Everything Opposite

Chapter Nineteen

Ryleigh
I've learned a lot lately. For example, I've discovered when you really love and care about someone, it hurts. Physically, emotionally, mentally it hurts. You think about them all the time. You feel hurt and sad because you can't be with them all the time when you want to. You make mistakes that hurt you both.

Physically, it hurts to breathe. Sometimes, I think I even forget how to breathe. Zack is on my mind all the time. Every second of every minute of every hour of every day. I get distracted by how much I care because people tell me I shouldn't. They tell me that it won't work out or not to get too close. I can't help how I feel. My heart hurts because I don't know if he knows how much I do care or if he ever will. I want to make things right but damn it really fucking hurts to breathe.

********

Zack
I woke up to a sudden bright, white light. I heard a fast paced beeping and people talking. "RYLEIGH!"I yelled, trying to sit straight up but being unable to. "Sir, we need you to calm down,"a voice said as I felt them adjusting the bed and messing with an IV in my arm. "What's your name?"he asked as he sat me up some. "Zachary Merrick. I need to know if my friend Ryleigh Rowan Dun is okay. She fell through the ice,"I tried to explain. "We're on our way to the hospital now, she's right over there,"he said and gestured with his head.

I took a glance in my periphial vision but I couldn't see her small frame. There were two medics standing over her, blocking my view. There were oxygen tubes in my nose, I could feel them and smell the plastic smell of one hundred percent oxygen. Our air is mixed with other chemicals which is why we normally don't notice it. One of the medics stepped away to grab something.

There was a tube coming out of her mouth that with each squeeze a medic gave the bag attached her chest rose. Her face was tinted blue, her lips a darker blue. She was swaddled up into several blankets. I realized the beeping was my heart rate. It was very rapid.

"Hanging warm fluids. Trying to raise body temp,"the medic said, connecting a new bag of fluids to Ryleigh. "ETA is five minutes,"the guy driving said. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. She looked so still. "Sir! Sir!"someone said. I managed to tear my attention away. "Can you tell us what exactly happened? Do you know your medical history or any medications you or you friend may have taken in the last 24 hours?"he asked.

"No medications. We...we were fine. We were going on our first date and she went to to to the ice when it cracked and she fell through. I went in after her and started giving her mouth to mouth when I passed out. Is she going to be okay?"I asked. "I can't make any promises, yet. Do you know if she has any allergies, family history?"the medic asked. "No,"I whispered. I would've texted Josh but my phone was probably broken from being filled with water.

"Please, be okay. Breathe, Ryleigh, just breathe,"I thought as I lay back in defeat.

********

Hours later, I hadn't heard anything about Ryleigh. They were keeping me overnight to monitor me. I was still bundled up in blankets. They say I'm lucky they arrived when they did, before the frostbite set in. I had called Josh, Alex, Jack, and Rian as soon as they gave me a chance. They were here now. Jack, Alex, and Rian sat in my room while I watched Josh pacing in the waiting room. Tyler sat on a chair with his head resting on his hands.

I was so worried about her. Of course, that's normal. After all, when don't we worry about the ones that we love. A nurse was walking by. "Excuse me, ma'am, but can I get a wheelchair to join my friends over there. His daughter, my girlfriend, was brought in when I was. We still haven't received any news,"I explained. "Sure thing, love. Just a moment,"she said in a sweet British accent. The guys took me over to Josh and Tyler. All we could do was wait.

*******

Ryleigh
I felt so cold. It hurt to breathe. My chest ached. I didn't know what was happening. I felt panicked. I willed myself to thrash and kick at the blackness around me. Images kept filling my mind of Zack. Him with another girl. His arm was around her. It felt like a knife to my heart. He loved me, right? He said he loved me. This girl was so beautiful, though. She was so perfect.

"We have a pulse!"I heard someone shout out. It sounded so close but so far away. What was happening? Was I dying? Did I die? Am I dead? A beeping became steady. I was so confused. I felt a warmth slowly spreading. I still couldn't feel much. My hands, arms, legs, and feet still felt numb. Slowly, I let my eyes open. My eyes wouldn't clear for a few moments so I stared at a blurry ceiling.

"Welcome back, Ms. Ryleigh,"a nurse said smiling at me gently. My throat hurt. Oxygen tubes were in my nose. I couldn't move, I felt too tired to anyways. Several heavy blankets were on top of me. "Where's Zack?"I asked. "He's here. He's okay. He saved your life,"she explained. Then I heard a door burst open.

"Oh my God! Ryleigh, don't scare me like that! I'll be gray before I'm 35,"Josh said, running over to me. He kissed my forehead before resting a hand on my forehead, smoothing my hair back. Zack appeared in a much calmer fashion on my other side. He was also wearing a hospital gown. "Hey, I'm so glad you're okay. You had me so scared,"he said, taking my cold hand into his. He pressed a gentle kiss onto it. "I love you,"I mouthed at him. "I love you, too,"he mouthed back.

A/N: Hey y'all! Here's another chapter. It's a lot of my emotions at the beginning. Its just something I've been feeling lately that I had to get out, writing is very great for that. ALSO TYLER JOSEPH WAS WITH MICHEAL TAIT OF NEWSBOYS LIKE AHHHH. I WISH I WAS THERE. How are you all doing though? I appreciate you. Thanks for sticking with me. Next chapter out soon. Much love!

B