Depthless: Under The Library

Chapter Twenty-Four// Stella

Stella’s POV

“No, you have to stay right here and be a good patient.” David so stubbornly keeps me prisoner in the hospital room.

“But, it gets so boring!” I whine, wishing for a change of clothes. Two days here, and I’m still in the same flowy garment, bare-legged and clamped onto the bed for the whole entire period of time.

David sits at my bedside, in a fresh red collared shirt and black pants. “You have to rest up, Stella, so you can recover. I need all the Group Nine members I can get! I’m now less three.”

“Sorry.” I lay back onto the bed and groan. My head protests that I can’t lay down! I need to get back up there! What’s my life down here, in a hospital ward, even though it had only been day two?

David smiles, looking a little guilty. “It’s not your fault. You’re the heroine! All everyone can talk about up there is about your brave acrobatic feats, saving the bad boy, and ending up as the damsel in distress.”

“I guess I’m lucky I’m down here, and not up there. I’d hate the attention.” I stuff a pillow over my face, which I can feel heating up already. Gosh… I’m no heroine, I’m such a klutz as to end up this way.

“Yeah, well… at least they monitor your visitors.” David reaches out and tugs at the pillow. “Don’t hide your face, I want to see the stars shinning.”

I clutch harder at the pillow, squealing. Chuckling, David starts lightly poking my sides, and I roll over, doubling over with the giggles. The pillow is surrendered over to David, who chucks it under my head.

I groan. “Why did you do that? Now my head hurts more.” I say, rubbing my scalp.

“Don’t hide your face then.” David smirks, then immediately looks concerned again as I squeezed my eyes shut, wrapping my arms around my head.

It turns out I’m not even allowed to laugh. Well, not the hysterical kind, which sucks plenty.

“Sorry.” David sinks in his seat, pouting a little in a way which did strange things to my stomach.

I smile and shake my head, indicating I’m fine, although on the inside, I’m screaming silently at the pain to just leave my life once and for all.

David sighs, “When are you getting better, Starre?” He says softly, staring at me with clear concern etched in his intense eyes. A worry line ceases in his forehead as he asks, “do you need a doctor?”

I shudder. “God, no! I’m not in desperate need of saving, at the moment, and I really do not appreciate being saved.” I frown.

David smiles. “Well, for a heroine, you sure outdid yourself.”

“Didn’t manage to save her, though, didin’t I?” I mutter, staring up the wall, feeling the never ending hollow feeling that came to haunt me for the past couple of days. “I was so clumsy, I couldn’t even save my friend!” My throat begins to clog up, and I have to swallow hard a couple of times to prevent my voice from cracking. “I---“

“Please… Stella, what you did was beyond what anyone would ever think of you!” David exclaims. “You risked your own life to save another… the bravery you shown? It was beyond imagination. But… I forbid you to ever climb down that, that… thing again!” David shudders.

Choking back a rising sob, I grip the sides of the bed tightly. “It’s all my fault, wasn’t it? I could’ve saved her before she fell… yet, she fell because I wasn’t able to stop her from going under, and…” I said in a garbled speech, the tears flowing freely down my face.