches his attention. Sneaky girl. Being that her room is the last on the hall, no one would be able to see the key taped to the bottom edge of the doorframe. He rips it from the tape, fingering the key thoughtfully before quietly unlocking the door, stepping silently into her room and locking the door behind himself.