Jane's P.O.V
My body hurt so bad, that it felt like I fell from a very tall building, and tons of irons pierced through my heart. The pain I feel in my chest is agonizing. Why do I feel this much pain? I wasn't feeling this pain before.
I'm still stuck in the dark place. I can't see anything.
All of a sudden, the moment I was shot came back to me like it just happened. I felt the pain and the huge shock I had. I shut my eyes tightly, hoping the pain would reduce. This is the most agonizing pain ever. It felt like my body doesn't belong to me anymore.
I felt a very bad pain in my lungs. Every breath I took was pain.
Was I shot or Was I pushed down the Empire State Building? Or both.
"Doctor! Doctor, I think she's waki__waking__up__up. She's__she's moving her fingers," I heard someone say. It sounded more like an echo.
What is she talking about?
My eyelids started moving but all I felt was pain like never before. My vision was blurry but it started clearing up little by little.
"Jane, can you hear me? If you can, I need you to just focus on my finger. Follow my finger with your eyes," Another voice said.
This time I could hear clearly. He raised his finger close to my face and started moving it from left to right. I did as he instructed.
I tried to say something but my throat hurt too much.
"Welcome back Ms. Collins. I'm going to let your family know you're awake. They will be so happy to see you. They've been here every single day for three weeks now. You're having a good and quick recovery. It means your body is responding well," He said, smiling.
Have I been out for three weeks?
"I know you are feeling a lot of pain now, but I promise you, you'll be fine. You're just lucky it didn't cause more damage to your body than in most cases. I know you feel the pain all over your body. It's all due to the impact of the type of bullet you took. You probably don't understand half of what I'm saying now. I will explain better when you can talk. For now, just relax." He said and smiled.
He did some necessary check-ups before leaving with the nurse.
Why do I have all these weird tubes and wires all over my body?
The actors in movies made it look much easier, but this is the worst feeling ever.
"Jane?" I heard my mom's voice. She walked in with my sister right behind her. "Oh my god! Jane, are you okay?" She continued. She and Julie started to cry but I couldn't talk.
When did they get here? Where is Ian and Liam? Did something happen to them? Why are they not here?
I had a lot of questions but I wasn't able to voice it out.
Tears ran down my cheeks.
"Don't you ever scare us like that again," Julie said in tears. All I could do was stare at them.
"Both Ian and Liam are well and okay," My mom said with a smile, reading my mind.
I need to see for myself.
I heard the door open and the person I had been longing to see came into view.
Liam ran in.
He had tears in his eyes and a bright smile appeared on his face when he saw me.
I hope Ian is okay too.
"We should give them some space. Come on, Mom. We can talk to her later," Julie said and Mom agreed. They both walked out.
Liam stared at me for a good minute. I wish I could give him a smart remark right now. He moved away from the door and moved closer to me, looking at every inch of my body till he stopped when he met my gaze.
Is he just gonna stare at me all day?
He sat on the chair beside me and took my hand. He let out a deep breath that he seemed to have been holding for a long time.
"What am I going to do with you?" He said and I smiled weakly.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again. Do you understand?" He warned before placing kisses on my hand.
It's so good to feel his touch again.
Even though every inch of my body hurts, his touch is a relief. He began to play with my hair.
"I have many questions on my mind, but now is not the time. The most important thing is that you are back," He said softly, but I knew deep down inside he was furious.
He's mad at me.
He won't stop kissing my hand.
The only question I badly wanted to ask him was why he looked like hell. I seriously wanted to laugh at him. He looked like he was the one in pain, not me.
"You scared me, babe. You did. I was so terrified," He said, smiling weakly.
Everyone else came in to see me. They all talked about how much I scared them and I should never do it again. I feel so blessed and happy to have all these people around me. It is good to see those who truly care.
They told me Mia and Ryder were here in New York, but they wouldn't let me see any of them including Ian. They told me to wait until I was able to speak so that I could reply to their thousands of questions.
It's been a week since I woke up which means have been hospitalized for a month. Being hospitalized isn't a joke at all.
I feel different, mostly happier than I had been before I was shot. I can't explain, but it felt like a heavy load had been lifted off my shoulders.
It's like the dark space in my heart has been filled with light and happiness. Except for the physical pain, I feel like I'm walking on sunshine. I'm free from whatever was holding me back. I can't explain it. The only thing I can say is that I feel brand new. The happiness in me is suppressing the pain I feel.
Most wires or tubes connected to my body as been removed. I've been breathing by myself as of yesterday. The doctor explained more to me about my condition. I could talk since last night, but my voice is really low.
It's not easy to keep quiet. I couldn't even write anything down. It was a pain in the butt to lift my finger, and I was also too lazy. I'm wearing a shoulder cast. I can only use one hand.
I asked the doctor to send everyone home yesterday even though it wasn't easy for him to do. He told me Liam wouldn't leave. He slept on the chair in the waiting room.
I also told the doctor not to tell them I could speak again. I wanted to surprise them.
I can't wait to see my son today. I've been eager to see Ian. I miss my little best friend. I've been up since three in the morning. I couldn't wait to see their faces when I say something to them.
It was almost 5 a.m. when someone opened the door. The doctor walked in with a smile on his face.
I found out he was Liam's family doctor, he's in his fifties.
"Good morning Jane, just came to check up on you. Hope you're feeling better. You can't wait to talk to your family. I can see it in your face. I'm sure they will be happy to hear your voice too. Liam is still asleep on the chair. That boy..." The Doctor said smiling.
"Morning Doctor, I'm feeling better. And you're right, I can't wait. You can let them in any time they want to come in. Also, when am I getting discharged? I can't wait" I said slowly.
"I know you can't wait. We need to know you're perfectly fine before you leave. I will let you know when I see the test results. In the meantime, I need you to get some rest. Your psychiatrist will check up on you later," He said, his smile never leaving his face.
I've been relaxing on this damn bed for the past one month!
"Okay thanks, doctor," I replied with a smile.
"Make sure you eat the food given to you. I know you don't like the food, no one does. It's helping the medicine, and it's giving you the nutrients you need. I will check up on you later," He said firmly. I nodded and he left.
I closed my eyes to relax as he said, but the sound of the door opening wouldn't let me.
I knew who it was, but I kept my eyes closed.
He let out a breath. "Babe, I know you're awake. And I know you can talk. Doctor Peterson told me. 'She said you can come in' were his exact words. He felt bad the moment he realized what he said," He chuckled.
Big mouth.
I smiled cheekily. "What's with the smile," He added. "You caught me," I replied, smiling.
"Hey... How's my hero doing?" He asked with a goofy smile on his handsome face. He sat beside me and held my hand.
"Trying to stay alive. Hero? Really?" I asked. "Yes, you're my hero. You're my hero without a cape," He answered.
"I kind of like the sound of that," I said, making him grin.
"It's so good to hear your beautiful voice again. You have no idea how long have been waiting to hear your voice, and do this..." He said before giving me a longing kiss.
What's with the names? Is he trying to sweet-talk me into something?
The kiss spoke thousands of words. I could tell how scared he must have felt.
"You mean the world to me, Jane. You have no idea," He said with his eyes closed. I could only respond with another kiss to express my feelings.
After breaking the kiss, Liam started laughing compelling me to laugh too. "What?" I asked through my laughter. "Nothing," He said laughing.
I managed to cover my mouth. "Is it my breath?" I asked sadly.
He gave me a look. "Pfft... I don't care about that. But no, you are good. You look beautiful by the way," He said smiling.
Now it was my turn to give him a look. "Who are you kidding? I look like death. I bet a Zombie looks better than me," I rolled my eyes.
"Hmm... Now that I think about it, you're right." He said with a serious look. I frowned and hit his arm slightly. Even though my body hurts.
"Ouch" He faked it, and he started laughing, making me laugh.
"But seriously, you look alive. You're the most beautiful woman in the world," He said sincerely. I smiled cheekily.
"You know, there's something have been meaning to tell you since I woke up last week," I said in a serious tone.
"What?" He asked, he changed to the serious Liam I met the first time.
"You look like hell," I said and laughed out loud. He chuckled.
"You look like you haven't been sleeping. You look like you don't care what you look like. You look like the one hospitalized. You look like__" I continued, but he stopped me.
"Okay babe, I think I got the idea." He replied. We both chuckled.
"It's so good to see you two smiling like this." We heard Arie's voice. We didn't even know when Arie, Laila, Nikos, and George came in.
"OMG, how long have you guys been here? We didn't even notice," I asked. "Long enough to know what you think about his looks," Laila replied mocking Liam. She gave him the look that says I told you so. Liam rolled his eyes and we all laughed.
"Hey little sis, I missed you," Nikos said with a smile and he gave me a bouquet. He looked so happy to see me. "Thanks, Nikos. Good to see you again big brother," I replied, my smile never leaving my face. Nikos hugged me, making sure he wasn't hurting me.
"It's so good to hear your voice again, Jane," George said with a smile and he hugged me. I replied with a grin.
"Bring it in," I said to Arie. The look on her face says she couldn't wait to hug me. She grinned and rushed towards me to give me a bone-crushing hug, literally.
"Okay, too much Arie. Ouch," I said laughing at her. She let go of me. "Sorry, I'm just so happy to see you getting better. I missed my best friend," She gushed. "I know, I can't wait to get out of here," I replied.
Laila walked towards me with a goofy smile on her face. I laughed and hugged her. "You okay sweetheart?" She asked with a serious tone. I let out a breath.
"I'm alive," I said jokingly to change the sudden serious atmosphere. She let out a deep breath and gave me a reassuring smile.
"I admire your strength and courage," George said. I smiled gladly. "Me too," Nikos added.
Liam cleared his throat. "Guys, can you please give us a minute? I need to talk to Jane," Liam said seriously.
"Okay," They replied. They all hugged me one more time. "We'll be right outside Jane," Arie said and they left. "Thank you, guys," I said to them before they left.
I twirled my head towards Liam. He had a very serious look on his face.
"Oh oh... what's wrong?" I teased just to get that serious look off his face. "How are you? Be real with me." He asked sternly.
"What do you mean? I told you I'm fine. I'll survive." I said nonchalantly.
"Oh cut that crap, Jane. Save that for them. You're in serious pain. Just tell me how you feel. Don't tell me you're fine." He said, getting angry.
Okay... speak of a 0-100 real quick.
"I don't understand why you're getting mad. I told you I'll be fine. Yes, I'm in serious pain but here I am still breathing. It's not like saying how I feel will change anything." I replied sternly.
"You're still breathing and I thank God for that. What if it was the other way around? Uh? What if you didn't make it? What's gonna happen? What was I supposed to do? What should I have done? What was I supposed to tell Ian? That his mother was so silly enough to take a bullet for me? That I couldn't save her? That I failed to protect her... Why would you do that? You shouldn't have done that. I should be the one in that position. You shouldn't have..." He said angrily.
Where is all this coming from?
"Was I supposed to watch another person I love die while I could have saved them?" I yelled even though it didn't come out loud. My throat was in pain.
"What if John didn't come on time? Uh? Your brother's death wasn't your fault. So that's what you were trying to do? You thought taking the shot for me would make you forgive yourself? You forgot about Ian. You only thought about yourself," He said furiously with tears in his eyes.
I was speechless.
Half of what he said was true.
He stood up and hurried out of the door.
The door opened again. I thought it was him, but it was Arie and Laila.
"Hey, what happened? Liam just walked out of the building angrily. Nikos and George had to follow him. Is everything okay? Are you okay? Why are you crying?" Arie asked. Both of them had a concerned look on their faces.
"I don't understand. I don't know... We were laughing and...and all of a sudden he just got mad at me...and...started saying things. I don't even understand where it's coming from," I said in tears.
Laila moved closer to me and placed my head on her chest. Arie took my hand in hers and started caressing my hand.
"It's okay. It's been a tough month for both of you. He just had to let some things out. I bet he didn't mean to hurt you," Laila said. Arie nodded in agreement.
"Here" Arie gave me a tissue.
"Thanks, guys. I appreciate you guys being here for me," I said sincerely. They both smiled.
"Jane, you know we got you," Arie said making me smile. "See... there you go. I can help you kick his butt if you let me," She continued, making me laugh.
"Don't worry, we can save that for next time," I replied jokingly. "Okay," She said seriously. Her face made me and Laila laugh more.
"Remember, Ian is coming to see you this evening. He can't see you like this. So, wipe your tears and put that beautiful smile on," Laila said with a smile. I nodded.
The nurse walked in.
"Okay guys, if you would excuse her. It's time for her to get some sleep. I'm about to give her some pain relief." She said.
They nodded and stood up. They both smiled at me. I gave them a nod and they left. "What time is it nurse?" I asked.
"It's 10:26 A.M.," She replied with a smile.
I couldn't stop thinking about what Liam said. I don't understand why he got so mad at me.