THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

CHAPTER SIX: REWRITE THE STARS

WHEN THE BRAVE female came out with P. T. in her arms, tears streamed down my cheek. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand in shock. The lady gently set him on the ground and I knelt next to my unconscious boyfriend.
I put two fingers on the side of his neck to feel his pulse. Thankfully, he was still alive. But his breathing was shallow. I felt a hand on my shoulder and it squeezed my shoulder. I tried to stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks but I can't.
"It's okay, Philip," Anne muttered into my ear. "He'll be okay. He's strong."
I nodded and wiped my eyes. It seemed as if it were yesterday when I first met P. T. and when he offered me to be his apprentice/partner. And now...he's laying on the ground with a possible chance he may die from smoke inhalation.
Paramedics jogged down the street and arrived. They knelt in front of P. T. and started to give him oxygen and get him all bandaged up. I gulped. It was hard for me to see him like this.
Anne helped me up and I let out a shaky breath. How...we didn't he come out when he had the chance? The paramedics put him on the stretcher and carried him out. I watched them leave, sniffing.
"It'll be okay," Anne promised. "We're family. And we don't leave family behind."
"Why did he do that? Why didn't he come out when he had the chance?" I sniffed.
Anne shrugged.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A few days after the fire incident, I head down to the hospital. I checked in at the front desk and slowly walked into P. T.'s hospital room. A lump formed in my throat when I saw him.
He was all bruised up. Cuts were on his cheek and soot on his face. His eyes were closed. He was still unconscious.
I pulled up a chair and sat next him, running my fingers through his hair. I tried to keep them from falling but I can't. Tears streamed down my cheeks again. I laid my head on P. T.'s chest and sobbed.
His heart was still beating. Which was good sign. I continued to sob until I heard his voice.
"Philip...?" He groaned.
I smiled widely and sobbed even more, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.
"Phil...why are you crying...? Where am I...? What happened...?" P. T. groaned.
"You're alive! I was so worried about you! The circus...it went on fire and y-you were still in there...but a woman rescued you...the paramedics said you were going to possibly d-die from smoke inhalation..." I was sobbing hysterically now.
P. T. rested a hand on my cheek, wiping my tears with his thumb. He smiled softly, wincing as he did so.
"Shhh, it's okay," he soothed. "I'm right here. You're okay. I'm okay."
I bite my lip. "I was so scared. I thought you were going to die!"
We brushed our noses against each other's.
"Who's this woman who rescued me?" P. T. asked.
"I don't know...I think she said her name was Charity," I answered.
"Tell her I said thank you when you get the chance if I'm not there, okay Phil?"
I nodded. And more tears fell. The thought of him dying still haunted me.
"You know I want you," P. T. sang softly. I looked back up at him, sniffing. "It's not a secret to try to hide. I know you want me, so don't keep saying our hands our tied."
I tilted my head. "P. T. ...I do want you...I am with you. What are you talking about?"
P. T. shushed me and he continued to sing.
"You claim it's not in the cards, fate is pulling you miles away. And out of reach from me, but you're here in my heart. So who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny?
"What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine! Nothing could keep us apart,
You'd be the one I was meant to find. It's up to you, and it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be, so why don't we rewrite the stars? Maybe the world could be ours. Tonight."
I smiled and so does P. T. He nodded his head, urging me to sing. I guess after being asleep so long he wanted to hear my beautiful voice. I nodded back.
"You think it's easy. You think I don't want to run to you. But there are mountains, and there are doors that we can't walk through. I know you're wondering why because we're able to be just you and me within these walls. But when we go outside, you're going to wake up and see that it was hopeless after all," I sang.
"No one can rewrite the stars! How can you say you'll be mine? Everything keeps us apart! And I'm not the one you were meant to find! It's not up to you, it's not up to me. When everyone tells us what we can be. How can we rewrite the stars? Say that the world can be ours, tonight."
A nurse smiled softly at us she grabbed P. T.'s tray and walked off. I leaned in to kiss him, but we continued to sing instead.
"All I want is to fly with you! All I want is to fall with you! So just give me all of you!" We both sang.
"It feels impossible!" P. T. sang. I shook my head.
"It's not impossible!" I sang back. "Is it impossible? Say that it's possible!"
"How do we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine? Nothing can keep us apart!
'Cause you are the one I was meant to find! It's up to you, and it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be and why don't we rewrite the stars? Changing the world to be ours..." Our voices get softer.
"You know I want you," I whispered. "It's not a secret I try to hide, but I can't have you.
We're bound to break and my hands are tied."
I kiss him. It was a deep kiss that seemed as if it was going to last forever.