Back To You | Jerrie

Chapter 5

Perrie

"Hi," I say softly with tears blurring my vision. She's awake. She's alive. A week of wonder and fear, somehow she fought through it all.

Jade looks around confused as her heart rate starts to accelerate on the monitor. I wipe the happy tears and try to reassure her by placing my hand against her cheek.

My throat croaks as I try to get my emotions under control. "Shhh ... don't try to talk." Her brow furrows as I speak. "You're okay, baby. You're in Germany at the hospital." I reach out and smooth her brow, the desire to touch her is too great. Her eyes close as my fingers float across her skin.

When her brown eyes open again, they latch on to mine and the emotion shines through. Fear, love, and regret all mashed up. I've missed those eyes.

"Perrie ..." Jade tries to speak but it's strained.

I lean close and press my lips against her soft cheek. The feel of her skin against mine causes my heart to race. She's really awake and she said my name. "I'm here. Just relax," I try to reassure her. "It's going to be—"

Before I can finish, the doctor draws our attention to him. "Ms. Thirlwall, I'm Dr. Allison. Welcome back. You gave us quite a scare. I'm going to look you over real quick, okay?"

Jade nods but doesn't try to speak again.

Dr. Allison starts assessing her. "Okay, Jade. Your heart rate is steady and stable. Blood pressure is a little low, but it's expected. How do you feel?" he asks.

Jade's strong hand wraps around mine and she gives me a small squeeze. She swallows and winces. "Water?"

"Sure, you can have a little water. I need you to tell me what you last remember," Dr. Allison states in a no-nonsense way.

After she takes a sip, she finally speaks. "I d-don't." She looks around and lets out a huff. "How l-long?"

"You've been unconscious for eight days. Do you have any recollection of how you arrived here?"

Jade closes her eyes and shakes her head. "I remember the HELO and the sniper." Her eyes open as she grips the blanket looking around. "Jesy?"

I grasp her hand and she relaxes a little. "She's fine. She'll be here soon. I can call her now," I say looking for my phone.

"No." Jade tightens her grip. "Am I o-okay?" She asks the doctor apprehensively.

"Your injuries were quite severe and you had a few complications during surgery. And extreme blood loss. Your body has endured an intense trauma and I want to keep a close eye on your heart."

Jade's eyes close and her grip loosens a bit.

"Is she going to be okay?" I ask

"She's young, strong, and she's out of the coma now. She's not out of the woods, but we'll watch her closely," Dr. Allison explains and looks over the monitors.

I glance at Jade and her eyes open again. "What about my leg?" She asks with fear in her voice.

Dr. Allison turns and pats her shoulder before speaking. "The injury to your leg was a through and through, which should heal in a few weeks. The bullet that entered your abdomen caused some damage to your spleen. We were able to repair the injury and stop the bleeding. As for your shoulder, there's some muscle damage, but we can address all that later." She takes a break and allows Jade a few seconds to gather her thoughts.

"Jade, do you remember anything else?" I ask softly.

Her eyes are pensive as she shakes her head. "Not much." She clears her throat and grabs the cup to drink again.