The Stand In

Chapter 28

Zak POV

My moms words had rang in my mind all day. So when I saw Elle was upset, I knew I had to get her to the house to speak. I text Aaron and told him to rearrange our boys night, as this was now taking precedence.

When Elle arrived I could see she was visibly troubled and all I had to do was wait quietly for her to get through whatever she was fighting in her mind.

When she did, I would know what I had to deal with, what I needed to explain.

Things hadn't gone how I wanted, whatever Mia had said had really upset Elle, as she struggled to get past whatever was eating her up inside and if it couldn't have got any worse, the guys had shown up.

Between the commotion of me pleading Elle to stay and the guys to go, I was panicking. I was truly afraid that if she left, I'd lose her. That I had fucked up something between us that really grounded me..

"Just move!" She shouts at me.

"Elle please! Guys, just fuck off!" I yell at them, as I began losing control of everything.

Elle goes for her bag but cries in pain and stumbles back holding her head.

She looks at me a terrified.

"El?" I breathe.

Then it happens...

Her face falls expressionless , her eyes cloud over slightly before they roll and her body looks as if it's lost its skeleton and falls backwards.

"No!" I yell, throwing myself in her direction, but I'm not quick enough and the sickening thud of her head off the marble floor almost totals me.

"Zak?!"

"Bro!"

The crew are yelling behind me, but all I can see is Elle.

No. No. No! I wasn't ready! I'm not prepared for this!

Her body begins to convulse and jerk, her fingers curled up into almost claws as her muscles tighten. Her feet tapping rapidly against the tiles as her legs tremble. Her head is pushed back, veins pulling out of her neck as she struggles to breath. Her face goes from the sunkissed tan to a bluish hue. There is blood coming from her mouth and I want to stop it.

I want this to stop this happening to her, but I can't.

I'm helpless.

"She's fitting!" Someone yells.

Seizure.

"She has epilepsy!" I tell them as they begin shouting for an ambulance. "Don't call them yet!"

'Come on Zak.' A voice says in my head. It sounds like my gran and when she tells me to look at my watch, to take the time and work through what I had read online.

'5 minutes and you call for help.'

I listen.

1 minute.

'Make space.'

'Her head.'

Grabbing a cushion off the couch, I put it beside her before yelling at the guys to help me move the couch and coffee table out the way.

As they do that, I look at Elle, and try to remember what comes next.

Picking her head up gently, I put it on the cushion before grabbing the blanket off the couch and covering her with it, seeing that she had wet herself.