Into Darkness

Chapter 40

Ryler:

When I wake I don't know where I am but I slowly realize I'm in a hospital and I feel myself relax a little. My head is throbbing and the rest of my body aches as well. I look at my bedside and I see Colt sitting in a chair, his head bent and staring down at our interlocked fingers.

"Hey" I rasp my throat feeling extremely sore.

"You're awake" he breathes sounding relieved as his silver eyes lift to meet mine. It's then that I notice his arm is in a sling and I remember his injury.

"Why aren't you in a bed?" I ask. "You were shot."

Surprisingly he chuckles, "Yes, I was shot" he says. "But I wanted to be here when you woke up."

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days" he says as he grimaces. "You lost a lot of blood and they had do surgery to repair your shoulder and one of your lungs collapsed from your broken ribs."

I feel myself grimace as well as I think about all of my injuries. I feel sore but the pain meds they are giving me must be working because I should be in a lot more pain.

"My parents?" I ask.

"They're here" he says as he squeezes my hand. "Nikki too."

Nikki. Oh gosh Nikki. I bet she is so angry with me, but I'm desperate to see her. "Can I see them?" I ask.

He nods, "I'll go get them. And a doctor."

I watch him as he goes and I'm so grateful that we are both going to be alright. The experience seems surreal now. It feels different than it did the last time it happened. Somehow this time I was less terrified, but I'm guessing that's because this time I knew that he was dead and he was never coming back. I was finally safe.

A minute later my parents come rushing into the room followed by Colt but he doesn't come inside. He remains just outside the door and I know this is probably because he wants to give us privacy.

"Ryler!" my mother gushes as she crashes into my bed and tentatively wraps her arms gently around me. I try to hug her back but I'm too sore and my limbs are too weak.

My Father stands behind her but I see tears glisten in his eyes as he looks at me and I feel tears of my own burn my eyes. "Hi daddy" I whisper.

"Hey sweetheart" he chokes.

I reach my hand out to him and he takes it in his and squeezes it gently. "I'm sorry" I whisper.

"Shh" my mother croons. "We're just so happy to have you back. We know why you did what you did."

"I love you guys" I say as I push my tears back but it's so hard because I'm remembering how desperately I wanted my parents while I was tied to that chair and now here I was back with them.

"We love you too" they both say.

My parents stay and talk to me for another fifteen minutes but the doctor comes in and interrupts us. He explains all of my injuries to me in greater detail than Colt did and he makes it very clear that I'm once again very lucky to be alive. I find out I'll need to be on bed rest for another week before I can leave here because of my collapsed lung and broken ribs, and that I'll need to go to about two-three months of physical therapy for my shoulder. I also just need to take it easy for a while since I suffered a mild concussion from being hit in the head so many times.

I feel frustrated that I'm going to be out of commission, physically speaking, for a while but I remind myself that at least I'm alive. Things could be a lot worse. I could be dead. Colt and I are both alive. I was happy about that.