Steele
I woke to a dull beeping noise, a warm hand enclosing my own, and a searing pain in my chest
"Wh-whats going on...?" I gasped, grabbing my chest as more pain shot through me
"Oh Steele!" I heard two female voices gasp, as my mother and Kelly stepped in to view
"What happened? Where am I?" I demanded, ignoring the throb
"Your in the hospital, I'll call the doctor and your mother can explain." Kelly smiled gently, resting her hand on my arm as tears fell from her eyes "I'm glad your okay." She whispered, resting her hand on my arm in that motherly-way. I missed, watching as she pressed the button before stepping outside
"What do you remember?" My mother asked me quietly, her voice thick
"I remember going to sleep with Ace....and then....and then I remember her father bursting in yelling about a barn fire. Ace and I ran outside, and then....and then I can't remember! Mom why can't I remember?! Where's Ace?!" I yelled, fighting to sit up, the pain bringing black dots before my eyes
"Honey-" she was cut off by a doctor walking in
"Good afternoon, Mr. Grahms." He smiled
"No, just-just wait. Where is Ace, mom?! What happened?! Why isn't she here?!" I demanded, becoming frantic as I reached over and shut the button on the annoying beeping machine
"Son, calm down." The doctor tried ordering
"WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?!" I roared, tears starting to fill my eyes
"Right now, we need to worry about you." The doctor told me, no longer calm
"No. I don't talk until one of you tells me where she is, and what happened." I snapped, glaring at the man only a few years older than myself. He sighed, tossing his clipboard on a small counter before crossing his arms and motioning towards my mother to explain
"Molly was in the barn," she started, and right away I knew
"She ran inside...." I whispered, feeling my heart clench and my stomach drop
"Yes, she did. You ran in after her. The firemen said they found you holding Aces hand, a bandana around you face, and bandanas covering the lower half of Aces face and Molly's nose." She explained, and it all snapped back into my mind
Timber cracked around me, and a board from the loft floor fell, landing right beside me
"Ace!" I yelled, the bandana muffling my voice. Half burned horses were laying in stalls, fire licking around crators it'd burned into their bodies. Flinching at the smell, I hurried on, trying to find Ace. After checking 8 more stalls.
"Steele, you need to calm down!" My mother screamed, shaking my arm. The room was feeling small, like the walls were slowly closing in on me
"Sir, you need to breathe." The doctor stated, once again the definition of calm
I found her lying on the ground with Molly; it was the only part of the barn that seemed untouched
"Ace." I coughed, my bandana nearly completely dry. If I didn't get us out soon.... We'd both be goners. I laid one of the extras I'd brought over Molly's nose, and the other over the lower portion of Aces face before trying to pick her up.
The pain in my chest increased, and soon it hurt terribly to breathe
"Sir! Calm down!" A nurse ordered loudly as a few male nurses drug my mother out. I clawed at my chest. My lungs weren't working, anf breathing didn't seem to be doable at the moment as nurses forced me onto my back
It was the first time I'd ever struggled to lift a girl, and it was because I couldn't seem to get enough air, and what air I did get felt like my throat was burning as well. Knowing I wouldn't be able to make it back out, I sat down on the floor beside Ace and took her hand, kissing her once more
"He's having a panic attack!" A doctor called over the shouts of the the other officials in the room, and the sound of screaming and crying in the hallway. I felt a drowsiness take over, and noticed a nurse take a needle out of the IV hose they had connected to my hand
"I love you, Ace...." I whispered before my world started fading, and I felt myself fall over; but I never let go of her hand.
Just as I did in the memory of the fire, I fell into darkness, remembering the screams of the horses and the snapping of the barn wood
"I love you, Ace..." I whispered before the noise from the hospital room became silent.
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The next time I woke up, the only person in the room was Ace's father, who was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room looking at me
"You okay, son?" He asked quietly, his voice thick, tear stains on his cheeks
"No, I'm not. No one will tell me if Ace is okay." I muttered, igonoring the pain as I pulled myself up. He didn't say anything, but I saw a tear or two fall down his cheek, catching on his lip before falling away
"At first, I didn't see why she would go out with you; I knew your reputation in town. Hardass farm boy with a hankering to cause trouble, and play with girls. But then, after a couple times of you two going out...I realized how happy you made her. After that mudding trip you two took, she asked me if it was possible to have loved you already; I told her no, and that the heart didn't have clocks or calendars." He told me, looking me in the eye
"What did she say?" I asked, my voice thick
"She told me that if that was true, then she'd already fallen in love with our small towns local heart breaker." He whispered, wiping his cheek
"Mr. Jobins....please....just tell me if she's okay..." I whispered, tears starting to fall down my cheeks "I can't lose her....I love her, and I don't know what I'd do if she were gone! Nobody will tell me anything, and not knowing if she's okay, or even if shes alive is terrifying, and I just- I can't.... I need-" I couldn't finish, sobs burst from mgly chest, and the pain in my lungs seemed dukk compared to the ache in my hear
"Son, breathe...just calm down." He soothed, standing up and walking towards me, holding my upper arms as he spoke calmly
"I just- I can't l-lose her..." I sobbed, probably looking like a fool
"I know, I feel the same way." He whispered, tears falling freely as he pulled me into a hug. Any other time it might have been a little awkward, but right now, it was what I needed the most. After a while, I calmed down, and he sat back and looked at me
"Just so you know, Steele, I'm glad its you my baby girls in love with." He smiled softly, looking at me
"Thank you, sir." I chuckled, wiping the tears off my face
"She's in an oxygen tent, hooked up to one of those life support machines." He told me, looking down at the floor "No one but doctors are allowed in the room right now, her lungs are weak enough she'd get infection, and it wouldn't be a happy ending. Doc said if all goes well, they'll transfer her to a normal room in a few days; but they aren't even sire she'll make it." He added, finally looking up at me, his eyes swimming and terrified, probably mirroring my own
"So you haven't seen her?" I asked, terrified as to whether or not she had been burnt up
"You can see her through the window, both of you made it out with no external injury, it was just breathing in the air and smoke that got you." He muttered, standing up
"Can you take me there?" I asked, looking desperately at him
"You aren't supposed to be walking." He chuckled "but seeing as I happen to like you, I'll go get a wheel chair." He smirked, knowing I'd hate it, chuckling when I groaned, but nodded anyways.
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He'd helped me into the wheelchair before pushing me down several long, white hallways before stopping in front of a large window and peering through sadly. Slowly, I looked into the room that looked like it'd been taken right out of a space ship. Her red hair amd tan skin stood out in contrast to the blindinh white-ness of the room. There were tubes connecting her body to several machines, one of which had large accordion looking cylinders inside of it
"That's the life support. Its the only thing keeping her alive right now." He whispered, following my gaze
"Oh..." I whispered, watching the pumps send oxygen into her body. He explained to me that they had doctors on duty, just in case her body shut down and it would take too long to get the proper equipment put on. Asides from in church, I never really thought much of god, or if he exsisted and cared about all us little sons a bitches he had running around down here, but for the first in years, I prayed
Please god.... Please don't need another angel yet....