Devil's Backbone (Muke)

25

Michael still isn't there the next morning. I try to call him, but I guess his phone is dead. Oh well, he'll be home soon enough.

I get up and deal with my morning sickness. After brushing my teeth and hair, I take a warm bubble bath. I shave, wash my hair, and exfoliate my entire body. When I'm finished, I watch the water drain before I dry off.

I put lotion all over my body and wash my face. My stomach starts to growl, so I skip downstairs and open the fridge. There's still leftover pizza, so I pull out a couple of slices and set them on a plate. Not bothering to heat them up, I go into the living room and put in The Breakfast Club. As it starts, I begin eating my breakfast.

When the movie ends, I've still got the house to myself. Twice more I try to call Michael. He doesn't answer either time.

I occupy myself by finishing up the novel I've been reading. Then, I bake cookies and clean the kitchen. When it's spotless, I eat a couple of the cookies.

Michael still isn't back by one in the afternoon. I make some grilled cheese for lunch. I eat it with slow bites and go upstairs to my room.

There's nothing to do. The laundry is done, I've finished all my books, and I've eaten. The house is clean and I don't feel like watching a movie.

Instead of finding something productive to do, I curl up in bed under the massive blanket. After calling Michael once more, and not being answered, I decide to take a nap. It isn't long until I'm asleep.

The sound of my phone going off wakes me up three hours later. The first time, I don't realize what it is, so I ignore it. When it starts ringing a second time, I sit up and grab my phone. A number that I don't recognize is on my screen.

"Hello?" I answer, my voice coming out as a croak since I just woke up.

"Is this Luke? Michael's fiance?" And unfamiliar voice asks.

I try to place a name to the voice, but I'm stumped. I don't know who they are. Or how they know who I am, for that matter.

"Yes, who is this?" I question, clearing my throat.

"My name is Ryan. I'm a friend of Michael's," he informs me.

My heart sinks. There's a reason this dude named Ryan is calling me, and Michael isn't. There's no way this can be a good thing.

"Oh. Hi, Ryan," I try my best to sound polite. Really, I just want to know where my fiance is.

"Hey."

I frown, wanting to know what's going on. Finally, I decide to ask.

"Where's Michael? Is he okay?"

"Look, I need to talk to you. Ashton gave me your number and told me to contact you before anyone else," he says. Oh no.

"Okay. What's wrong?" I question, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth.

It's quiet on the other end of the line. Ryan stays silent for so long that I think we've been disconnected. Just as I'm checking, he clears his throat.

"Michael fell asleep here last night. He didn't wake up until this morning, and he started freaking out about getting home to you. So, he was in a rush to leave," he sighs.

"And?" I prompt. My nerves are going crazy and I fidget around.

"Are you sitting down?" Ryan asks.

"Yes," I state.

It's silent for another two seconds.

"He was leaving, and I'm not exactly sure what happened. I hear a loud bang, and me and a couple of buddies went running outside to see what happened. At first, it didn't make sense..." He pauses and I hear a faint groan.

"What happened?"

It isn't what I think. Please don't be what I'm thinking. It can't be. He promised me.

"He's been shot, Luke. I don't know by who, or why, but he got shot in the chest. We just got to the hospital. You might want to get here."

He gives me the name of a hospital that's ten minutes away. I hang up and put some tennis shoes on. I grab my keys, phone, and wallet.

I'm there in seven minutes. Not wasting any time, I rush up to his room. 223. Once there, I push the door open and see two strangers. Ethan is there, and so are Ashton and Calum.

"Luke..." Ashton says. I step forward and shut the door behind me. It takes a lot for me to look at Michael.

He's unconscious. There's a clear tube under his nose, and the beats on the pulse monitor seem to be sluggish. He's wearing a hospital gown, but I can still see the sterile white bandage sticking out to his neck. He's paler than normal, too.

"Oh, god," I whisper.

"This is Ryan, and this is Ella, our friend," Ethan informs me. I wave to the two, not saying a word and not taking my eyes off of Michael.

For about five minutes, we're all silent. When I can force my gaze off of him, I look at Ashton.

"Is he going to be okay?" I ask.

They all look at each other. My heart stops and my stomach aches. There's no way this is happening. He has to be okay.

Ashton steps forward and places a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"We don't know. It isn't looking good, to be honest. He's lost a lot of blood and they'll have to do surgery in a couple of hours to get the bullet out," he tells me.

The door opens and a nurse walks in. She checks Michael's vitals and puts an IV in his arm.

"Excuse me," I clear my throat.

She looks at me. "Yes?"

"Do you know the chances of him surviving this?" I question.

She looks to the ground for a second, then back to me.

"I'm so sorry, dear. Probability is... not good. We don't think he'll make it out of this," she says.

Everything around me starts to fade out as the nurse leaves.

"Luke?" Someone asks.

I blink twice, trying to clear my head.

"Luke?"

That's when everything goes black.