Healed my Cuts

Don't Die on Me

::CHAPTER 7::

Just close your eyes. The sun is going down. You'll be alright. No one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound.

I wake up.

I sit up and check my iPhone. It's about 5:30. I see I have a missed call.

I decide to listen to the voicemail.

"Slater, I need to *cough cough* I gotta tell you something..."

Darek...

"Slater, I don't know if I'm gonna live...or how long... Slater, I need you. *cough cough* If I don't make it, I need you yo know...that *cough* I love you. You are the most beautiful, caring, tough, amazing person I've ever met. I just need you with me..."

The voicemail stops and I throw my phone across the room.

"WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE SO HARD?!" I shout at the top of my lungs.

I open my window and climb down the wall.

I jump down and roll down the hill into the street. I quickly run out of the way of a taxi.

I sprint to the hospital and run to Darek's hospital room.

I swing the door open. "Darek?"

He's not there.

"Darek!" I shout. I fall to my knees and sob.

I hear a gentle voice.

"Excuse me?"

I turn around.

A lady with pink scrubs with flowers on them stands at the door.

"Huh?"

"Are you looking for Darek...James?" She checks her clipboard.

"Yeah."

"He's in the Intensive Care Unit."

My mind goes blank. All I hear is my beating heart, which stops.

I feel a grab at my shoulder.

I hear Darek's name being repeated loudly.

I realize I'm sprinting to the ICU, calling his name.

"Miss! Stop!" The lady stops me.

"I-I can't! I need to see him! He...He...needs me!!!" I try to pull away.

She turns me around.

"It'll be okay."

"No. No, it won't." I sprint to the ICU.

"Wait!" I hear her voice fading as I get farther.

I burst through the doors and find Darek.

I swing the door open and sit at his bed.

"Darek! Darek...please!" I beg.

"Slater...*cough cough cough* I'll be alright."

I fall to me knees. "Darek, stop! Don't do this to me! Please!"

He shifts over and lifts my chin.

He starts singing a song that I've only ever heard one other time, but made me cry when I did.

Taylor Swift will do that to you, I guess.

"I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go."

I shake my head.

"When all those shadows almost killed your light."

I hear the pity and sorrow in his beautiful voice.

"I remember you said 'don't leave me here alone.' But all that's gone and dead and past tonight."

He sits at the edge of his bed and I stand up. He's as taller than me just sitting.

"Just close your eyes. The sun is going down. You'll be alright. No one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe...*cough* and...*cough* sound."

I hear a continuous beep. It doesn't stop.

No! Please! Don't do it!

Darek kisses me with his dying breath and falls into my arms.

"Darek, you're scaring me!" I lift his head.

He's not breathing.

"Darek! Wake up! Please! Darek!"

A group of doctors come in and commence CPR.

One takes a defibrillator and shouts,"CLEAR!"

He presses the metal boxes against his chest.

"Go." The lady with the pink scrubs says.

"NO! DAREK! DAREK!" I shout as she closes the door on me.

I pound on the door and fall to my knees, my head against the door.

I pound once more and leave my fist on the wood.

"Darek, please. Don't you die on me." I whisper.

I stand up and walk home.

I open the door and run up to my bedroom.

"Honey, what happened?" Mom asks.

"Nothing." I grumble.

"Sweetie, please. Talk to me."

"IT'S NOTHING, MOM! I just...I need to be alone, where I can't hurt anyone." I run up to my room.

I pull my knife out of the wall and cut away at my arm.

Blood stains the carpet and forms a puddle.

I hold a shirt up to my arm to stop the bleeding.

I go through about 6 shirts and, finally, my arm stops bleeding.

I fall onto the bloody carpet and sob.