Rafe
The ringing in my ears grows louder, my ears beginning to ache now and my head is spinning. I can hear my heart thundering in my chest but it's too fast. I can't open my eyes no matter how hard I try. I'm not dead. The sounds are too real, the pain is too strong. I let out a fustrated moan. I'm trapped again.
Suddenly I feel someone clench my hand. The fingers soft and slender, Evelyn. A shiver spreads down my spine. Evelyn.
The ringing is dying down now and I can just about see the clinical hospital light breaking through a small opening in my eyelids.
Evelyn's sweet voice breaks through to me. "Rafe? Rafe, can you hear me?"
I let out another weak moan, tears spilling over. I force my eyes open, making them adjust to the bright lights. I'm back in a hospital bed. I tilit my head to face Evelyn who's by my side.
"Danny?" I croke. "Where's Danny?"
"Hey, Rafe. I'm right here." Danny replies, I turn my head, he's now on my other side. He looks a wreck; his hair deissheveld, deep bags hanging under his eyes, a rough stubble forming across his jaw, his shirt untucked. Have I done this to him, with my impulsive behaviour? He must be going through hell. I bet he blames himself, I can tell.
"It wasn't your fault, Danny." I say quietly. Danny turns away from me. "Look at me!" I demand hoarsely. "You saved my ass out there, if it weren't for you I'd be dead."
Danny shakes his head. "Bet you wish I hadn't though. Look, Rafe, if you wanna die just go do it!"
Evelyn inhales suddenly and rises to her feet. "Danny!"
"No, Evelyn, it's Okay." I say dryly, locking eyes with Danny. I know he doesn't mean it. I hold my gaze until he breaks.
"God damn you, Rafe!" He sobs before collapsing on my bed. "I'm...so...sorry..." He wails into the blanket.
He's falling apart...and it's all my fault.
"Sssh, it's okay." I say softly, just like I did when he was a kid. "It's okay, Danny."
Evelyn sits back down.
I can remember how worked up he got when some girl at school rejected him. He was such a mess. He just cried and cried. And I was there for him.
But now I'm the one causing the pain, and I hate myself for it.
