Escape from reality - a Bruno Mars FanFic

Chapter 26

Carmen’s POV

We had been thrown to the ground and my vision went blurry, my hearing patchy and I felt like I was going in and out of consciousness but wasn’t sure. I could hear Bruno shouting for me but he sounded so far away and I tried to shout back but no words came out my mouth.  I felt myself getting picked up – arms that were not his and they ran with me down the hallway – I sensed Bruno was following close behind and that’s the last thing I really remember before coming round god knows how long later.

Bruno: “Carmen sweetheart I need you to wake up for me”

His voice sounded tearful, shaky, worried.

Bruno: “Please Carmen, squeeze my hand or try to blink or give me a sign that you can hear me”

I tried to move like he told me and I swear I did! But then I heard…

Bruno: “She’s not responding… why won’t she respond to me?”

Brandon: “Bruno she took a hell if a fall when the bomb went off… Her body is trying to repair itself, she’ll respond when she’s ready”

“But I AM responding! Jesus someone realise!” I tried to scream, but it was a silent scream inside my mind.

Suddenly Bruno shouted…

Bruno: “Oh my GOD she moved her hand, did you see it? Please tell me you saw it”

Lieutenant: “Son I think you’re seeing things because you want to – you need to be patient”

Bruno: *ignoring everyone* “Baby if you can hear me please can you move your hand again?”

I moved my hand – well I tried to…

Bruno: “See she did move it I knew it! Baby please come back to me -  please!”

I tried my hardest to open my eyes – I really struggled for a good few minutes but I finally managed to open an eye, then the other – I blinked at the bright lights, struggling to focus.

Bruno: “There’s my beautiful girl with those gorgeous eyes”

I struggled to focus on him…

Carmen: “Bruno? Baby?”

Bruno: “I’m here darling what do you need?”

Carmen: “My eyes won’t focus… and I need a drink of water please”

Bruno: “Your eyes should adjust darling and *yelling* can I get some water over here?”

Seconds later there was a cold glass brought to my lips and I drank gratefully.  Bruno moved so he was sitting next to me, arm round my back supporting me and sitting me up.

Bruno: “Better?”

Carmen: “Yeah much better thank you, but my eyes still wont focus”

Lieutenant: “Mind if I take a look in your eyes Carmen? I am medically trained”

Carmen: “Lieutenant Flaxen: “

Lieutenant: “Yes Ma’am – may I?”

I nodded my head in agreement and I felt Bruno scoot closer to me to support me. I saw a bright light in the distance and he brought it closer.

Lieutenant: “I am going to be shining the optical light in your eyes now, it may hurt a bit because of the brightness though”

Carmen: “That’s fine – I’m used to eye tests”

The light came in and it did hurt a bit but I quickly got used to it. The lieutenant asked me to focus forward, look to the left, to the right, up and down and then to just move my eyes randomly.  After a few minutes he spoke with his preliminary diagnosis…

Lieutenant: “Right Carmen, good news and bad news. The good news is we can clear your eyes, bad news is we need a hospital at some point because we can only do a basic wash out here and I want more specialist equipment to really diagnose and clean out the dust, debris and a THINK there may be a shard of glass stuck in each eye. Just try not to over blink and we’ll get you there as soon as we can.”

Carmen: “So I will see properly again?”

Lieutenant: “As long as we get you treatment. I’d like to do a basic eye rinse here if we may?”

I agreed and Bruno helped me get up – I ached all over and I struggled to imagine a time when I didn’t ache. I assume they took me to a bathroom as the outlines I could see seemed familiar.  The Lieutenant took me to the sink and unwrapped an eye wash station kit, fully washed out my eyes and I have to admit it did sooth them, albeit temporarily.  My vision became slightly more defined and clear so I could see Bruno a bit more when he was up close but I still struggled long distance.

Over the next few minutes I was sat down and told what had happened – what had caused the explosion.  Someone had delivered a package to the offices and it hadn’t been screened properly – they suspected an inside man was in on the plan.  There was no doubt that Steven was behind the bomb and that scared the living shit out of me because he nearly killed us – and although the security guys had done their best, they hadn’t been able to see this happening.  Luckily the bomb blast was fairly small and only shut down a small part of the offices; most of them didn’t even know what had happened. It just so happens that we were very close to the blast when it happened, hence being thrown to the floor.

5 hours later, 4 of those being spent at the local hospital, the Lieutenant and his team escorted us back to Bruno’s so he could grab Geronimo, some stuff and then we went to Brandon’s, it seemed safer that way.  My vision was a hell of a lot better but still wasn’t perfect – and that bugged me to hell as it threw my coordination off and made me bump into everything that was just out of sight – I already had bruising and didn’t need any more! Bruno was helping me take off my jacket and scarf when Brandon suddenly shouted…

Brandon: “Carmen, that bruise, in fact bruises PLURAL are not from earlier…”

Carmen: “Blame your boy over there”

Bruno: “You snitch!”

Carmen: “How else can we explain it?”

Brandon: “Oh god my little sister is having sex with my boy!”

Carmen: “To be fair y’all already knew that boss!”

Brandon: “I tried not to believe it!”

Carmen: “Well believe it!”

Bruno: “I feel very awkward right now!”

Carmen: “Right in the name of saving face and further cringes and blushes, I need a long bath – Someone help me upstairs?”

Bruno: “I’m there with ya baby!”

Brandon: “Because THAT statement saves blushes!”

Carmen: “Dirty mind”

Bruno: “C’mon Princess – you need to relax…”

We headed upstairs, slowly because of my eyes and while I got changed, Brandon ran me a bath and left me and Bruno in peace. Sinking into that warm soapy water was quite possibly the best feeling in the world at that moment. Bruno sat nearby, holding my hand, helping me rinse my hair and stuff, then he jumped in the shower to clean off while I just soaked my aching muscles and bones.  Brandon called upstairs saying he was ordering takeaway – time to go and TRY to eat something although I really didn’t want to at that moment.