Growing Up 2: Falling Down

Chapter Eleven: Love's Worthy End

I wake up to the continuous beeping. Beep, beep, beep. I open my eyes to a plain white ceiling and green curtains. I tilt my head and see a bed next to mine filled with a brown German Shepherd. I whine as a nurse walks in. Her badge reads "Samantha Brown". Her eyes grow wide as I attempt to sit up.

"Hey, lay down, " she says as she runs up to me. She grabs another pillow from a small cabinet. Her face tells me that the news she's about to tell me is bad.

"How long was I out?" I ask with a small whimper. The nurse looks at me and sighs. Shock filling her eyes as she replies.

"Five weeks, three days, " she says. I gasp as the heart rate monitor fastens.

"What?" I ask.

"Five weeks-" she starts but I cut her off.

"Chase. How's Chase, "

***

I'm sitting in a chair next to Chase's bed four weeks after I woke up. The doctors said that the Chlorine should have killed him and that they're shocked that he's made it this long. I stand up and walk out of the room and into a bathroom. I walk to a sink and turn the faucet on. I cup my paws and let them fill up with warm water before I splash the water onto my face. I grab a few paper towels and wipe my face and look oom in the mirror. I find a white tiger with lines under his eyes that show that he hasn't slept in weeks. That the danger of his boyfriend's life was too much to carry into his dreams. That when he walks, breathes, eats. It hurts to think about Chase. I turn my head as a small tear escapes my eyes. I swipe it away and walk into the hallway where Chase's parents and brother sit on benches asleep. I walk into the room and sit back down and watch the bed as Chase sleeps. As he sleeps for longer than a night. Longer than a day. As he sleeps until he wakes up.

***

It's been 2 months since the school was attacked by a tornado. It's been 2 months since I talked to Chase. I'm walking through the hospital halls as a nurse flys by me. She apologizes and continues as I continue my walk to the cafeteria. Chase's parents and brother are at the cabin, sleeping. I walk into the room, it down at a bench, and pull out my phone. I feel another fur sit next to me and wrap its arm around my shoulder. I wince at the pain. But at the physical pain but the mental. It's been hard since Chase... I get knocked out of my thoughts as Tris speaks.

"How are you?" She asks. I look at her and she stares in shock. "You look like shit, " she exclaims.

"Wow, what a way to make me feel better, " I say as Smokey walks in and sits down across from me.

"How are you, " she asks. I slam my paws down and stand.

"STOP ASKING ME IF I'M OKAY. I'M NOT, AND I PROBABLY WON'T EVER BE. CHASE IS IN A COMA AND I NOT OKAY!" I yell as tears stream down my face. I fall back to a sitting position and look at Tris. 

"I'm not okay, " I say as I fall into her shoulder. She cradles me as I sob into her. I lift myself and fall backward onto the floor. I cry out in pain as I grab my chest. I hear Smokey yell for a nurse as Tris grabs me. I slowly fade into a black world.

Heart attacks. Gotta love them. It's been two days since I fell from a heart attack. I move in the leather chair and watch Chase. His chest rising and falling as he breathes. I turn my head as Smokey walks in.

"Hey, " I say as Smokey sits in the chair next to me.

"Hey, been a while since we've talked, you know, one on one, " she says as she puts her paw on mine.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. It's been hard since Chase..." I let my words trail off as I look back at Chase. His head resting peacefully on the white pillows as multiple IVs fill his bloodstream with nutrients and medicine. I remember back to the night we got drunk after the 18+ bar. The way he said he liked me. I mean, he was drunk but I know he felt it.

"Every time I see you with him, I see two furs who love each other no matter what happens, " she says. I smile as Chase's body moves. His head moves and then his body settles. I turn back to Smokey and reply, 

"I wish he would wake. So I could kiss him. Love him one more time, " I say. Smokey gives a smile but it disappears as a voice breaks the quiet room. 

"You can kiss me just don't hurt me, " I turn and see Chase sitting up and looking at me with his goofy smile. I jump from my chair and run to him. I wrap my arms around him and let the tears soak his fur. 

"Ow, you're hurting me, "

***

After another two weeks, Chase was allowed to leave. Doctors said that the Chlorine should have killed him but something saved him. I think back to every story I've read on Wattpad. Smokey and I had a special word for this situation. Main Character Shields. So times I think my life is a story. Like some fur is writing every up and down of my life. I know is implausible but I still feel that way. Right now, I'm sitting in a coffee house with Chase sitting across from me with a coffee cup in my paw.

"Nothing better than a black coffee, " he says. I give a fake gag and take a sip of my coffee.

"You're gross, " I say throw gulps.

"Says the guy who watched me sleep for a couple of months, " he says. My ears lower and I give a whimper at the comment and I see Chase's face flush. "Hey, I didn't mean it, " he says. I turn to him.

"For the past three months. I watched you, took care of you, took care of your family, of Tris and Smokey, knowing that maybe, with time, you were going to wake up. Magically wake up and make everything better. After the last two months. I lost it. The sleep, the hope, my dreams, all of it was gone. It disappeared with your consciousness. Once you woke up, everything came back. My hope, my dreams, my sanity. You're my everything and I can't lose you, " I say through tears. I see Chase smile as tears stream down his face.

"I love you, " Chase says. I look at him. He pulls me onto a kiss. After we part, I put my forehead on his and reply.

"I love you, too, "

***

It's been 6 more months and I'm standing in front of the cabin with Tris, Smokey, and Chase.

"Chase and I are going back to Brightside. Where are you guys going?" I say with my arm wrapped around Chase's waist.

"I'm going back, too. My girlfriend is expecting me, " Smokey says. Tris looks at us before replying.

"I'm going to stay here. I have a little thing I need to do, " she says as she takes her flannel off and wraps it around her waist.

"Like?" Chase asks.

"My dad has a small business outside Brightside. He bought a building in Southpaw and I'm going to run it, " she says. We look at her. After the shock, we hug and go our separate ways. I finished high school. Finished the hardest part of my life, or have I. Chase, Smokey, and I get on our plane and head back to Brightside. 

This time, it's gonna be Crisp and Kota in the seats.