From The Start (1st Draft)

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Baby," Alex whispered, starting to moan with discomfort.

I looked up as soon as I heard his voice and began whipping my tears. "Oh, thank god," I sighed. I didn't want him to see me crying.

"Hi," he tried to smile, "Don't shed any tears." He started looking around the room cautiously.

"You're in the hospital," I explained.

"Great."

"Do you need me to get you anything?"

"Like what? You can give me my life back, that would help me out a ton."

"I wish I could," I whispered.

"Why am I here?" he asked quietly.

I looked at his beautiful face, trying to imagine how it would look if he was normal. I got lost in his sky blue eyes for a few seconds, but then I came back to reality. I couldn't picture him without the tubes in his chest, or without complete exhaustion overtaking his face. He was beginning to look like a walking corpse, and this thought made me get light headed and nauseous.

"Rosie, everything's a blur right now. Why am I here? What happened?"

"You," I stopped.

He stared at me blankly. "I what?"

"You just had some complications," I lied. "You're okay though."

"I was at school, right?"

I nodded, hoping he would remember on his own. I couldn't stand to describe such a scene.

He let out a deep breath after a full minute. "It's alright, I remember now."

"How did you feel before everything happened?" I asked.

He looked over at Stephanie, who was sleeping in the chair, and then back to me. But he didn't speak.

"I mean, how were you feeling before anyone found you?" By anyone, I meant me.

"Come here," he said, more like offering.

I looked at the hospital bed, which had very little space for me, and then let my eyes meet everything else around him.

I saw the heart monitor, and all of the bags of liquids that were being put into his body. I saw his catheter outside of his shirt, hanging from his chest, and I didn't notice how long I was dazing off until he swallowed loudly.

"Why aren't you coming over to me?" he asked, obviously wondering about what was on my mind.

"There isn't any room," I lied. I was just scared to touch him, because I thought if I touched him, he might break.

He cringed his face, dimples in his cheeks. "There is too."

"Just answer me," I changed the subject, sinking back into my chair. "How were you feeling at first?"

"I don't really know. I was walking with Stephanie to class and then I just got really dizzy," he paused. "I fell. I sat on the ground and tried to get back up but I couldn't. I lost all my strength, and the rest is just, a blur."

I knew he was lying. He just couldn't stand to remember it either.

"So you don't remember me being there afterward?"