With the Lights Off...

(9): Burn

*Haha ((: hiii :D sorry to keep you waiting tho. If anyone would be awesome enough to make an alternate cover and/or a banner, I would love you oh-so much for it!

Nina's POV

I stepped inside Paul's room and saw all four of our friends huddled around him. He really was a wreck, physically.

But in his eyes, he was more ruined. As if, he was dead even when he was just injured. Like Ian said, he was way more worried about Torrey.

And not seeing her, not knowing how she's doing is killing him inside.

"Neens?" he asked, his voice hushes and tired.

Candice, Kat Zach and Steven looked up and each one of them looked like they were too sad to even talk. Candice even had tears welling up in her eyes.

Kat was holding onto Paul's hand, but looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but here. Not in the 'I don't care' way, but in the 'I can't stand seeing him like this' way.

"Hey Paul," I muttered, suddenly feeling my tears spring up too. Seeing him like this made me feel so awful, it was like I didn't want to be here too.

Everyone cleared off the bed, standing up to give us some room.

I moved closer to Paul and sat down on the edge of his bed, and then, at that second, Candice fainted and landed in Zach's arms.

"Crap, Candice!" Steven semi-yelled, knowing fully well that he couldn't speak that loud in a hospital.

I launched myself off of the bed and frantically began to fan her off.

"What's happening?" Paul asked, trying to move his head and look at us. I got up and stopped him, placing my hand on his cheek.

"Hey, don't move please," I sighed. Paul nodded and rest his head on the pillow, his face still scrunched up in worry, I walked over back to them as Zach and Steven lifted Candice carefully

"I think there's a spare bed in the visitor's room," Kat sighed, fanning Candice with a copy of Nylon magazine.

Paul tried to push himself up. "Paul..." I sighed, trying to hold onto Candice's legs as I looked at him.

"Neens, go on and check on Paul," Zach sighed. "Candice is going to be fine."

I helped Zach re-adjust the way he was holding Candice and watched as they carried her to the other room. She was fragile and it took her a long time to get used to a lot of stress.

I walked over to Paul and sat down next to him. I held onto his hand gently and looked at him. "Hey," I sighed.

"What happened?" he asked worriedly.

"Candice fainted," I said. "She's just been dealing with a lot lately."

He bit his lip and winced noticeably. "Is she okay now?"

"She will be, don't worry Paul," I sighed. "She's just a little tired. Stop worrying, okay?"

"I can't," he said. "Because that's all I can do while I'm strapped down here uselessly."

"Paul..."

"I know, I know I'm lucky to be alive," he groaned. "I'm lucky to have survived the accident that would've otherwise killed me. I'm blessed that it wasn't my time yet. I'm blessed to still be talking properly and still have my gorgeous face intact. I've heard it all. Candice actually beat you to it."

"Figured," I sighed.

"But that's not what's lucky for me," he said. "I'm lucky because I still have this chance to tell Torrey that I love her, no matter what happens. I can still have this chance to make things better for us. I'm lucky because I lived for a chance to make everything right again and to never leave this world without anything said."