While You Were Gone.

Chapter 29

My mind was a thick, black fog. My body felt like lead. It even made my brain to heavy to think. I struggled to leave this black dreamworld, I tried as hard as I could manage, but I only sunk deeper into the darkness. 

Somewhere inside my head,  I heard voices. Voices that sounded so familiar. 

"Ellie, Ellie, Ellie," The voice...It sounded like..My mother. I only saw blackness, but heard my mother's voice calling to me. God, I miss her. 

"Ellie, sweetheart, why are you here?" She asked. 

I couldn't talk, it seemed. My voice no longer worked here in this...whatever this place was. Why was I here anyway? Why couldn't I wake up so I could see Frank's face? See him smile and laugh? Why wouldn't my body move, for Christ's sake?! 

"Ellie, you need to leave this place. You're not supposed to be here, dear. Go home." Her voice faded out into nothing, and suddenly I was pulled back into reality. 

Groggily, my eyes slowly opened. The piercing light burned my eyes, eliciting a groan from me. "I see you're awake now." A voice sounded from beside me. 

I was in Frank's bed again. These doctors should stop moving me around so damn much. 

His arms tightened around my waist, drawing me closer. "I've learned my lesson now," He muttered into my hair. "I'm never leaving you alone inside a hospital ever again. Esspecially when you're injured and clumsy. Only you can nearly kill yourself by stumbling into something, Ellie." I cannot believe he has the nerve to tease me. It's not like I did it on purpose! Jeez, can I ever catch a break around here? 

"It's not like I meant to fall into that tray thing on wheels," I muttered sourly. His strong chest rumbled with laughter. 

When he finally stopped laughing, he kissed my temple and breathed deeply. "Ell," His voice was hard. "You scared the shit out of me. I thought I was going to lose you again." A drop of water fell on my shoulder. Was he..crying? 

"Frankie, are you crying?" I voiced my thoughts. 

"What do you think?" He snapped, more tears dripping on my shoulder. 

"Frankie, please don't cry. You know how much I hate seeing you cry." 

"You're not even looking at me, Ell, so how can you see me cry?" He retorted. 

"Fine, you know how much I hate HEARING you cry." 

"I'm not making any sounds." He countered. 

"Oh for the love of God!" 

"Ell, don't ever do that again. Ever. I can't lose you again. I only just got you back." He tilted my face towards his with his finger. His eyebrows were pulled down, forming a crease inbetween them. The trails from his tears marked his face. "Do you understand me?" He asked. 

"I didn't do it on purpose, so technically it's not my fault, but I do understand and I'm sorry." He cracked a small smile and lightly kissed my nose. He pressed our foreheads together, our breaths mingling with eachother. 

"Frank?" I whispered. 

"Yeah?" 

"I love you." 

I could see his eyes swell with happiness. He kissed me on my lips this time. My thoughts were hazy with his lips melting into mine. Kissing Frank was like drinking cold water on a hot day. You could never get enough of it. 

He pulled away just as I was losing air.  The heart moniter was beeping loudly beside us. With a flushed face I yelled, "God, does that thing ever shut up?!" His throaty chuckle sounded in my ear.