The show must go on

Chapter 26 - Open your eyes

Narrator POV

"Come on, baby. Open your eyes, I know you can do it," she says over and over again and another half hour goes by in which Perrie doesn't even blink, she just stares at Jade.

And that's when it happens. After two endless, interminable weeks, Jade opens her eyes. And then their eyes meet. Perrie's full of love, bewilderment and joy, Jade's first full of confusion and then full of sadness. She tries to say something, but the oxygen mask is in the way. Perrie sees this quickly and takes it from her, hoping not to regret it.

"Pez," Jade croaks out and immediately tears gather in the eyes of both of them. They have longed for this so much. Perrie leans in low to hear her better, gently stroking her face as Jade struggles to say what she wants to say. But she clings to Perrie's eyes until she finally manages to say in a shaky, heavy voice, "I'm sorry."

"I love you!", Perrie immediately counters. She could think of nothing else for the past two weeks but those three words, which she couldn't say to her while she was still awake. Carefully she takes Jade's face in her hands and presses a kiss to her lips full of tenderness.

"I love you," she repeats again to signal her that she is here, no matter what has gone on before. She's here and she's not going anywhere, ever.

Perrie POV

It took a while of just watching her, holding her hand and stroking her face, for her to fully wake up and be able to speak without any major problems. To be able to look into her eyes again, to be able to hold her, to breathe her in is an indescribable feeling. Having lost her but also still having her with me gives me a whole new sense of life. Every second is precious and never again will I forget that.

"Could you...hold me?" she asks uncertainly at one point and there is nothing I would rather do, honestly, but still I hesitate.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You could never," she assures me.

"I don't even know if we're allowed to?"

"No one has to know. You know, like old times," she says, grinning tiredly, and with that she convinces me. Carefully, mindful of all the tubes and machines, I lie down next to her, holding her tightly in my arms and just enjoy her closeness, her breath on my neck.

I could lie like this for hours, but after just 30 minutes reason wakes me up.

"We should call for the doctor and tell him you're awake," I say then with a heavy heart and get up to press the button on her bed. She looks at me with her typical pout and it almost brings tears to my eyes with joy to be able to see her like this again.

Her doctor comes into the room with a serious face, but he is all smiles when he sees her with her eyes open.

"Miss Thirlwall, you're awake, how wonderful!"