Words Hurt

Chapter 11

Blake's POV
"YANG, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T-!" I stop myself from screaming as I realise where I am.

The medical wing?

"Miss Belladonna." A voice alerts me from behind. I spin around to find Ozpin walking towards me. The corridor we're standing in is awfully quiet...

Instead of speaking, I just wait for a responce.

I've definitely just been in my dorm with Yang... I hit her. I hurt her again. Why do I keep doing this?

"Care to sit?" He gestures to a set of four chairs lined up against a wall. Automatically, I follow and take a seat next to him. "As you know, your partner, Yang, has been in an accident."

"But, she's better now!" I burst.

Ozpin furrows his brow. "Miss Xiao Long is still recovering."

I continue to deny his claims. "No, Yang's better. We've just been talking in the dormitory... How did I get here?" I sound like a crazy person. Have I completely lost my mind?

"I understand that at a time like this, it becomes difficult for the people closest to those who are wounded to simply continue with their lives, but would Yang really want you skipping class to cry alone in your room, refusing to talk to anyone and shutting everyone around you out?" Ozpin asks softly.

"What?!" I exclaim. "Look, I have been coping perfectly fine, me and Yang both. Why are we having this conversation?"

Ozpin stands up and takes my arm. I stand up with him then follow. "Blake, look into this room and tell me what you see."

I look into the room and almost collapse to the floor in shock. There, in the patient's bed, lies Yang; she looks worse than ever. Hundreds of tubes are connected to her, her head is wrapped tightly in dressings and she's covered in scratches, scrapes, burns, cuts, bruises, bullet wounds and stab wounds.

I stumble back in shock. The air is knocked out of my lungs as I try to comprehend what I have just seen. Ozpin supports me by wrapping an arm around my back.

"Blake, is there anything going on that I need to know about; something that will maybe benefit the recovery of your team mate?"

Ozpin's Office

"So, you were in your dorm talking with Yang, then you ended up punching her in the face with quite some force, there was a blinding light and you ended up in Beacon's medical wing?"

It sounded insane out loud. "Look, I know it's kind of hard to believe, but something's happening and I have no idea how it's happening or what is happening!" I exclaim.

Ozpin takes a sip of his coffee then sigh, "Blake, it's been months since you've left that dorm room, you've even refused to see your partner at such a tragic time. Even your team mates, Ruby and Weiss, haven't seen you properly since the night Yang was found."

I shake my head. "No!" I shoot out of my seat and stand defensively. "This isn't right! Whatever's going on isn't normal! What could it possibly be?"

"Grief, Miss Belladonna, grief!" Ozpin reasons. He stands up to level himself with me. "What you're going through isn't easy, but you must remain strong for your partner. If you are to disintegrate, then what chance do you give Yang to pull through this?"

In frustration I slam my fists down on Ozpin's desk and burst, "You don't understand! Why can't you see that something big is happening and nobody's doing anything about it?! I've been through this already! It's deja vu!"

"Blake." Professor Ozpin soothes.

"NO! I'm going back to Yang!"

Beacon's A&E Ward

"Please wake up, Yang. I need you here. I need you with me. I need you to help me understand what's going on." I sit on a chair beside Yang's bed, laying my head on her pillow and rubbing my thumb across the back of her hand. My vision is becoming blurry. "I can't do this without you. Ruby's in a bad way; she wouldn't be able to cope with losing you; it'd tear all of us to pieces! You're the one that knows exactly what to do. You're the one that holds this team together. You're the reason I've lasted this long at Beacon, made so many friends and achieved so much!.. I can't continue this life without you in it. I need you there. I need you here with me... I love you, Yang." Sobbing a little, I cover my face with my other arm.

I wish I could understand what is going on here. I can remember Yang getting better. I can remember the two of us kissing. I can remember her taking me to go and see those lights in the sky... What were they called again? I read about them in a book once... Or did I? I don't really remember. I guess I'm just tired... Have I slept recently? Anyway, why do all these memories seem false? They happened, didn't they? Of course they did! I remember them! But, why is Yang in this medical ward? Did something else happen to her? No, I would have remembered, right? Ugh, all this twisted and confusing thinking is just making the situation seem ten times worse!

I snap my head up and peer around the room. It's dark. Did I fall asleep? I look down and notice I'm still holding Yang's hand. Her heart rate meter is beeping evenly, telling me that her breathing is fine, even if she does have a mask over her face to help her with taking in enough oxygen.

Rubbing my eyes groggily, I sit up. I have an ache in my side and neck, my head is pounding and my legs are in agony, but I don't care. Yang's in worse pain than me, I've just slept in a funny position, she's had some sort of anger possessing her, causing her to hurt herself.

Yang, just look at her, she looks like she's just been dragged out of a stampede of Goliath and it's all my fault.

Before my thoughts could drown me an ear piercing sound strips me from my thoughts. The sound of Yang's heart machine; it's going mental! "YANG!" I bellow. "HELP! PLEASE!" I cry, but nobody comes at my pleas.

Suddenly, Yang jolts bolt-up-right in her bed and turns to me. Grabbing my shoulders she urges, "YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!"