Chase Me || Calum Hood

2.1

{Delilah}.

These past few days have been horrible. Every time I close my eyes, I see Calum as bruised and bloody as he was when he arrived here. Every minute I spend asleep is dark and frightening as every nightmare I have seems real. I sleep but I don't get any rest.

Nothing has happened. He's still the same as he was and he's still unconscious, no sign of life if it wasn't for the small movements of his chest as he breathes. I have been woken up countless times only to find fresh tears falling from my eyes and worried glances from whoever's in the room. People have tried to get me to leave because apparently its not healthy being here all the time like this. Though I know that being away from Calum won't help anything. I tried that once and things were only harder.

I don't know how many times I have to say that it doesn't feel right being at home without Calum, or that I can't sleep without him near. No one seems to listen to me and its driving me insane. My patience has been growing thin and I don't know how much longer I'm going to last without him. I'm just so tired.

Calum's mum enters the room, heavy bags beginning to appear under her eyes. She's quiet as she walks over to her son's side, holding his hand in between hers for comfort. "I'd like to think its not long before he wakes up, now." She speaks, her voiced strained and weak. "But I know not to keep my hopes too high." She adds on, her features falling to a dull, depressed look.

She turns to me, studying my appearance for a few moments before she speaks up again. "Delilah, we're all getting worried about you love. You need to leave. You deserve some rest." She tells me, her voice offering empathy.

"I can't leave him!" I snap at her, the words instinctively escaping my mouth before I have a chance to think them over. "I-I'm sorry." I quickly mutter, hating myself for speaking to her with such harshness. She shakes her head and offers me a sad smile understandingly. "I know I need rest, but going home didn't help before. Its not right to be there without him and the guilt and anxiety I have because of being at our house without him keeps me up if anything. And I know it doesn't really help that I can't rest here, either. I'm scared. I wish I knew what he would want me to do."

She makes her way over to me and pulls up a chair at my side, close enough to pull me to her as she wraps her arms around me firmly, letting me cry on her shoulder. "Delilah, you can't stay here. I know how badly you want to be with him, but you need to look after yourself. Calum would want that." She tells me.

Her words make me listen and I find myself agreeing with her. All Calum's ever wanted was to see me ok. I imagine myself in his position and I think of what I would want Calum to do. As hard as it is for me to admit, I know I would want him to be at home and to take care of himself. I nod after she speaks and she looks relieved.

"I know, but I can't go home. Not without him."

She sighs at my words, her eyebrows scrunching together as she ponders on a thought. She takes hold of my hands just like she did to Calum, and looks at me. "What about if you came home with us? That way you wouldn't be alone and you can stay in Calum's old room. It might help you get some sleep." She suggests and I look up at her gratefully. "Only if thats ok with you." I say to which she assures me that it is.

Nervous and hesitant, I say my goodbyes to Calum, promising that I'll be back soon and begging him not to go anywhere.

-

{Calum}.

I hear everything. I hear the soft whimpers which escape Delilah's lips as she sleeps, and every word she mumbles out including my name. It's heartbreaking and it only kills me even more to know that its because of me.

The way she cries out my name kills me, even in her sleep; though nothing hurt as much as hearing her unconsciously mumble out the words 'my fault'. She still blamed herself for what happened, despite what everyone said to her. I wish I could take her pain away.

Mum came in again just after Delilah had snapped out of her nightmare. She doesn't think I'll wake up. I can hear it in her voice and how it trembles, how every words radiates pain. I don't know what will happen if she starts to say goodbye to me, even if it is just in case. I can't have mum give up on me too. I know Luke's already half-way there.

I listen as mum tells Delilah that everyone is starting to get worried for her. They're right though, even I can tell and I can't even see her. She snaps at mum but then apologises and I'm glad that mum thinks nothing of it. How could anyone really be expected to control their emotions at a time like this.

She's reluctant to go, still the same stubborn yet heart-strong girl I fell in love with. I just wish that in this case she would listen. I want her to stay here with me, to keep giving me the strength I need, but more than anything, I want her to be ok. I know she needs her rest and I know its not right for her to be here.

She's reluctant to go, still the same stubborn yet heart-strong girl I fell in love with. I just wish that in this case she would listen. I want her to stay here with me so badly, but more importantly, I want her to be ok. I know she needs her rest and I know she can't get any here. I know it's not right for her to be here and I silently beg her to go home.

"It's ok, Del. Please go home. Please look after yourself." My silent mind asks her.

Thankfully, she agrees - almost as if she can hear me, and before I know it, she's staying her goodbyes to me, posing that she'll be back soon and begging me not to go anywhere.

"I'm not going to leave you." I tell her as her lips softly plant a kiss to my forehead.

"I love you, Cal."

-

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