Three Gangs and a Silver Sin

Chapter 79, The world, the world

Before I knew what was happening, I noticed someone scooping me up. I couldn't feel them, but I knew I was being taken to a car. 

Through the fog of my memory, I remember looking up and suddenly seeing emerald eyes... Xavier's eyes. He was carrying me bridal style - tears threatening as he talked on the phone with someone. Doctors. 

Blake and Owen was with in the car... Next to me, but... But I was lying down on Xavier's lap. I was being help by arms that made me feel safe for an explainable reason. 

We got to the house and I was relying on just a few senses. The sound of everyone begging me to stay was clear. But I knew that if I stayed, I'd fall to darkness. I didn't want to be that girl.

I heard machines spring to life as Xavier gently placed me down on a bed. The beep-beep-beep of a heart monitor awakened. I wondered whether it should've sound so slow.

"The metal-thingy grazed her thump-thump. She doesn't have long," Uncle Anton said.

"You mean the bullet got her heart?" Xavier asked.

My hearing started to fail me. The beep-beep-beep disappearing further and further. It's was dark and numb and still in there. I felt so empty and full. So alone and crowded. Like my flesh and organs and thoughts didn't have any room for me anymore. And as my blood trickled out of my body, so did I.

The last thing I heard was the high pitched beep that came from the heart monitor. How it was longer than the others. How it didn't stop. How it just seemed to stay in an infinite loop. 

Beeeeeeeeeep...

I push myself to remember more. To see past the fog. To hear past the blur of nothing. Snippets get to me and I have no idea what to make of them.

Someone was talking. Through my coma, I heard someone talk.

"I wish you didn't jump in front of Blake... Marigold, I swear I wouldn't have killed him... I would've given him a simple wound that would heal. It would've been enough to merge you. Why didn't those sleeping pills affect you sooner? Why did everything have to turn out the way it did?"

"You're probably wondering why I went through all this trouble to try and merge West and East with Sterling. Believe me Marigold when I say it was my only choice. I need West and East to merge with Sterling and then North to bind with your gang, because the South... The South has been planning to take everyone out for years... I tried reasoning with Blake and Owen, but they didn't listen. No matter how much I begged."

" I hated begging. It reminded me of the orphanage when I had to beg the older kids to leave me alone. But I did it... for this world... And it's for this world, I've put you in a coma."

"Please wake up... Please...."

"It's not even for the merge at this point anymore. I need you to wake up, because that girl I saw digging for earthworms... That golden universe with her silver stars... she can't possibly leave this world... I can't see a point of saving a world without you in it, Marigold."

"Can I tell you a secret? Not many people know, but you have my heart. And your uncle's heart that didn't fit into your chest, is now mine. I'm sorry about that. Our blood is mixed now. And do you know what that means? There are three types of bonds in gangs. A bond by born blood, bound blood and vowed blood - marriage. Bound blood is the second strongest bond there is. We are bound, Marigold. Bound by blood. My blood flows in you. Your blood flows in me. You are the North's co-leader."

"We are equal."

"But I'm not going to tell you that when you wake up. You hate me. If you know my rotten heart is in your chest, you'll hate me even more. Besides, telling you won't feel right. I don't want you to marry me because of that. Am I delusional for wanting you to marry me, because perhaps one day, you love me? Or just like me..."