We Loved

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THE ANESTHETIC holds Leah in an embrace, speaking in a hush, telling her it's alright, that sleep is a beautiful escape. It slithers into her as she breathes, dwells inside, surrounding her consciousness, slowing down her heart and drowns her in itself, stealing her from the world.

I have become an animal constantly hovering over my mate, or my cub, I am almost confusing them. A shadow, following her wherever she goes, because I know; she'll disappear if I ever look away. Her features soften in sleep, diverting far from earlier, when she lost it, kicking and screaming. No one is able to explain to me what happened. The only thing I know for certain is that whatever happened has wrecked my nerves.

She's as peaceful as the dead in the white bed, with only a continuous bling, the faint flush in her cheeks, and the slow rising up of her chest to tell that she's alive. Her head is wrapped, but leaves her brown unkempt hair reaching just below her shoulder, frizzy and tangled, resting around the bruises on her face.

“Noah,” My friend's voice sounds, startling me out of my daze. I turn to David and nod.

He watches me, eyes switching between mine, hands fidgeting. I sigh at the anticipation of another bad news, my head is too heavy, I almost urge him to go on with it when he opens his mouth again.

‟Look.” He places a hand between us taking a deep breath. ‟She doesn't remember anything, so...” he trails off.

‟So?” I frown, getting where this is going, too tired to admit it.

‟Something might have happened."

Of course. I am not delusional, I didn't want to hold on to false hope. I knew, know, it's possible. It's a thought that has rotten in my mind since day one. It screamed in my head every day, every hour, every second and occupied all my prayers.

‟We still need to have her S.A.F.E. tested.”

I can only imagine what I will do to the guy behind all this once I find him. I can only dream of his blood and the sight of him butchered up. Whether something happened or not, he still took her. For whatever reason, one I can't care less for. Once I get my hands on this man, I'll risk my neck for his.

“Calm down.” A pat on the shoulder pulls me out of my thoughts. “We still don't know if something really happened, yet.”

I nod multiple times, both assuring David and myself.

He gets a call, purses his lips, and strides out nodding and mumbling.

I seat myself on her bed and hold her hand gently pushing away the hair from her face, a privilege I won't have when she's awake. The back of my fingers trail over her cheek, over the bruises and rough scratches, making me wish I could channel to her all my affection through my touch. Leaning closer, my lips brush against her forehead, making me itch to hold her close and keep her in my arms. But I slowly retreat and I make my way to the couch instead.

The moment my body rests on it, the past sleepless nights take their toll on me. Heaviness weighs me down. It's early dawn, I can barely catch a few hours of sleep. I take a deep breath, embracing the exhaustion eating away my worries.

,

,

Light burns through my eyelids. I frown and squeeze my eyes. Shielding my face with my arm, I open them into a squint, blinking multiple times as they quickly make their way onto the bed.

Her fragile figure laying on the bed erases all my fears of it all being a dream. Reality can't touch me now, she really is here. The nurse injecting something into her tube confirms it.