An Unlikely Hero

Chapter Twenty-Five

Alex

It hurt. Everything hurt. Where was I? The pain consumed me. I felt someone touching my arm, I couldn't focus. Who was it? Was it him? I didn't want to know. I just started hitting and screaming.

"Brandon help me!!" I screamed. I was so weak I don't think my flailing helped me any.

Every movement I made hurt worse than the previous one. Then I felt something on my head. I touched it. It was a bandage. Why would Corey bandage me? Simple, he wouldn't. Then it all came back to me. My last memory. Someone came in. Someone saved me.

Eventually I opened my eyes. One opened easily, the other I could barely see out of it. Then I saw the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on, well eye. It was my sex god.

"Alex , Alex calm down it's us, it's me, it's Brandon, you're safe now." his soothing voice said to me.

I paused, not ready to believe, unsure if I could accept that I was finally safe. That it was really over. That I had won.

"I mean it Alex." he continued, obviously spotting my apprehension. "He won't hurt you anymore. Ever."

"That's right, I locked him up myself." Johnny said, rubbing his arms where fresh scratches appeared from my outburst. I felt bad. "It's okay." He added winking at me.

I smiled, and then noticed Tim, and my smile got bigger. Before I could address any of them, a doctor came in.

"Let's give her some room, shall we?" He said gently. "Hello Alex. My name is Doctor Jones. It's very good to see you back with us. How are you feeling?" He asked checking my vitals and IV's. I wasn't a fan of him touching me, but I was in too much pain to do anything about it.  While I was flailing around one IV had come out, but I was in so much pain I didn't even feel it.

"Sore, confused, and sore." I managed to croak out. I tried to smile, but even my face hurt.

"You've been through quite the ordeal, we will definitely get you something for the pain, and you did suffer a head injury, but not too severe so your confusion shouldn't be permanent." he said reassuringly.

He wrote something down on the clipboard attached to my bed. "A nurse will be in shortly with your pain medication, and to replace this IV. You guys let her get some rest." he said gently scolding. They all nodded.

He walked out, and Brandon was the first to approach me.

"I'm so sorry." he said through his tears.

"Hey," I said trying to grab his hand, but realizing I couldn't because both my hands were bandaged. "Don't do that." Then I scanned the room and saw the looks on their faces were similar. "Now listen up." I said sternly "this is not your fault. None of you, so no more sorries." They all nodded, none of them looked convinced.

Brandon leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. I felt myself blush. I had missed him. There were so many times that I thought that was it, that I was never going to see him again, but here we were. I loved him, and that was enough to bring me back to him, or I like to think it was.

"I love you." He whispered in my ear. I would never get tired of hearing that.

"I love you too." I answered. "And Brandon?"

He paused and looked at me and waited.

"I forgive you." I whispered.

I don't know why I needed to say that, I think he needed to hear it. For a brief moment while Corey had me I was angry, angry that Brandon hadn't protected me from him. But I had realized something, it wasn't his fault Corey was sick and twisted. When I was being held captive I gave up. I thought that was it. I thought I had finally relinquished some fears, and it had done me little good, as all my nightmares had come true. Brandon's love hadn't saved me, and Corey finally won, and then it hit me. I didn't need anyone to rescue me, although it was sure nice when they did, I needed to rescue myself. I needed to see that I wasn't such an awful person, that I was enough. I was worth the fight. Nothing was going to be easy, but I was worth fighting for. That's when I decided that Corey wasn't going to win, no matter what I wasn't going to give up.