If Only..(Part 1 And Part 2 Included)(Under Edit)

Chapter 17 - Same Old Love

Please Note there will be change between Madeline and third person POV

The lines italics is Madeline's POV and non italics in third person POV

After a long meeting, all of us were almost over from the effect of the mission. But, by the time the meeting got over, I realized I did not have my lunch, and more of a reminder was my grumbling, empty tummy. I walked down to the canteen and ordered myself a sandwich. As, I was about to pay, a shiny silvery tangled between my belonging, , caught my eye, hidden beneath over stuffed wallet. I wasted no time to pull it out. It was the shiny necklace with a heart pendant hanging through my fingers. This was the one, he gave me. He....I don't even know what to call him anymore.

Right, it was again a necklace. It can make, it can break. The worse it does, it aggravates it all. Suddenly, all the memories rushed into my mind, like a storm, hitting me like an avalanche, pulling me out of my calm. The best, the worse, the memorable, the warm. Then, the pictures of him lying bathed in blood. I suddenly, started to feel a twirl in my stomach, my brain seemed to stop thinking, except for that one thing. A desperation, that took over me. I needed to know, how he was. I needed to see him, I needed to be near him, irrespective of everything. Whatever it took.

In a hospital;

Jereff stood by the wall, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground, his eyes shielded with defeat and frustration. As Jackson's doctor walked up to them,  Marc rushed towards him with a load of questions in his eyes. Jereff sensed his presence and turned towards him. The wariness in his expressions was a reflection of his sense of defeat and guilt.

The doctor studied through their faces and started, "It was risky enough, how he was brought to the hospital. The bullet hit the neck, one wrong move, and it would have affected vitals."

"How is he now?" Marc questioned.

"Bullet is operated out with ease, yet there has been a lot of blood shed. Although no internal injuries are detected, still we are unsure of what happens next. We have used sedatives to put him to sleep. This will help his body recover itself. Rest, we can only tell, as he wakes up."

"Be straight with me, doctor!" Jereff prompted in a low raspy voice, "He is not going to die right?"

"Jereff, We have tried our best..."

"I don't f**king want to know, what sh*t you have done." the softness in his eyes altered with an invisible fire. His body tensed up. The doctor noticed the change in his countenance and slowly took a step away from him. "You just get to tell me, what I asked for. Is. he. going to. survive or not?"

Marc rushed towards him and gently pressed his shoulder. Jereff sensed his gesture and eased out.

Marc turned towards the doctor, "I am sorry for that."

The doctor meekly shook his head and rushed out of the place.

As, he went out of sight, Marc caught him by the arm and flounced him towards himself taking him by surprise. "Are you out of your mind?" he hissed, "Had I not stopped you, you would have broke his nose. Calm the f**k down. This is a hospital."

"I don't care!" Jereff roared pulling his hands out of Marc's grip.

"Pull yourself up." he grimaced, "Let's not forget, Jackson is not even in his senses. One wrong move we all will be in trouble."

"He has to come back to his senses." Jereff responded almost as a silent warning, "If he doesn't I am going to bring everything down to ashes." He thumped his way towards the chair and slumped down. With that, the intensity of his voice came down, "Not my brother. Not him. I can't." gripping his hair tight in his grip, "I can't loose him."

Marc took baby steps towards grieving Jereff and silently sat beside him. "I am sorry." he apologized meekly gently patting Jereff's shoulder, "I....I shouldn't have said that. Jeff, he will survive. Trust me. There is no power born yet that can destroy Jackson Claros. He is stronger than that. He will wake up."

I thumped through the corridors hitting passerby's and ran down to the basement to fetch my car. I got into the car, started the ignition and pulled off, hitting the acceleration with all the strength I had. I raced my car through the evening streets, dampened by a heavy shower happening a few minutes back. Just then, my phone rang but I did not even bother looking at the screen. My eyes were fixed on the road and my mind on the guy, I once loved. It did not matter, that I was driving clueless through the lanes, unaware of his whereabouts. I was ready to give to every hospital a shot. Far and near, reachable and unreachable. It didn't matter how much time it would take. I did not even know, whether I will get to meet him or not. But, I was desperate, I needed to make sure he was alright. Even a glance would have be enough for me, at that moment.

Jacob kept dialing Madeline's number with in vain. Where is this woman? And, he dialed her number again for the tenth time. The annoyance and concern in his face was clear. He kept rigorously swinging in his chair and tapping his fingers continuously on the table.

After a few missed call, he hurled his phone over the table, and rested his head over his hand, groaning lightly.

"Jake!" Clare entered the office making him turn towards her. She walked up to the table stood straight, "I have mailed you a file. You were right, there are five unidentified people. In short, they are not someone who is related to Hawks."

Jacob shook his head to himself and opened up his mail. He peered on the screen and mused, "Bingo!"

"What's next?"

Jacob closed the screen of his laptop and pondered for a while. "Clare! Where is Madeline?"

Clare narrowed her eyes at his question, almost confused, "Madeline?"

Jacob arched an eyebrow.

"She left!"

Jacob creased his eyebrows and asked cluelessly, "She left?"

"Yeah, almost 45 minutes ago."

Jacob nodded, "Thank you."

As Clare left he fetched his cars keys and darted out of his office. You ain't doing that, Maddie!

It was almost morning, and I don't know, how many hospital floors I have hit by now. Driving at a continuous speed had been draining me off all my energy, but I refused to give up. No hospital has admitted to have come across any such man. My body was about to give up, but a last try won't hurt right?

I drove to the outskirts of the city, collecting hints about some not so known hospitals. After a long drive through a lonely street, a sign board caught my eye. Something told me, this will be my destination. I pulled over my car, near a two-storey hospital building. Pulling up my guts, I got down the car. I had to make sure, no one among the Hawks, sees me. I took some time, took a deep breath and walked through the glass door.

I inquired in the reception. They did recognize my description. He is here. When they showed me the way to the critical care, an unusual fear took over me. Was it the fear of facing that man? or was it the fear of seeing him in that condition? or...was it fear to turn weaker yet again? At the last part of my journey, a part of me, insisted me to turn back, but a major part in me dragged me to that unit. I ran.