Afire Love

Bruises and Blows

I swear this one is so fucking happy, you'll be crying blood.

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Her heartbeat quickened as did the pace of the clock, that had just struck nine. There were hardly any people in sight, just a few couple nurses running to their services here and there, dressed in their white uniforms. She had already completed all the hospital formalities, signing wherever required and even informed Taylor's parents of it. And unless she was very wrong, they would be there as soon as the next flight landed.

Gratefully, Tree had covered up the entire situation. No fans had come to know of the singer's state and the media had gotten no wind of it, lest they start mobbing the model for updates in information on the singer's state.

"You can go in now."

One of the nurses informed her, as the girl cleared her eyes and then moved into the cabin. Monotonous as she expected, who would've thought that the doctor who owned it would give them hope? Dark colored walls with paint peeling off and a metal desk that stood in the middle of the room, Karlie walked in to meet the eyes of the doctor, who was supposed to be tending to Taylor.

"How is she?"

She asked with a sort of restlessness, evident in her tone. It had been hours since she had last seen Taylor, after which the doctors had taken her to the emergency room, where they were supposed to tend to her wounds.

"You'll see."

He answered, putting forth a facial mask across the desk and then, getting up himself. Karlie frowned upon seeing so, all she prayed was that Taylor wasn't that worse as she expected but from the grim looks on his face; her expectations ran low.

Upon entering the empty room, Karlie could see nothing but doubt in her own faith and inhibitions about her love. Numerous tubes connected to her numb figure, for God's sakes, Taylor wasn't even stirring. The heart rate monitor beeped and upon close observation, Karlie realized that her heartbeat was low (condition is called as brachycardia).

Nevertheless, the doctor beckoned to Karlie, asking her to come closer to see what the doctor was willing to show her. The model couldn't keep her eyes off the figure, and though she didn't wish to see anything; the least she could do was try to understand what had caused it, as if that would help.

"See this?"

Cameron pointed to her fingernails, which were shaded surprisingly blue. Karlie leaned closer upon seeing that and nodded.

"She's been drugged. Tests confirmed so. We're performing a cleansing process, where all the toxins in her blood are being filtered out. Keeping her sedated for a day or two."

Karlie agreed, a glum look on her face once she saw the tubes connected to her arm. The singer's face was serene and calm, as if nothing wrong had ever taken place. Ocean blue eyes hidden by closed eyelids and eyelashes that touched her skin, made Karlie clench her teeth upon seeing her in such a deplorable state.

"And I wanted to show you this."

Cameron beckoned to her, as she turned her eyes to look at the singer's abdomen.

Red marks, scratches from filthy nails and bruises and blows etched upon her skin, made Karlie turn her head away in disgust. Her nose scrunched up and tears threatened to form in her eyes before she asked the man in a throaty voice.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The doctor recovered the gown, before he noted the girl lean towards the singer and take in all her preciousness.

All of her body had either been scarred or ravaged; and parts that hadn't were covered in bandages.

How could anyone even think of hurting a girl like Taylor? Tears stung the model's eyes as she reached her hand for Taylor's dainty and frail ones, the only part of her body that was uncovered. She tried hard not to break down then and there, but it was hard. Seeing Taylor that way was inexplicably hard. Karlie would rather have had worn a crown of thorns on her head than see the singer in a state like that, what would she not give to see the singer, lively and cheerful as always?

"Physical assault. From the looks of it, she probably didn't know of the men. Hate assault, to be precise."

He answered, still peering over the girl with hazel eyes, who had Taylor's hands against her cheeks and was silently crying to herself.

The past few weeks had flown by like a fairytale; a dream come true for the couple, when no one could have even wrought them out of it for a minute. And then, sudden crashes like these had Karlie wonder whether she deserved Taylor or not. She wasn't even able to protect her from the unkind wrath of humanity, how could she take on the world single-handedly, like she knew Taylor thought her to?

"I'm sorry."

The doctor sympathised, if it was of much use. Karlie shook her head, gulped and then, returned to kiss Taylor's hand. The last touch of her lips lingered upon the singer's skin, before she cast a dismal glance over all of her body and returned to the waiting room outside.

Minutes later, the doctor hurried upto her, his white coat flowing around him.

"You forgot this. I don't know if it has any actual significance but-"

He panted, putting up the same ring that the couple were married with the help of before. Karlie took it in her fingers, twirling it as more tears formed in her eyes and fell back to her seat. Thankful that no one there knew of her or her profession, she placed the ring on the palm of her hand before she responded.

"Ours."

* * *

"How is she now?"

Austin asked the model, who was standing against the pillar that supported her back. Her eyes had grown crimson as a result of excessive crying and her cheeks had hollowed out.

Austin, Andrea and Scott had reached the place long back. Now that it was evening, and the sun was about to set, Karlie couldn't help but think of what it would have been if Taylor had been alright.

Karlie couldn't even bring himself to answer the man, who was looking at her with the same expectations as she saw those in Taylor's eyes. The same facial features and the same disposition, Karlie couldn't look at Austin without having been reminded of Taylor's body as she saw last time.

"Answer me."

Austin held onto her arms, wrenching her out of her thoughts. A couple of passers-by turned their heads to look at the two, but misconstruing them to be a couple; continued on their way to their respective rooms.

"I thought you loved her?"

The man wrinkled up his nose in disgust, upon seeing the model answer not a thing. Her own eyes now flicked upto him, traces of tears still evident down her cheeks.

"I do."

Karlie replied, now that he had just struck a chord in her heart. Questioning her love for Taylor wasn't something she was going to accept, no matter howmuchsoever she was disgraced, she was always willing to answer for her love.

"If you really did, she wouldn't have been the way she is right now."

Austin turned his back upon the model, his shadow following him into the darkness, one that would dawn upon her every night then, until the last to her grave.

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evil is in *smirks*