Raising Bethany

Chapter seventeen

I had made my way back inside and somehow closed the door. Tears were falling down my cheeks along with the cold rain water.

I hadn't been able to see much out there. Surely Ethan wasn't inside the car when the tree fell. Unless he was and I just left him out there. Oh my God! Did Ethan just get himself killed? Where else would he have been?

The water outside was already rising, almost to the point of the front patio. I needed to get someone's help but I doubt any of my neighbors stayed around during this.

Images of Ethan's dead body start flooding my mind. I immediately rush back to the door, not caring if I could make it to his car or not but before I could open it I hear banging from the kitchen.

I turn and gasp when I see Ethan standing at the back door. His right shoulder had blood on it.

I run over to the door and open it. The wind pushes him inside and we close the door.

"What were you doing?" I shout as tears fall down my cheeks.

He tries to steady his breathing. "Sorry. I went out to my car and noticed the tree. I got the first aid kit but opened the front door to see the damage when something flew out. I chased it into the backyard."

"Why would you risk going anywhere other than back inside the house?" I cry. "What could be so important?"

He pulls out a wet piece of paper from his back pocket. "It's the only drawing Beth made for me. I didn't want to lose it."

I start crying even louder, overwhelmed over the fact that he was alive. "Your arm is bleeding."

He shakes his head. "It's just from my hand. I'm okay, really."

More warm tears roll down my freezing cold cheeks. Unintentionally, I pull him into a tight hug and start crying onto his neck. "I thought you were dead."

He freezes for a moment before tightly hugging me back. "I'm okay."

The hug lasted longer than I intended. My heart started racing as I felt his beat onto my skin. Warmth starts flooding my body. I slowly pull away and look up at him.

"We- I should probably start fixing your hand." I shift uncomfortably.

He nods and follows me to the living room couch.

I light the candle and open my sewing kit.

"So obviously if we get out of this alive you'll probably need restitched." I pull out my black thread.

"When we get out of this alive." He says softly.

"I'm still not so sure." I say honestly. "This is probably gonna hurt."

He nods his head and I thread the needle. I quickly remove his rag. It looked worse than before.

Please don't throw up. Please do not throw up.

He takes a deep breath and bites down on a clean rag. I also take a deep breath before piercing his skin with the needle. Blood immediately starts pouring from the freshly pierced area.

A slight wince escapes from Ethan's mouth through the rag.

"I'm sorry." I whisper while piercing his skin again.

Ethan flinches. "Don't move!" I shout. "I'm doing my best, I don't want to leave you with a nasty scar."

"It's not the scar I'm worried about, more so the fainting I may partake in."

Ignoring his remark, I pierce another piece.

It took me twenty minutes to fully stitch up Ethan's wound. Now I was staring down at a clean but horribly done stitching job.