Wicked Exertion

Chapter 10

I managed to make my wobbly legs travel the small distance from the side of the road to the car. Just like Cecilia had instructed, I locked myself in. But one thing I didn't do was check if Ash was still breathing, or had a pulse.

I tried by swallowing the lump in my throat, and slowly getting ready to put two fingers on his neck, hoping for a beat.

But I couldn't do it.

I pulled my hand back again, and fiddled with a ring on my finger.

He'd be alive anyway–there's no way the injury was that fatal.

I decided to unlock my phone and looked at the dozens of messages that Alex had sent me. I had not-so-sneakily texted him a couple of days ago. But Ash had caught me doing so, and almost confiscated my phone.

I had to remind him that it was my summer break–it wouldn't be fair to take everything away from me. It was a bit of an exaggeration from me, but he gave in and just wanted me to promise that I wouldn't do it again.

Alex and I barely had a conversation. I only asked him how he was, and he didn't even have a chance to send me a text back. The messages he were sending me now must've been confused replies.

I looked at Ash's still body, and the space in the small car began to feel as if they were closing in on me. I felt as though there was no air left; no oxygen to breathe, meaning I could die any second.

Flashes of my mom on the hospital bed on the last weeks of her life came to me. Her skin pale, with the veins on both her face and body bulging out. Her eyes drained of any emotion left in her.

She had told me once before she passed that she felt numb. She said that she never thought it was possible to feel nothing else but the feeling of absolutely nothing at all, for many days straight.

She'd told me not to cry, because even though she would be very sad to leave me and Ash, that she's happy to be out of some sort of misery that she was in. It was just like in the movies when someone who's about to die telling people who love them to not be sad–but that'd be impossible.

A waterfall of salty tears raced down my cheeks, all the disheveled grief and stress coming out at once. My chest began aching. I stared at the floor of the car for God knows how long, before a tap came on the car window.

Hoping it was Cecilia, I turned beside me, and thankfully it was. I unlocked the door, and stepped outside. I didn't bother wiping the tears off–I just let my blurry vision gape at Ash, as I didn't want to look at Cecilia.

"Oh, Hyacinth." Cecilia gasped, pulling me into a hug. My frail arms raised a bit, to be polite enough to return her embrace. "It's going to be alright. I'll always be here for you." She whispered.

"He's my family," I choked out, before hysterically sobbing. I'd never been sensitive my entire life, but changed the moment my mom was declared sick.

"If anything happens–and it won't–you will have me. I won't just leave you, alright?"

"I didn't check his pulse. But he's–he's supposed to be the least bit conscious by now... He's not, though. He hasn't moved one bit."

"I'm sure everything's fine," Cecilia assured, her voice shaking as well.

Sounds of sirens mixed with me sniffling, and people talking gave me a headache. Behind me, I saw the familiar motel clerk talking to a police officer. He must've called them and an ambulance.

Paramedics were rushing into the car and got Ash on a stretcher. I looked at his face, and by a miracle I never thought would occur, he stirred slightly.

Ash raised his head upward a little and widened his eyes as far as they could go in such a state. His chocolate eyes were locked on mine.

"Hyacinth?" He wanted to say, but ended up mouthing instead.

I walked over to him, but a nurse had already came to Cecilia and I. "Would you like to come into the ambulance with us?" The nurse asked.

Cecilia put her hand on the small of my back. "You can go, Hyacinth. I'll get a ride with Finn, the clerk. We'll meet there, okay?"

I nodded and followed the nurse inside, right after they put Ash in. 

Looking at the bunch of people working tools and machines on him made me realize that maybe I did care and love my stepfather. He was rather annoying most times but he was all I got.

I was stuck with him, and despite everything, I knew he'd take care of me.