Halos and Heartache

Chapter 7

"What the hell are you talking about, Chetri?" Wynonna stands and starts to walk towards him. 

"Her angel wings, they tore them out. She must have figured out how to expand them and the-they tore them out." He stutters, his voice is shaky. 

Wynonna turns around to look at me. Our eyes meet and it is clear there is nothing to say. 

"Can we save her?" Wynonna whispers.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, tears roll down my cheeks. 

"If we bandage these wounds, she might make it. But, her 'powers', they're gone." Jeremy's voice is quiet and shrinks even more as he finishes his sentence. 

"Doc, Jeremy, and I got this. You two go sit down." Dolls orders, grabbing a wet washcloth to hand to Doc. 

"Hell no, we are not leaving." I say for both Wynonna and I, knowing that we were both thinking the same thing. 

"Then hold her hands, comfort her, but stay out of the way."

Wynonna and I take each of her hands. Wynonna rests it against her forehead, almost as if she's praying. I kiss Waverly's hand repeatedly, whispering for her to please be okay. 

After what seems like an eternity, the boys have her completely bandaged. We carefully move her to the couch, setting her in an upright position in an attempt to avoid further damage to her back. We all gather around her. 

"So her 'powers' are just, gone?" Wynonna asks. 

"I'm afraid so, there's no way to reverse it either. What's done is done." Jeremy responds, his voice is hoarse.

Doc takes Wynonna's hands as she holds back tears. 

"Does that mean that she can- she can- you know?" Wynonna says between tears.

"Yes," Jeremy responds between tears of his own "Yes, she isn't protected from death anymore. She could pass away."

The silence in the room becomes deafening. Everyone gazes upon her pale body, thinking about every time she has ever saved them and every word they have ever spoken. As the night progresses, Dolls and Jeremy decide to set up the sleeping areas for everyone, Doc and Wynonna in her bed, Dolls in mine and Waverly's and Jemery on a blow-up mattress next to Dolls. I ask Wynonna if she would trust me watching Waverly overnight, she gives me a soft smile.

Everyone has gone to bed, leaving just Waverly and I. 

I sit beside her on the couch, rubbing her hand gently with my thumb, trying to take in all her beauty. I place gentle kisses on her hand, silently begging for her to wake up. 

"Hi."

I look up, meeting Waverly's eyes. She's alive. Holy shit, she's alive.

I keep myself from jumping towards her, instead leaning forward as gentle as I can and placing a kiss on her lips. I rest my forehead against hers, my eyes filling with tears, I whisper:

"God, I missed you, Waverly Earp."