The Bruises She Hides

Chapter 18

Dani's POV

Everything around me is black. I feel like I'm crushed beneath stone, unable to move yet I still feel everything. My body is paralyzed, frozen. Not responding to anything I want it to do.

So all I can do is listen.

Which is honestly more painful than anything I've ever experienced.

Having to hear the broken voices of my loved ones, begging me to wake up. I'm forced to just lie there while the sounds of their sobs and pleas fill the room. On the outside I may appear completely unaware of all the heartbreak and grief around me but on the inside I'm crying. But all my efforts to move are futile.

When they squeeze my hand in support I can't return the gesture. I can't even give them some small flicker of hope but am again forced to leave them clueless on my current state.

"please wake up,"

"why didn't you tell me,"

"you have to get through this,"

"I'm so sorry,"

"open your eyes, even for just a second, please Dani please,"

"I should've noticed it, I should've,"

"I can't eat, I can't sleep, I just really need you here with me right now,"

I'm here,I want to scream. I'm here.

Despite all my efforts the invisible blanket suffocating me doesn't budge. It wraps around me tightly preventing me from even trying.

Yesterday, when Alex came to visit me, I heard him cry for what felt like ages. He was sobbing and telling me how it was all his fault. That he blamed himself for leaving me all those years ago. I had to listen to him cry about it and hear how guilty he felt.

More than anything I wanted to assure him that it wasn't his fault not at all. But again I couldn't. All I could do was lie there, sometimes drifting off other times listening to the cracking voices and muffled sobs of my family and friends.

"They want to switch off your life support," My attention perks at Fin voice, only now noticing that he had come in. He takes ahold of my hand, sliding his fingers in between mine and beginning to trace circles on my frozen hand. "Y-your not getting better and t-they..." he cuts himself off with a cry. I can feel some tears wetting my hand. "I can't lose you Dani, I can't."

Move. Respond. Try.I use all my remaining energy in trying to move, to show him some small sign that I am waking up. But as expected nothing happens.

"Please Dani," his voice is rough and sore from crying, something I never wanted to hear let alone be the cause of. "I have to go now Dani, but I'll be back I promise. You keep fighting for me okay?" As his hand slowly slips from mine I'm capable of one tiny move out of complete desperation.

Fin's POV

I stare down at her fingers thinking I'm hallucinating. "Dani?" I question gripping her hand tightly in mine. And then it happens again.

Her fingers twitch.

They moved, she's awake, she can hear me. I continue to cry but this time out of happiness. I rush to press the button on the side for the nurse my eyes not leaving her sleeping form for a second.

"Wake up for me beautiful, come on open your eyes please," Her eyebrows furrow slightly. She's actually trying. Her grip on my hand continues to get tighter. I keep talking to her hoping it helps.

But then her grip slackens, her hand falling limp in mine and her eyebrows relaxing once again. "No," I whisper on the verge of tears, I nearly had her back only to lose her again. But just as I'm turning my head away I catch sight of those gorgeous brown eyes that I fell in love with.

"Your awake, oh my god you're awake," I don't care about all the monitors or the breathing tube as I engulf her in a hug, wetting her hospital gown with my tears. I don't care if her body is limp beneath mine, or that she can't hug me back. She's awake and that all that matters. She leans her head forward slightly, hugging me in her own way.

I kiss the top of her forehead and gaze into her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. "I love you."