I've Changed

70. wake up

"During your operation for the broken rib that punctured your lung, your heart stopped working for a minute," Malcom explains, but I'm too preoccupied with staring at the ceiling to care. I blink slowly, taking in his words as well as the various bruises all over my body, the pain reminding me of how horrible it is. "You're lucky to be alive, according to the doctors."

"Like any other day," I murmur, closing my eyes as an ache in my heart reminds me of how lost I am. I couldn't care less about my health, only Jae's, who is in far worse shape than I am. I just want to get out of bed and run to see whether my love is safe, but I'm stuck in my bed, unable to move due to whiplash and injuries that create pain all over my body.

"Hello Eeyore," I turn away from my trance and smile when I see Theo's green eyes. I notice Malcom and Sofie in the corner of my room with sheepish looks for hope, but I don't believe them. I manage a faint laugh as Theo takes out several stuffed Eeyores behind his back, but my chest constricts from the discomfort.

"Thank you," I say quietly as he sets it between my arms, his bright smile beaming down at me.

I frown as he replies, "I gave JaeJae one too so you may always be by his side," and I glance down at the plush toy, touching the soft fabric of its skin. I put on a brave face, looking at Theo through watery eyes as I try to imagine myself by Jae's bed before turning away so I don't disappoint him.

"Can you tell me what day it is?" I furrow my brows, detecting something strange about the way my mind works, leading me to feel I'm repeating the same day of happiness before it all goes to hell. It would have taken them some time to arrive in Paris, especially when I look around at my three friends who were miraculously by my side when I awoke. Malcom approaches me with a guilty expression on his face, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"You've been in a coma too," he says, widening my eyes and racing my heart as I look around the room and see Theo and Sofie clutching each other. When I gaze at all of their emotions of remorse and sympathy, I breath deeply, the discomfort around my limbs worsening.

"How long," I finally manage to utter, my voice still weak and broken. My head is aching with a headache as memories come back into my mind.

Sofie replies softly, "For a few days," and my heart stops at the news. In the harsh light, I squint my eyes, unable to adjust to the apparent concussion and brain damage caused by the collision. "However, it's a good sign because you're awake now, which means Jae has a chance."

"A chance?" I say out of breath, my heart is breaking even more from the amount of stress caused by my injuries and the possibility that Jae might be gone. I close my eyes, feeling the desire to cry, but I resist since I'm already filled with rage. "What happened?"

"Ellie we'll tell you-"

"What the fuck happened?" I clench my teeth, desperate to find out who had decided to attack the one person I care about. I stare deeply into Malcom's blue eyes, which are guilty looks into mine, and I know it won't end well. He, like Sofie and Theo, takes a deep breath to allow me some time. "Please, Malcom," I plead as I watch him approach me and grab my hand in his and rub the back of it. My chest hurts from the way it stretches and contracts as I wait for Malcom's confession, so I try to take a deep breath.

"You're not going to like it," Malcom says, lightly holding my hand for comfort, but his eyes are filled with pain. My stomach sinks as I consider the numerous possibilities of what caused the harm, and even more importantly, who did it.

"Malcom, you should've seen Jae," I murmur, tears streaming down my face as I begin to sob into the air. The sight of his body clutching me breaks my heart because he protected me even when we were at our most vulnerable. "It looked like if he was-"