Hourglass (NateWantsToBattle & Cristina Vee)

Chapter 10: Hidden Truth

HUNTER

All I could do was run... I ran.. I ran for my god damned life.. 

I fear this would happen.. I feared this when he told me he was mentoring Cristina.

"Walking please!" A nurse stopped me.

"Sorry." I say, only to run off, sliding to a stop by an open door. 

The room was dark, aside from the city light shining in the window.

Taking a sigh of relief, I walk into the room seeing that he was awake. He had his knees pulled to his head, with his chin resting on them. He seemed lost in thought. Like usual...

There was a nurse in here, quietly puttering. She looked up then smiled as she walked past me.

"He's okay." She told me quietly, patting my head.

"Thank you." I say to her, as she left.

As soon as she was gone, I head over to the window, looking out at the view. The room was silent, as I peered out the window. It scared me, the silence scared me.

"I passed our again, didn't I?" He asked, silently, looking at me.

"Yeah." I answer him. "You did."

With a sigh, I sit down at the edge of the bed.

"I don't understand how." He shook his head unsure.

"What did you do today?" I ask him.

"Mm.. Climbed through some windows, trying to find Cristina, then practiced for maybe three hours." He explained to me. "Then decided to jump off a bridge into the river --"

"You pushed yourself too hard." I say to him. "You took on the Violin, knowing the consiquinces of it all, yet you didn't care."

Nate said nothing, as I look at him. 

"I understand you're mad at me." He sighed, looking away.. "You want me to stop -- but I can't.. I'm not ready to give up." He said.

"I know." I say to him. "It's why I'm not stopping you. I can't stop you now.."

He looked at me then sighed. 

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" He asked me, moving his hair away from his eyes.

"Unfortuenally, yes." I answer him. "My dad brought you here, and they said it's getting worse again." 

Nate sighed again, looking down. "I'm not ready, yet." He said silently.

"I know," I respond to him. 

He looked over, looking out the window. "What are you going to do?" I ask.

"Not give up." Nate narrowed his eyes. "I can't. I have too much to do still.."

With a sigh, I look away for a moment. Nothing was said, but I couldn't help looking at him. He was fighting sleep. He's tired -- but won't let himself fall. 

"Here." I say to him silently, handing him a letter as well as his cell phone. "You dropped your phone when you passed out -- and the letter was at your door." I add to him.

He took the letter from me, before setting his cell phone down beside me. I couldn't help but feel bad as his gaze locked on the letter. He only lowered his gaze, before setting the envelope by his phone. "Thanks," He sighed, looking up.

"You know when they're letting you out?" I ask him.

"Maybe Friday." He answered me.

"Feels like last week over again." I sigh.

"Ain't that the truth." He agreed with me.

"So, you okay?" I ask him.

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm going to head home then. You should get some rest." I say. 

"Alright." He answered me, his gaze locked with the lights outside.

"I'll come by tomorrow." I tell him.

"Okay." He replied, still not looking at me.

With a sigh, I head to the door, stopping to look back. "Goodnight." I say to him before closing the door behind me.

This is something that has crawled back to haunt us. It'll haunt us until it's too late. It's the start of fall now.. I don't know what to expect now. Amanda sort of knows what's going on -- but Cristina.. I don't really want to tell her.. She's still hurt over her parents.. I fear that if she gets too close to him, she'll fall down in that rut again.. Or even he will... Either she falls, or he does. 

Or worse -- they both do.

They both have a passion for music. She wishes to relive her past and he fights for it with every fibre of his being. She wants to forget it, and he refuses to let it go. It haunts her to play, and it haunts him to not play. When she plays, it makes her happier -- with him, it drags him down.. Down so far that he fights for his life. 

Nate and Cristina have a lot in common..

It's why I'm not stopping this -- I may fear the worst, but they're both happy doing what they love..