Dark Side (Book One)

Chapter 25

  

I fade in an out of reality every so often and I can't decide what is real and what's not. I've been catching pieces of conversations, but I can't make sense of any of it. I'm pulled from my deep sleep once again and I crack open an eye slowly. I open the other and blink a few times before looking around the room. I'm in a hospital bed and in a hospital room. I lift my head, though it feels like a ton of bricks, and see that Zayn is sitting next to my bed. I can hear the steady beep of the heart monitor in the background, otherwise it's quiet. The more I look around, the more my heart rate accelerates and I jerk up off the bed, but let out a scream as the pain shoots through my left side.

Zayn is on his feet the moment I sat up, and he's coaxing me to lie back down.

"Where am I? What's happening?" I ask. He walks over to the bed and sighs.

"You're in the hospital. Harry stepped out to get some coffee. I'll get him back in here." I lay back and put my hand under my armpit on the left side. I feel this tube that's under my skin and hooked up to another machine. An oxygen tube sits just under my nose and keeps a steady flow of oxygen pushing into my lungs. A blood pressure band squeezes my arm every couple of minutes and gives the read out to another machine. An IV is stuck in my right arm and a pulse meter is attached to the end of my right index finger.

When I lay back in the bed again, the door opens and in comes Harry. Jesus, he looks like Hell. He hasn't' showered, shaved, changed his clothes and it looks like he hasn't eaten or slept at all. As soon as he makes eye contact with me, he sprints to the side of my bed and takes my hand in his while getting down on his knees.

"Do you remember what happened?" I think about it and only pieces are coming back. I distinctly remember hearing a gun shot and I remember hugging my dad.

"Where's my dad? I want to see him." Harry glances at Zayn and sighs.

"Zayn, give us a minute?" Zayn nods and steps out of the room, and I don't like the sound of that.

"Why? What's going on? What aren't you telling me?" Harry looks down and then looks up to me.

"There's no easy way to say this. Bentlie, your dad is dead. He got shot by Andre." I feel my throat closing up as I lose the ability to form words. Tears come to my eyes and before I know it, I'm sobbing uncontrollably. Harry squeezes my hand and rubs his thumb over the back of my hand.

"It's okay. Let it all out." He says. And I do. Now that Harry mentions it, more things start to come back.

"I got shot, too, right?" I ask. Harry nods and I wipe my nose on the back of my hand. "The rest of the boys are here, too. Do you want to see them?" He asks. I stare blankly into space, but nod. I need reassurance that they are okay, too. Moments later, the door opens and the boys file in one by one and gather around me.

I sniffle again and look up at the boys. They are carrying an assortment of flowers, stuffed animals and balloons with them, and one by one, they come over and kiss my forehead.

"Thank you, boys." I say with a small smile. After they sit down or find a place to stand, Louis speaks up.

"What are you thanking us for, Blondie?" I shrug and close my eyes, then open them again. "Everything. Thank you for everything. I'm sorry I left without telling anyone. I just didn't want any of you to get hurt." Harry rubs his thumb over the back of my hand and hushes me.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, baby. I'm just glad you're okay. I was so scared that I lost you. I know we still have a lot to talk about, but right now all that matters is getting you better." I nod and squeeze his hand.