Scholar

Twenty Seven

Ryan grabbed my hand and led the way back to my car. He insisted I drive back, so I said I'd only do it if he let me wear his hoodie. That's how I ended up driving us down an unfamiliar country road late at night, wrapped up in the scent of my boyfriend.

I noticed someone tailgating me. There were too many cars coming for them to pass me, and I rolled my eyes. I slowed my car down, and Ryan quickly caught on to what I was doing.

"You're a douche bag," he said with a laugh. I laughed and sped up back to normal.

Then, it all happened so fast. I still don't really know what happened. I didn't even realize the side of my car had been hit because of how quickly we collided with the truck on the opposite side of the road.

...

When my eyes opened, I expected to feel immense pain. I knew something bad had happened instantly. In any case, I couldn't move. It was hard to breathe, but I managed. I assessed the damage. My door was dented badly, keeping my leg stuck between it and the seat. I was laying against the door, and I realized the car was sideways. My heart began racing when one thought crossed my mind. Ryan.

I looked to my right and saw Ryan's face all cut up and a huge bump on his head. His eyes were shut, and he wasn't moving. He looked like he was dangling from the ceiling, but thank everything for his seat belt.

"Fuck, Ry," I said. Fear raced through me as I reached out, barely able to reach his shoulder. My entire body trembled. I shook him gently. "Ryan? Damn it, Ryan, please!" I cried out. I couldn't even bring myself to think about what I'd do if he didn't wake up. I watched his eyes open, slowly and halfway.

"Alex," he replied quietly. I sighed in relief.

"Are you okay?"

"Fuck, I don't know." He gasped. "Holy shit, how are you not screaming?"

"What?"

"Maybe you shouldn't look." I looked down despite what he said. Sticking out of my stomach, there was a huge tree branch which had been pushed in farther by all the jolting around. I gasped and realized it came through my windshield. I looked over at Ryan. He had a huge bruise on his forehead, but I saw blood come up from his mouth when he let out a quiet cough. Whatever effect the crash had on him was on the inside.

I reached my hand out and grabbed Ryan's. He clutched it tightly. I used my other hand to grip the branch. "Fuck, Alex, don't," Ryan said as he watched me. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. "Alex, please, don't do it," he begged. I let out a scream as I attempted to pull it out, but one hand wasn't strong enough. I released Ryan's hand from my grasp and tightly gripped the thick branch. I ripped it out. I gasped as I suddenly felt the pain in stomach from the sharp object sliding out of my stomach.

"Fuck," I screamed as tears fell down my face. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, that hurt." I cried. I heard a click and looked at Ryan. He took off his shirt, wrapping it around my stomach, earning groans from me. I writhed in pain, biting my the inside of my lower lip to stop more tears from falling. Then, he carefully adjusted his position and stood up on the small middle piece between our seats.

I looked up at him and saw him press his hand against the window. "What're you doing?" I asked. He attempted to roll down the window, but it didn't work, unsurprisingly.

"I'm getting us out of this."

"I can't get out, Ry." He turned around and looked at me, concern all over his face. I'd never cried this much in my life, but when he looked at me, tears came back to my eyes. I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. I could see how terrified he was, and I didn't want him to feel any worse.

"What do you mean?" I could hear the fear in his voice. I gripped at my stomach and groaned.

"My leg's... stuck because of the door," I said slowly.

"Son of a bitch," he mumbled. "I'm not...I'm not leaving you here. And you're not leaving me, okay?" I nodded. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket. "I'm gonna see where we are and call an ambulance, okay?" I nodded and watched him raise his elbow up to the window. "Cover your face." I did as he said and heard glass shatter. I saw him climbing out of the hole where the window once was. "Don't. Fall. Asleep."

"I won't. Promise," I said in response. Ryan nodded, seeming satisfied, and jumped out of the car. While he was gone, I guess my body simply decided to stop pumping endorphins through me, and I became aware of every injury. I squeezed my eyes shut in pain. My head was pounding, and my face stung because of the open cuts on it. My stomach was in an excruciating amount of pain, and my leg was just as bad. The soreness in my arms and back seemed like nothing compared to my leg and stomach. I started feeling dizzy and really, really hot. I feared I'd throw up at any moment.

I couldn't help it. I was absolutely terrified. I started crying. Tears fell freely and more than ever before. I looked down as I held my arms tightly around my stomach, but I could see all the blood seeping through the fabric Ryan had tried to use to stop the bleeding. I knew I was going to die, and I was petrified.

"Alex," Ryan said, his head looking down at me through the top window. I saw him cough up blood into his elbow and looked away. "It's gonna be okay. Someone already called the ambulance." He gasped and jumped into the car with me, placing his hand on my cheek. The warmth from his hand radiated on to my face, and I leaned into his touch. "Woah- hey, what's wrong, little scholar?"

"I'm going to die," I said softly. Ryan shook his head fiercely. "It's bad. I know it is. I don't want this."

"Don't say that," he said firmly. "You are not going to die. You're going to be okay. The ambulance is almost here." I nodded, but I could tell he wasn't just trying to convince me. Ryan was laying on the window, next to me. I put my hand out, and despite the fact that there was blood from my stomach, Ryan grabbed my hand tightly. I gripped him back as tightly as I could as if that would keep me tethered to life.

"I don't want to leave you." He smiled widely and kissed my lips, briefly.

"Then don't." There was a silence between us as we looked at each other like it was the last time we'd ever see each other. I could hear his breathing. His strange, labored breathing.

"I love you," I softly spoke. Ryan covered his face with one hand. He sighed and wiped his eyes.

"I love you, too," he said. My eyes started to feel heavy as my breaths became shorter and lighter. Ryan rested his forehead on mine. I looked into his eyes. The golden flare had left them. Although still gorgeous, his eyes were just dull. He placed one more brief, gentle kiss on my lips. I shivered as I felt colder each passing minute. He put his arms around me, seeming to notice.

"Don't leave me," I said softly as I heard sirens approaching.

"Never," he replied. I shut my eyes as I felt Ryan's hand go in my hair. He gently brushed through my hair, and I relaxed.

"I'm tired," I told him softly.

"I am, too," he replied.

"I don't want to fall asleep." He hugged me tighter. The closer to Ryan I was, the less afraid I felt.

"It's going to be okay," he said softly. Fresh drops of water snuck out of the corners of my eyes and gently slid down my cheeks. Everything began to fade away. Even Ryan. I spun into a black abyss, losing the feeling of Ryan right against me.

"Don't go," I whispered, desperately wanting- no, needing -him back.

"Never," he responded. "I'll always be with you."