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Chapter 35

Teen Fiction #754?!?  Heck yeah!  Thanks guys!!!1  :D

Chapter 35

Ian

A week and a half after Christmas, it was time to go back to school.  I didn’t want to leave Charlie but I knew I had to.   

Everyone had heard about Charlie’s accident and kept asking me questions over and over again.  When they knew that everything was getting to me, Levi, Carson, Cooper, and Cam all started telling everyone to back off.  When I got out every day, I headed straight back to the hospital where Charlie made no changes. 

The next thing I knew, an entire month had passed since the accident.  The doctors were trying to wean Charlie off the ventilator that helped her breathe and she was now able to for a full ten minutes until her body would get tired and she’d have to be put back on. 

My ring didn’t leave her finger. Even though she didn’t know yet, I still called her my fiancé to anyone who asked about it.  I loved calling her mine. 

One night just a few days before January ended and February began, I fell asleep with my head resting on Charlie’s bed while I held her hand. 

It seemed only seconds that I had fallen asleep when I’d woken up.  But the weird thing was that I could feel a hand on my face.  I opened my eyes slowly and saw Charlie sitting up and looking back at me, smiling.  

“Hey, there,” she said.

My eyes widened as I sat up and looked at her.  She looked absolutely perfect.  The scar on her forehead was gone, she didn’t have the breathing tube going into her mouth, there was no cast on her wrist or leg…Like I said, she looked perfect. 

“Charlie, you’re awake!” I said, smiling as I jumped up so I could give her a long kiss.  God, it felt so good to see her awake and be able to kiss her!

“Ian, you’ve got to listen to me,” she said, pushing me back.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear your voice again?”

“Ian, please, you’ve got to listen to me,” she said.  “I don’t have enough time.”

I looked at her in confusion.  “What do you mean, you don’t have enough time?  What are you talking about?”

“I need you to do something for me once I leave.”

I sat down in my chair beside her bed and took her hand in mine.  “Leave?  You’re not going anywhere!”

She smiled sadly at me.  “I’m sorry, Ian.  But I have to,” she said. 

“You don’t have to do anything!  You’re not leaving me!  We can get through this!” I said, starting to get angry.  Was she breaking up with me or something?  Was she angry because of the accident?

“I don’t have a choice,” she said quietly. 

“You always have…”

She shook her head.  “Not in this I don’t,” she said.  I could see tears forming in her eyes. 

“Charlie…”

“Ian, I want you to do something when I leave,” she said.  I nodded, though I still didn’t accept her leaving.  “I want you to get over me, okay?  I want you to find another girl and fall in love with her.  Don’t just sit around and cry over me, alright?  I don’t think I could ever see you like that.  I need you to be strong.”

“Seriously, Charlie…” I started, but she cut me off again. 

“Ian, I love you,” she said.  “I want you to be happy even without me.  You can do that, can’t you?”

“Yeah, I can.  But you’re not getting away from me.  You’re staying with me.”

She sighed as she leaned back against her pillows again, defeat on her face.  “I wish I could but it’s my time to go.  I’ll always love you, Ian,” she said, and started to close her eyes.

Right when she shut her eyes, the heart monitor beside her bed spiked once and then flat-lined.  All I could do was stare wide-eyed at it for a second before I jumped up and started shaking her. 

“Charlie, what are you doing?” I yelled.  “Don’t you dare die!  No!”

I looked back up at the monitor but it didn’t change. 

“No!” I yelled. 

I felt the tears burning my eyes and I clutched her hand.  I put my head back on the bed just as they flooded my eyes…

…and that’s when I woke up. 

I sat up quickly and looked at Charlie, still lying on the bed.  Oh, thank God, it was just a dream!

I looked at the monitor and it showed a strong, steady heartbeat.  She was still hooked up to the ventilator, still had the red scar that used to be where she had the cut on her forehead, and her wrist and leg were still in casts. 

And she still had my ring on her finger. 

I sighed in relief and kissed the back of her hand.  It was all just a dream.

Sorry!  I was having an evil genius moment and wanted to freak you guys out!  Mwu-ha-ha!

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