Crimson Mist ✔️

52: I hope they make you suffer.

"Just a warning, um," Michael says, and pauses a little to scratch the back of his head, "Tristan is trying to cook you dinner, but Tyler and I can go into town and grab some take away if you want. He's kind of freaking out about all this too, and he might need the trip."

I stare at my mate's chest, it's moving slowly, but evenly.

"Thanks," I whisper, before clearing my throat, "but I'm not really that hungry. You should go either way, though. He can come up here and sit with us if he wants to."

"He said he might do that later tonight."

I nod carefully, and take another sip of the tea.

We sit together in silence for a little while, before I reach out to grab Michael's hand. I might need it more than I thought, because when he starts rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand, I start crying again. My eyes flood with tears, and they rush down my cheeks quicker than before, but I don't say anything. He doesn't either, but I know he knows, because his grip on my hand just tightened.

I take another sip of warm tea and swallow it, before I start sobbing.

"Shh," Michael coo's me, and lets go of my hand. He gets up from his chair, takes my mug away and puts it down on the bedside table. He pulls me up from the chair, and sits down himself, before pulling me down onto his lap. He holds me tightly. "It's okay, Elle, I'm watching him. He's breathing, I promise."

His words makes it easier to close my eyes and cry into his shoulder. The blue blanket is covering both of us now, and he holds me tightly while keeping an eye on Jeremy's chest, and running his hands up and down my back soothingly.

I slowly calm down again, while listening to Jeremy's heartbeat, knowing Michael is watching his breathing. I'm still crying, but I'm gaining back control of it now, and I sniffle, before laying my cheek down on my best friend's shoulder.

"It's okay," he repeats, his hands still rubbing my back. "He's still here."

I nod carefully, and I don't even have words to describe how much I appreciate the subtle "he's still here", instead of "he's going to be okay", because no one knows for sure. The damage was really bad, and he lost so much blood. His body is healing, we know that, because Petra cut the back of his hand with a small knife to check after she finished with the witchcraft. It's still there, but it doesn't bleed, so his body knows how to heal, it just takes time.

I'm hopeful, but my heart is broken, and my mind is prepared to get lost if he doesn't wake up.

"Hi, guys," Petra's chipper voice says as she skips into the room, and rounds the bed.

I lift my head to watch what she's doing, but I don't say anything. I'm too focused on listening to his heart, and trying my best not to sob.

She sends me a smile, before wiggling her fingers above the bandage, until it lifts, and she bends down to look. She grimaces a little, and mutters some words, before wiggling her fingers again and the bandage lowers.

"I'll be back, I'm just gonna get some more potions," she says, and skips around the bed again, ruffling my hair with one hand as she skips past us and exits the room just as quickly and quietly as she entered.

I sniffle again, and get up from Michael's lap. He lets me go, but holds onto my hand and gets up too, putting the blue blanket into the chair before it falls down to the floor. He doesn't let go of my hand. I can tell he's reluctant, but I feel like I have to get closer.. I sit down on the side of the bed, and reach for Jeremy's hand with my free one, lacing our fingers together, and holding it tightly, while fighting the tears that are once again threatening to run down my cheeks.