Every New Beginning... (Chris Evans AU)

.43.

Opal POV

   "Chris!" I shout into the phone, having not looked at the caller ID ahead of time. My heart has been sitting in my throat ever since I saw the commotion in the streets below me.

   "Opal."

   My heart no longer resting in my throat as it drops to the pit of my stomach, realizing the voice on the other line. "Spencer?"

   "I need you to get dressed if you're not already. Laura is in an Uber on the way to Chris' apartment to pick you up."

  I hear his words but have trouble processing anything other than hearing his name. "What happened, Spencer?" I'm questioning him but it's coming across much more like yelling at him.

  "Opal, I need you to follow my directions one step at a time. The first step is for you to get ready to leave the apartment. Can you do that?"

   I'm struggling to keep my emotions in check. I nod my head before realizing he can't see me. "Y-yeah, I think so."

   "Laura is going to text you when she arrives. You can wait in the foyer if you get ready quicker than that," he tells me as I put the phone on speaker. 

  "Spencer..." my voice trails off as I start digging through my bag, trying to focus on what I need to do, but my brain and heart are having a conflicting argument at the moment.

  "Just get ready. Please," he pleads with me rather than acknowledging the fret in my voice before the line goes dead.

  I toss on my jeans and a t-shirt before I realize I need a heavier coat today than what I had brought to Atlanta. Darting into the closet I push apart a couple of hangers before finding Chris' Patriots hoodie and toss it on. I quickly run a brush through my hair and then over my teeth, attempting to wash away the sour taste that rests in my mouth from the rising bile of anxiety. I grab my phone off of the nightstand, noticing once more the blue velvet box resting there, holding its own story to one day tell. Shaking my head back to the present I throw my phone in my purse and rush out of the apartment and head downstairs to wait.

   I pace the lobby of the apartment building, waiting to hear from Laura. Questions clouding my brain, none of which are good. I finally make myself stop pacing only to lean against a wall opposite an odd sculpture of reds, blues, white and black. I couldn't even begin to describe what it's suppose to be. 

   Realizing that being still for very long is a mistake, as I start to feel my breathing increase in short breaths, I go back to pacing. Looking down at my phone that I'd been holding since the elevator ride I finally see a message pop up. Laura is two blocks away and to look for a bright red SUV. I hurry out of the lobby and down the handful of steps, rushing to the curb and looking in both directions, eyes peeled watching for the car.

   A cherry red SUV pulls up right in front of me with Laura waving at me to jump in. "What's going on?" I cry out as I swing the door open and jump in. I slam the door shut much harder than I meant to, apologizing to the driver, and quickly buckle up. 

   "He hasn't told me anything too specific. He said to pick you up and..." her voice drifts off, eyes not willing to look at me.

   Not in the mood for any drawn out surprises I spat out a response. "Spit it out, Laura!"

  She takes my hand in hers before answering. "To take you to the hospital."

  I find myself reeling back in the seat even though she said exactly what I expected her to say. My lungs are begging me to cry out and yet I can't. The all to familiar sensation of being left is threatening to encompass me and pull me into an abyss right here in this car. I find myself just staring ahead, wordless, possibly calm exterior with a complete breakdown going off on the inside. I can feel every part inside of me shaking, the feeling uncontrollable. Knowing that the one person who can pull me out of myself is at the very least injured, or at the worst already gone.

   "Opal," Laura says softly, lightly squeezing my hand.

   "No." I don't look at her knowing if I did I will lose all outer resolve and completely crumple in the back of this strangers vehicle. 

   I had no idea how long the ride would be to the hospital, but I'm thankful that we hit zero traffic even though we've been rerouted due to streets still being closed. Within ten minutes we're pulling up as I notice the sign, Emory University Hospital. "Where are we suppose to go?" I ask my friend, still unwilling to look at her. 

   "Spencer said he'll meet us just outside the ambulance bay." She directs the driver to get us as close as he can without causing any issues. 

   As soon as he puts the car in park I drop Laura's hand and rush out, spotting Spencer exactly where he said he'd be, but he's not alone. There are two uniformed officers standing with him. As I run towards him I see Spencer's attention shift to me as he turn to stop me, grabbing my shoulders.  

   "Where is he Spencer? What's going on?" I question, my gaze traveling between his eyes.

   "Opal, this is Cooper and Janie, fellow officers of ours," he says cautiously, ignoring my round of questioning. 

   I realize he's probably attempting to put me at ease as I turn to finally acknowledge the other two officers. I faintly recognize them from the night at the bar. "Hey," I say trying not to come off rudely. "Now," I turn my attention back to Spencer as Laura joins us, "what is going on?"

   He motions with his head to me, asking me to move further away from everyone else. We stand a few further feet away from the emergency room doors near a potted plant. Spencer looks back at me, stalling as he moves his gaze away from me focusing on his feet.  

   "Damn it, Spencer! Spit it out!"

   "Chris was shot." He pauses. "And stabbed."

   Unable to keep my resolve, I begin to feel my body react on its own as I stumble forward, my body beginning to bend at the waist.  A sob escapes just as I feel strong hands grab at my biceps keeping me upright. All my body wants to do is completely collapse on to the pavement. 

   "He's gonna leave me!" I cry out, no longer able to keep my thoughts to myself. 

   I feel Spencer lead me down to the pavement where Laura pulls me in closer to her. I can hear her shushing me, mixed with Spencer saying something. But mostly all I can make out is the sounds of crashing waves, muffling their voices until finally I hear nothing at all.