In The Enemies Arms

Wake Up Call

LEO

'Leo' I heard a familiar voice, so much it made me turn towards it. 'Dad?' I replied back in confusion. I felt my chest beating madly, this couldn't be true. '-but you're..' I started in shock. 'dead' replied my father so bluntly. My eyes widened , 'so how is this happening?' I asked him so simply, confusion overtaking me

'You're on the border' he said ever so bluntly, like he always did when I was a kid. 'On the border of what?!?' I exclaimed in exasperation, annoyed at his clipped sentences. It made my heart beat slightly faster, reminding me of the days when we were together. Then I remembered... this couldn't be real. 'You're on the border of life and death' he replied

He stopped in front of me, his face in its usual hard expression. I stopped abruptly staring at the man before me, turning I took in our surroundings and found that I was in the hospital. A nurse ran past in a hurry, 'excuse me! Where am I?' I asked but she walked straight through me as if I was a figment of her imagination.

'H-how?' I stuttered in shock, whilst feeling myself to see if I was alive. 'Stop that, Leonardo' scolded my father who was stood there watching me sheepishly. 'How are you even here?' I asked him again, this time even more bamboozled than before. 'You have a choice to make Leo, whether you want to stay in this world or if you want to leave with me' The way he spoke was sad, but he retained it well.

He started to walk away and I quickly jogged after him. 'You was stabbed by Volkov' he said as we walked down the halls of the hospital that was bouncing with life, as well as death. 'I'm proud of you son. It was about time someone done something to that bastard' said my father with a gentle smile on his face as he put his arm on my shoulder. His dark brown hair was still thick and his teeth a sparkly white.

'You see kid, I don't think it's your time' he said to me as we walked around staring into the rooms of patients. Some were recovering and others... weren't. 'Dad...' I drifted off, hoping he wouldn't carry on with that dreaded sentence. Lord knew that my father was who I missed most, he was my closet friend and creates councillor and the community I belonged too not many had that love. He showed me how to be a man, as well as a brother, so when he died I was a shell of myself. 

'How could I possibly leave you dad?! Haven't you seen how miserable I've been?!' I exclaimed, confused as to how he could say that to me. 'You don't need me Leonardo. You have been just fine without me' he said tiredly stopping in front of a hospital room. 'I do need you!' I complained like a spoilt child. My head was starting to get hot and my ears filled with anger, we were finally together again like old times, yet he wanted to send me away. 

'She needs you' he emphasised as he turned towards the window in the door. We was outside my room, I was lying in a hospital. Cold and as still as stone. Wires were all over my body, as a lay there still and dead. My eyes caught sight of the warm brown hair I remembered running my fingers through so many nights ago. 

Her skin was still warm with life but her eyes were sad and drained. Her nose was slightly red from the tears I spotted falling from her hazel eyes. She sat by my side, her small hand entwined with my limp paw as she cried rivers into the blanket covering me.

I found myself now inside the room, watching her by the door as she cried for me. 'Leo please' she sobbed quietly, the pain of me in that bed eroding her sweet little heart. 'Leo I cannot be without you, I am nothing without you' she cried helplessly, squeezing my hand in hopes for a reaction 

'Clara' I whispered as I watched her cry, her tears burned my conscience. Her cries became slightly muffled as she put her head on the bed by my hand. The blanket mopping up her tears of distress, I turned back to my father but realised he was gone. With a heavy heart, I left her. 

'Dad!' I shouted after him as he walked down the hall. He was stood at the exit of the hospital, it seemed to be a white abyss, a place of calm nothingness. 'Leo, this place is not ready for you yet. You have so much here, you cannot leave that girl. She loves you as much as I loved your mother, even more so' he spoke with wisdom

'You can walk with me and never see her again or you can be with her and live a life of love and happiness. Don't rob yourself of the life you have always wanted' he said before he walked through those doors, leaving me all alone. I stood there staring at those enticing doors, wanting to walk through them 

Where I would feel at peace, yet my heart longed to be with Clara one last time. It wanted to hold her and caress her. To tell her that I loved her so deeply no other love could conquer the one I had for her. So I ran back to the room to find her still weeping in my bodies arms and that is when I knew... I could never be without her.

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The loud beeps of a machine was doing my head in. What was that noise? Why was it going off constantly? My frustration grew with each beep, as I began to lift my arms to reach for the culprit of my headache. Yet my arm felt so heavy, as if something was on top of it 

'L-Leo?!' said a warm voice, one I recognised dearly. it caused me to lift my arm again, which this time lifted a bit easier. My eyes started to flutter open but instantly closed due to the intensity of the light. 'Ma'am we are going to have to ask you to leave' came an unfamiliar voice.