The Neighbours Next Door

Nineteen

Hayden's POV (from now onwards)

The room was dark and I could only make out the faint, red, bobbing line of the heart monitor. I tried to move my hand up to the itch on my nose but everything ached. The low mumble of traffic outside the window made it clear that it wasn't daytime, it was too slow and unenergetic (a/n - like me irl). I pulled out the wire sticking out of my hand and disconnected myself from everything that was restraining me. The heart monitor slowed until it was completely switched off, I just needed to get home or to someone that I knew. The door has the key lodged in the lock so all I needed to do was twist it and I was free. It suddenly all came back to me. I was in a car crash..sort of. Ethan's car burst into flames. I remembered the sensation, the flames overtaking every part of my body and the desperation of getting out of the car. I followed the signs that led me towards the lift; I don't know why there were barely any staff members around but I didn't care, it made my escape easier. The ceiling lights flickered and a flew bulbs blew. It was something out of a horror movie.

"Hey! You should be in bed." A nurse whisper-shouted to get me to hear but to prevent other patients from waking up. "Come here, Hayden." I broke into a jog, trying to get as far away as I could.

"Stay away, I want to go home." I cried back. With each tear, the burns on my face stung and blistered. With each step I took, a light would go out. Suddenly, a posse of doctors assisted the nurse in chasing me down the hallways. "No! Please, I need to see Ethan." I was expecting the worst, finding Ethan in hospital as well. I knew that my burns were worse than whatever he faced but he didn't deserve pain or hurt. He was pure, precious and so special. I turned a sharp corner and fell straight onto my shins. The feeling was indescribable; imagine a 10 out of 10 coursing through your blood at an alarming rate; imagine someone repeatedly branding you with a hot iron on every inch of your body. That was the feeling. The fall slowed me down and I was being carried back to my private room to be yet again wired up. They were treating me as if I was a part of the machine.

"You must stay put, Hayden."

"This is all for your benefit, Hayden."

"Please, keep quiet, Hayden."

"Get Ethan." I grabbed the only male nurse's hand before he walked out. "Call Ethan and get him to come here, I need to speak to him."

"But it's 3 in the morning, he needs his rest just like you." He sounded as if he was scared of me, like I was crazy or that I would attack him if he said the wrong thing, To be fair, I wouldn't blame him. My face was covered in burns and scabs and my eyes had a tendency to change colour during or after a crying session.

"Please, you don't know how much it would mean." The poor guy rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine, give me his number and I'll make a quick phone call, My break is in a few minutes, I'll do it then." I smiled, even though it hurt a little. "I'll have to sneak him in, you realise? It's not visiting hours." He laughs and placed the hand that I was holding him with, down beside me.

"Thank you." He wasn't wearing his name badge so I just left it at that. "Thank you." He left the room and I shut my eyes. I wasn't usually one to cause commotion or noise so the whole shenanigans of running down the hallway was totally new. But I liked this new. I had world's shortest power nap and woke up to the sound of my room's door being opened. It was the nurse from before and Ethan, looking rather tired, behind him. "Ethan?" My voice was hoarse and rough, I had to cough to sort it out.

"Hayden?" Ethan's voice was starting to break from crying. The nurse left but gave Ethan the key to the room to lock up after. "I'm so sorry."

"Ethan, how were you supposed to know? It's okay. I am still alive." I held out my arms from Ethan to hug me but he was hesitant. "What?"

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"A little but it would hurt more if you didn't hug me right now." He smiled timidly and wrapped me in his arms. He was wearing his purple sweater that I would usually steal and it smelt of our bed in LA. "Come here." I scooted over in the bed and made some room for him to rest beside me.

"You know, Georgie is super angry at me for doing this to you. She was worried that you weren't going to make it. Have you talked to her yet?"

"No, why?" I could tell that he was hiding something; he was doing that weird thing with his mouth where he tries to keep a straight face but ends up biting the insides of his cheeks. 

"Georgie was talking to her parents." How long was I out for? "They are in Brazil with this kid they adopted and they want Georgie to move in. I have already told Gray and they are going to sort it out."

"I'm happy for her, it's not my choice." I really didn't want Georgie to get screwed over yet again because her parents were so on and off with her. Especially with another kid, they could easily forget about her. "Just hold me." I whispered and pulled his arm over my stomach. "I just want to get away from everyone and go on that date you were going to take me on."

"Oh, yeah. That would've been really fun. I promise you that we will go on that as soon as you get out of here. But we'll go in a different form of vehicle." We both laughed and I don't know how long the silence lasted but we eventually fell asleep entangled in each other.

A/N

Only 2 more weeks left of school, I have officially promised myself that I am going to skive (not go in) on the last day. It's sports day so if I go I'll be forced into some form of running. To be fair, I am super proud of myself because yesterday I did a 4.5 mile run (7 point something km) for charity and completed it without dying. Anyways, just a short note today because I really want to rematch all The Hobbit movies at the same time because I am a nerd like that.

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From Pia :]