Saved in Darkness

Chapter 24

Song above for Chapter: "Stuck with U" by Ariana Grande ft. Justin Bieber

ELENORA

The muffled sounds of someone crying seeps into my foggy mind. I squeeze my eyes before I slowly blink them open. I focus on the TV that's on, mounted on the wall across from me but the sound is mute.

Then the balloons and several flower bouquets and baskets capture my attention. Every flat surface of the room is covered. The fragrance from the roses and lilies becomes overwhelming.

"Please..." Someone begs and my eyes move down. Rico's forehead is near my stomach, his shoulders shake as he cries. "Please come back to me. I can't do this without you. Please come back to us."

I wince when I lift my hand, pain shoots up my arm from reaching to touch his head. Why does something so simple hurt this much?

I touch his hair lightly. "I'm right here, you don't have to be such a cry baby, Rico." My raspy voice startles him and he sits up.

He looks back at me and I'm just as startled to see him look so...rough.

His normally short stubble is longer and not trimmed or neat. Dark circles under his eyes give him a gaunt look and his hair is unkempt. His blood shot eyes stare back at me almost like he doesn't believe what he's seeing; wet and dry stains of tears streak his face.

"Do I look as bad as you do?" I tease, smiling at him, but he sobs in response, holding my hand in his.

He comes on my other side and lays on the bed with me, holding me; I worry the bed won't be able to hold us. "Are we going to start breaking hospital beds now, too?"

He keeps sobbing and kisses my hand as I try to shush him to calm down. After some time, he settles down but the tears keep coming, wetting my chest.

"Rico, where's Matty?"

Rico sniffles and wipes his face. "I'll go get him. He's back at the house, your parents are with him."

"No, don't go," I hold on to his arm. "Have them bring him to us, please?" He sends a text and his phone starts going off shortly after.

"Before the circus arrives, tell me what happened." I attempt to sit up and realize I can't support myself with my left arm.

"You don't remember?" Rico sits on the bed and hands me a cup of water. I take notice he's wearing sweats and a hoodie giving him a youthful look except for the stress and worry on his face.

I swallow a huge gulp of water. "I remember Rosetta was at the house, Angela was in Matty's room. And then I remember this burning, searing pain running through me and then everything went dark." Several emotions cross over his face but he leans over and grunts loudly; he's still trying to hold back his sobs.

"You died, Elenora." His voice is strained and the pain in his eyes is overwhelming.

"You pushed me out of the way when Angela fired the gun. There was so much blood...your heart stopped twice; once before the paramedics came. Jackie performed CPR on you. The paramedics shocked you over and over again." Tears fall down his face. "And then your heart...your heart stopped when they were operating on you." His voice breaks and that tears through me. I never imagined seeing him look so broken.

"Federico." I reach my hand out for him and he takes it in his shaking one. He kisses the inside of my hand before he lifts it up to his damp cheek.

"Mio polpetta." I give him a small smile. "Not even death can keep us apart, amore. You know I would come back to haunt you, anyway."