Till Loves End #Wattys2016

Part 5

All parts are unedited. I will come back and edit them as I have time. Please keep in mind that I wrote this 50 page short story in 3 days so please excuse the errors. It flowed so seamlessly I just had to share it with everyone ASAP!!

Enjoy.

Rory's POV

From the moment I walked in the door I knew things were not going to be like they were when I arrived. Seeing Marissa bundled up in a blanket while laying lifelessly on her bed hurt. This mop of short black hair was all I could see of the back of her head as I walked in her bedroom.

Jacklyn was right. She had chopped off all her hair and dyed it.

As I walked around the bed I saw her eyes open but she didn't look at me. Her focus was steady out the window. I hated seeing her like this. Jacklyn nailed it when she said her eyes were lifeless. Those crystal blue orbs that I'd dreamily look into where hazy and full of sadness.

"Marissa." My voice was louder than intended. She flinched at the volume of my voice. Her eyes widened as she looked up at me. Her mouth gaped open. She was in shock to see me standing here. Just as much shock as I was in to see her like this.

"Sit up." I tell her. If Jacklyn was right and she'd been spending a lot of time in bed I wanted to give her a once over to make sure she was alright. I did some simple tests to test her range in moment and I checked her out to make sure he wasn't swollen any place she shouldn't be.

Right now I had to remind my medical portion of my brain to shut down. This was my ex-girlfriend not my patient.

"Can you stand?" I ask her. She nods and starts to stand on her own.

Her beautiful blue eyes are sunken badly into her face. Her body is frail and weak. She's painfully thin. I run my hands through her short black hair. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it. It made her eyes stand out more.

"Come."

She used me to brace herself and I walked with her to the bathroom. She doesn't need much help but she needs enough that I don't leave her side by more than an arm's length.

This strong willed woman has become this lifeless person in front of me. I've never known anyone personally who has suffered from this kind of depression. The kind where they didn't have the will to live yet couldn't pull the trigger. I'd know people who were suicidal. That was normally a cry for help. This was on a completely different level. The rational portion of my brain wanted her to just snap out of it. The realist portion knew it wasn't that simple. She simply wouldn't just come out of it just because I'd showed up. That was a fantasy. I did hope that the bond that we'd had in our prior relationship will still shine through and she still had the ultimate trust in me that I would make the best decision for her.

She sat down on the toilet seat while I started a shower for her. I don't know when the last time she bathed but I wanted her to feel fresh and clean. We had a lot to talk about and I wanted her in the best possible position to talk in.

"Wait here." I excused myself out of the bathroom.

I walked back into the living room where I was greeted with confused faces.

"Can one of you guys pull all her bed sheets and remake her bed?" I asked of them. Jacklyn nodded and quickly went off to do just that.

"Is she okay?" Tom asks.

"I haven't said more than a few words to her. I don't know yet." I grabbed a few of my personal items from my bag. "Can you do me a favor and order us some food?" I ask him. "Something light, like Panera or something?" I dig out my wallet and go to hand him my credit card but he waves it off.