Forever

Chapter 24: Turning Around

All Rights Reserved

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Chapter 24: Turning Around

Alicia's POV

When I woke up I realized I wasn’t on the chair next to Zach’s bed like I had been for the past three weeks. I was on the bed lying next to his body. I was tempted to jerk out of the bed before the previous night’s events came to my mind immediately, bringing a smile to my face in the process.

My arm that had been imbedded between us was throbbing. I curse the day that Luke was born.

I shook my head to get out of the nasty mindset, Zach is alive and awake. I need to focus on that.

“Good morning beautiful.” I heard a velvety voice coming from beside me say.

A smile took over my face once again as I responded, “Morning.” I looked up to his face and got lost in his eyes. Surprising, I know.

Zach took his hand and traced lines down my cheek over and over letting my senses go into overdrive with the knowledge that that truly was Zach and not my dreams.

“So I spoke with the doctor last night while you were sleeping,” I began. He nodded telling me he wanted me to continue, “Well I spoke with him about when you can be released from the hospital. I don’t know about you, but the smell of ‘hospital’ is seeping into my pores.” He chuckled and I continued, “He said, that now that you’re awake and after a small chat with your dad you can be released by the end of the week. If that’s okay with you.” I finished shriveling my nose in distaste at the thought of staying here any longer than necessary.

Once again Zach chuckled at me and spoke with a smile on his face, “Don’t worry I want to get out of here as soon as possible. I hate hospitals with a burning passion deep within my soul.” I laughed at his dramatics, “I can’t wait to get out. I haven’t shifted in weeks, and I can really feel it.”

“You can’t shift! You’ll hurt yourself more than you already are!” I exclaimed outraged, to which he laughed. Laughed!

“Alicia the sooner I shift the faster I will heal.” He said like it was obvious. Oh ya, real obvious. I squinted my eyes at him making him chuckle again. I have to admit that his laugh was quite contagious as I started to laugh along with him.

We lay there, laughing for about five minutes. I don’t think that we were even laughing for a reason anymore, just hearing each other laugh.

Just as our laughter was dying down, the door to Zach’s hospital room opened. I didn’t know who it was as Zach and I were staring intently into each other’s eyes, but that was soon interrupted when his mother let out a surprised but happy squeal.

“Oh, my baby! You’re awake!” she rushed over to the other side of the bed and embraced him in a hug.

He both winced and groaned at the same time, “Mom, I’m not a baby!” he stated agitated at her outburst.

She giggled and retreated from the hug. A moment later I made my way off of the hospital bed but was stopped when a hand reached out and grabbed my injured wrist making me expel a hiss of pain. In a second the hand was gone.

Hopping off of the bed, with care not to irritate any of my injuries, I made my way over a chair on the side of the room to give his family time with him. By the time I reached the chair and looked up to Zach, Peter, Nancy, and Alex all eyes were on me. Zach’s full of concern and pain.

I bit my lip and winced again. Peter then stood up and made his way over to me, “Alicia, you haven’t left this room since you came. I thinks it’s far past the right time to go and see a doctor about your injuries.”

He looked at me sympathetically. I sighed and nodded slightly, turning my vision to Zach. He looked hurt and a little irritated.

I looked at him confused when Nancy started to speak, “Um, we’ll give you two a minute. Alicia, go and get checked by a doctor.” And with that they all left us in a dead silent room.

Looking to Zach, the emotions that played with the features on his face were still present.

Slowly I walked over to the bed, still confused, and took his hand in mine.

“What’s wrong Zach?” I asked.

He looked at me and returned my question with his own, “Why didn’t you go and get yourself checked by a doctor? You were kidnapped and beaten!” he semi-shouted. I flinched back at his words and because of this his face softened, “Alicia, please just explain why you didn’t go to a doctor to make sure you were ok?”

He looked at me pleadingly so I began, “When I first got here, you were unconscious and I didn’t know when you were going to wake up, so I didn’t want to miss when you did. I mean I left to shower and eat, but I was never gone more than 20 minutes at most. I just missed you so much that I didn’t want to not be here when you woke up. I was so scared that you wouldn’t though.

I was just so caught up in you that I didn’t even remember myself. My thoughts revolved around you and your health that I guess I put mine on the back burner.”

Zach looked at me and shook his head, pulling me down closer to him. Gently he pressed his lips to mine and backed away just as gently, “Go see a doctor. I promise I’ll be here when you get back.”

I smiled and said, “Good.” Then I left and went on a hunt for a doctor.

About 20 minutes later I was through with my check up where I was told to take it easy. Rolling my eyes at the thought. I had broken my ribs and gotten a bunch of bruises and cuts, nothing too, too bad. My ribs had healed throughout the three weeks that I sat still in that chair for, and all that was left to deal with was the pain, to which I was given meds to decrease it.

Entering Zach’s room I looked over to the bed where he was before to find empty sheets.

My eyes widened, ‘Where did he go?’

“Zach?” I walked over to the bed and looked in all of the corners of the room. I was starting to really freak out when he suddenly hobbled out of the bathroom with a crutch in his hand that wasn’t broken.

“Jeeze. I thought that you fell through on your promise.” I said with a grin making a grand appearance on my face. He smiled and limped over to me.

Once in front of me he perched his crutch on the bed and put his hands on my waist and smiled down at me. Meeting his eyes I instantly smiled wider. Only seconds later he leaned in and kissed me. It started off slow and sweet but soon that transformed into a passionate and loving kiss.

Minutes later we both pulled away from our interlock and looked at each other.

He looked so nervous for a minute I thought he would fall onto the bed, but then he spoke and the tables turned.

“I love you Alicia.”

I didn’t know what to think, but I did know what to say.

“I love you too.”

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Author's Note

Hi everyone! Sorry for the hold up on the updates but I was super busy with my graduation and everything this year. But now its summer vaca and I will be able to update more. Thanks for reading! I hope that you enjoy your day.

>megan