The Time Is Ticking

The ER

Asher's POV

They were waiting outside with a gurney when we arrived. They took her out of my arms and layed her on the bed. She curled up in a ball, she looked so tiny lying in a ball like that. She hates hospitals, she always has, I remember this one time at a game she would have rather stayed then our director call her parents to take her to the hospital, but she was dying not literally but it was pretty close. She always said "she was taking one for the team", but she just hated hospitals, or another time she had a dislocated finger for like two weeks before she got it back in place because she refused to go to the hospital then too. She's probably ashamed to be here. Maybe by being in the hospital it means she's weak, this is weak for her, to be here, to except help, this is defeat. Oh no I never thought of that.

We get inside and I give them the info I can to check her in before our dads arrive. Her breathing has slowed so they were helping her as much as possible before she was checked in and could receive full help. My dad walked in first looking around frantically for me, when he spots me he walks over and says "I'm sorry son." I bury my head deep into his shoulder and I say through sobs "ma....ma.....ma...me too dad." "it's not your fault kiddo." "*cough* I....I...I....know dad...ba...ba...ba....but I feel like, like, like, maybe it is *sobs*." "why do you feel that way?"

"Yeah why?" I here across the room, "maybe cuz you'd thought it'd be fun to take my fourteen year old daughter at midnight without permission?"

I wipe the tears off my face to be a man and walk up to him and say "sir if it weren't for me Anya would be lying dead in her bed and if not dead in a lot of pain and covered in more blood than she is, you should be thanking me." I let a silent tear roll down my face and I start choking, it's really hard to not be weak when your girlfriend just coughed up blood all over you. I quickly pull myself together and look him in the face he says "you're right, thank you for saving my daughter. You aren't to bad of a kid and I can clearly see that you care..." and then I obsessively start sobbing like a baby so he stops talking to give me time then he points to the front desk and says "I....ummm....I'm just going to fill out papers now." He walks away and my dad comes up and wraps his arm around me "it's going to be okay." "I hope so dad."

Anya would be telling me it's okay to cry. She believes a real man shows his feelings, but I want to be strong for her. She's the world to me. I don't want to let her go, we finally de-friend-zoned each other and now she's dying.

Anya's POV

I feel so weak being here. I don't like it I wanna go home. I can't be strong when I'm in the hospital. They want to do scans and tests and stuff, stuff that makes me weak, makes me a failure, I can't be here, I'm not going to be defeated.

"Hey there kiddo, my name's Ruby I'm gonna be your nurse for the morning, a different one is here during the night. I'm going check your vitals and if you're good then I'll let you request visitors. The two older men left after checking you in, they said something about knowing you needed time to accept being here and to forgive them for checking you in, but the young man who brought you is out in the waiting room he didn't want to leave until he knew You were okay." "Asher, his name is Asher I want him, I want just him no one else today, just him. Please." "I'll let people at the front desk know that you request no visitors except the young man out in the waiting room. So is he like your big brother? Best friend? Boy friend?" "He's my best friend and my boyfriend and well I guess he's all of the above." "How's he all of the above?" "He's all of the above because we're in band and that makes him family, band is a family, he's my best friend because he accepted me and we do this thing where upperclassmen claim freshmen, and he claimed me so we became super close, and he's my boyfriend because we fell in love." "Well I've never seen a man cry so hard for his girl before so either he's a sissy or he really loves you." "He isn't a sissy, he's the strongest man I know." "Then you better hold on to him tight girly cuz you won't ever find another man like him." "I'm never letting go." "I'm going to go tell him that you've requested to see him." "Okay thank you." "Your welcome kiddo."

I just want to lay with Ash. Just let me listen to his heart beat while he runs his fingers through my hair. I could spend hours like that. Just laying there with Asher. I'm excited.

*knock, knock*

"Hey beautiful." "Hey handsome."

I pat next to me indicating I want him to lay with me. He comes over and slips off his shoes and lays next to me. I lay my head on his chest and curl up next to him, he puts his arm around me pulling me close.

"So what you watching." "Eh. Nothing really. I just wanted the noise so I didn't feel so alone. You can change it if you want." "Nah. It's fine. I missed you."

He kisses my forehead and makes me smile and I position my self to where I'm nearly on top of him and he picks me up and let's me curl up on his chest, he raps both arms over me and I knew I was always going to be okay, I was safe.

"I love you Asher." "I love you too." "Ash I don't want you to worry about me, I'm going to be okay." "I know, you're so tough." "Yeah and I hear you're a bit of a big crybaby." "They didn't let me see you. They took my girl from me." "No one can ever take me from you. *Cough, cough, cough.*" "Anya are you okay should I get a doctor? A nurse?" "Asher it's just a cough, I'll be okay. *Cough, cough, cough*" "Anya I'm getting a doctor, I'm not letting you get sick again." "Ash everything's just fine *gag*." "Here, I'll stay and hold the bucket, but I'm pressing the nurse button."

*knock, knock*

"Hey, oh goodness is she getting sick? Asher your dad dropped off some clothes for you to change into, Anya he brought something for you too, but lets get you cleaned up first. Ash, I'm giving her a bath her dad said it was okay for you to help since she's more comfortable with you, and he has to learn trust his son." "Okay, I'll help her." "Come on Anya."

Anya's POV

My dad said Ash could bathe me. Wow! Who knew? I'm excited for my bath, but I also want to see what Ash's dad has in store for me. Let's get to it.

Ruby says "I'll give you time to get Anya undressed and in the bath and you sometime to freshen yourself up." Ash smiles and says "it won't take long cuz Anya likes my hair messy not styled, but she likes my mouth cleaned so I'll brush my teeth. All's I need is about 8 minutes to freshen up myself." "Alright but let's hip hop to it."

"Come here precious."

He carefully lifts me up and carries me to the bathroom. He runs the water hot, just how I like it, and fills the tub. He starts to shake when he traces his fingers down my cheek moving slowly down my neck slipping the sleeves of the gown of my shoulders and lets it fall to the floor. "You look so pretty." "Now it's your turn handsome." "I will when you're in the tub." He takes my hand in one of his and wraps the free arm around my waist so he provides support without uncomfortably touching me, although it's still weird, better him then some strange nurse I suppose. I sink into the warm water and let myself relax as Ash undressed and redressed himself. He was very muscular and had a strong structure, but it was strange seeing him without clothing, he's always in jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket keeping arms and legs covered. He was an extremely modest man unlike most men his age. I'm very proud to have him.

"Alright kiddo let's shampoo that head of hair you got there." "Ash?" "Yeah?" "You're going help me get outta here." "Anya, I don't think it's such a good idea, I mean you're super sick." "Ash I rather die saving the world then lie here dying knowing stuff that know one else does, but doing nothing to help." "Fine, I'll help get you outta here." "Good."