"Jewel!"
The voice sounded far away. And then the pain came. She fell against the asphalt, a shooting pain sparking from where her head hit the hard ground. There was a weight on her. A body. The force of the impact had knocked the air out of her and combined with the stars in her vision, she was incapacitated. It was through this haze, that she heard the screech of tires and then saw the blinding glow of headlights. The cars were fast approaching. They stopped and together the doors flew open. Men ducked behind the doors and open fired. The repeated sound of bullets echoed until they combined into a long ringing.
Vincent was on her. His weight keeping her in place. She tired to move but his wide chest, kept her arm trapped under his form.
"Vincent?" She said, but found it hard to hear her own voice as men yelled and got back into their cars. The silver car was making its escape and soon the silhouetted cars sped after him, all in pursuit of Antonio. The smell of rubber against the road filled the air. They had to get out of here. Move to where it was safe. Clenching her jaw she tried to free her lodged hand. With a groan, she was free and the raking light of passing headlights illuminated her hand.
Her fingers shook as she saw the crimson blood that painted her skin.
"Vincent!"
With a bout of strength, she pushed him unto his back and scrambled to her knees. Bending over his chest she saw the dark patch of blood growing larger by the second. He was pale and his breathing was shallow, his chest barely rising as he took in laboured breathes. Pressing down on the general area of the wound, she heard him groan and relief washed over her when he cracked one eye open.
"Oh thank God!" She said looking upward for a second, "What were you thinking! Why did you jump in front of a bullet!"
Her hands pressed down on the wound but it wasn't enough. She frantically tried to wad his shirt against the wound, but no amount of pressure was stopping the flow of blood and both of her hands were stained red.
"You were...he was going to-" he tried speaking but his eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay awake. Patting her blood soaked hand against his cheek she said, "Hey, stay with me now. C'mon, Vincent, you promised you wouldn't leave me. You are man of you word, right? Stay with me. S-stay awake."
When he didn't respond to her words, she felt her arms go weak as a pulse of terror went through her body. Whipping around to the cars speeding away, she yelled, "Help!"
"Vincent needs help! Someone! Help!" She shouted but her voice was drowned out by bullets being fired and men yelling to follow the silver car. She couldn't care less about Antonio at that moment. When the last of the cars were speeding away, she looked on hopelessly and shouted, "Help!"
Sirens sounded in the distance and she saw the growing glow of red and blue lights. The police were approaching. If they found her like this, found Vincent like this-they would do more harm than help. Vincent was growing cold and the minimal colour on his face had also drained. She hiccuped as sobs shook her body. Raising her hand to his cheek she caressed the face that had smiled at her, looked upon her with love and desire, and taught her how to love again. Oblivious to the blood she was smearing on both of them she fell against his chest and cried as her life slipped out of her fingers.
A hand on her shoulder startled her. It was Alfred. He pushed her aside and grabbed at Vincent.
"Get his shoulder, we need to get out of here before the police come."
When she didn't instantly respond, he gripping her shoulders and shook, "Get your wits about you! We don't have time!"
Nodding she ducked under Vincent's arm and lugged his heavy body to the back of a black car. The door slammed shut and Alfred sped away.
"Keep pressure on that wound. I need to get you both to a hospital." Alfred said, throwing a jacket toward her as he took a sharp turn down a narrow road. She put her entire weight into stopping the blood.
"Ah!" Vincent shouted and she withdrew only to have Alfred command, "Keep pressing down!"
Within record time, the car came to a halt in front of a small hospital. The trauma team was ready and two large men hauled Vincent onto a gurney. They were wheeling him away as more men and women dressed in scrubs rushed behind him. Her legs were moving on their own. following the brigade of doctors.
"Wait!"
Alfred caught her around her waist. Pushing against his arm she tried to free herself, "Let go. I need to see if he is okay. I need to go to him. I need to-let go!"
"You can't do anything now, Jewel. Let them see to him."
"No! He needs me! Vincent needs me!"
"Vincent will be fine; he was fine long before you came, and he will be fine tonight. He doesn't need you now."
He didn't need her.
Turning her kicking body away from the door, Alfred hauled her to a waiting room. His words had a chilling effect on her and all protest in her limbs died. He must have felt it because he set her on her feet and loosened his grip.
"Let someone take a look at you," Alfred said, his voice gentle. Glancing over to the older man, she saw blood stains on his clothes and along his jaw. She only wondered how horrifying she looked. Giving him a shaky nod, she took a step forward, hoping to have one of the nurses clean her up. But the events of the day caught up to her and she found herself teetering on her feet. Her vision gave way and she felt arms circle her as she succumbed to darkness.
***
Jewel woke to beeping. Straining her eyes, she turned away from the brightness above her and tried to sit up. But the IV and the pain on the back of her head forced her to lay back down with a groan. A door opened and she heard footsteps approach. Letting out a sound to alert the person she was awake, she heard, "Oh good! You're up."
"Light's too bright," she crocked and the brightness dimmed behind her eyelids. Once it was safe to open them, she blinked as the room came into view. She was still at the hospital and the person who came in was a nurse. His badge hung near his shoulder but she couldn't make out the name printed on the ID.
"We were starting to get worried, you slept for quite a while after coming in. But you are one lucky girl. You got away with only a few scrapes and bruises." He said as he checked a few things on the monitor and adjusted her IV.
"Hmm," she said and attempted to sit up again.
"Oh let me help you!" He said and she felt the bed rising to support her back. Nodding her thanks she looked for a clock. It was past five of what she could only assume to be the next day.
"Where is the man I came with?"
"Pardon?" He said, his eyebrows raised in question.
"The man, we came in together. He was wheeled away before me."
Still giving her a peculiar look he shook his head, "There wasn't a man with you. The paramedics brought you in."
"Paramedics?"
"Do you...not remember?"
Swallowing down the lump in her throat she said, "I-I can't seem to remember making it to this bed."
"Of course, you wouldn't. You were unconscious when you were brought in from your car. You were in an accident."
An accident?
He continued, "Someone found your car in a ditch. You were in the driver's seat and the impact must have knocked you unconscious. The person quickly called the ambulance and the paramedics brought you here. But you were alone, Ms. Hawthorne."
Ms. Hawthorne? Car accident? A ditch?
Alfred must have spun a lie. She remembered Antonio. She remembered the sound of the bullet as it struck Vincent and the blood that coated them both.
Rick was dead.
Gwen was dead.
Antonio had lied to Gwen, promised her Vincent, and she in turn had lied to Rick-pinning the blame of Claire's death on Vincent. She sowed hatred between them and led Rick to betray the one man who wanted nothing more than him and Claire to have fled that fateful night.
The same night that was foiled by Gwen-Antonio's sister.
"Was there anyone who came looking for me? Did the person who found me come to the hospital?"
If Alfred made up the car accident he must have been the anonymous caller. He was the one who brought them here and he wouldn't leave without Vincent. The amount of blood Vincent lost meant he would still be here in the hospital. She just had to find him.
"No, but you must have a guardian angel, Ms. Hawthorne, because not only did you come out of the accident essential unharmed, you were the only patient in the emergency last night so you received our undivided attention and care."
Only patient? That couldn't be true.
"There was no one else brought in before me?"
"No."
Alfred must have moved Vincent. Yes, she thought, that made sense. Alfred must have moved Vincent to the house, had the doctors stabilize his condition and get him to a safe place while he concocted a story of a car accident for her. She had to get to the house. Meredith would be worried.
"Am I free to go?" She asked the nurse.
"If you are feeling fine, I will inform your attending and the discharge papers can be readied."
"I'm feeling fine."
"Very well then, I will get that process going."
Once she was discharged, the hospital called a cab for her and she rapidly gave the address of the Blood residence. She was a fair bit away from the house and she reclined against the seat, the dull throb behind her head a reminder of what Vincent had done to protect her. She closed her eyes as tears fell against her cheek.
I will never leave you. You are mine and I don't plan on letting you go. Ever.
But he almost had. He still could. If the bullet had pierced his heart he would have died protecting her. And what would she have done with a life at the expense of his? A life without him was unimaginable and when she finally got to him she would tell him just that. Right after she scolded him for doing something so incredibly stupid such as stopping a bullet with his body.
"No one is responding miss."
Opening her eyes she found them idling in front of the large gates to the house. The driver was looking back at her over his shoulder.
"I'll just go from here. Thank you."
Paying the cabby, she punched in the code and the small gate swung open for just her to step through. The family must be laying low. Walking in long strides she saw the house in front of her. All the lights were off. The large chandelier that was always lit and visible through the tall window remained off. The welcoming glow through the windows was missing and a feeling that something was terribly wrong had her running up the steps to the main door.
Gripping the handle, she turned the doorknob. It was locked.
Raising her hand, she struck the brass knocker against the door.
"Hello?" She called and pressed her ear to the door. "Vincent? Meredith? Alfred?"
The lump in her throat was forming again. Her hands shook when she dialled Vincent's number. Raising her phone to her ear she listened for the call to go through but all she heard was the monotonous tone indicated the number was unregistered. Trembling with fear and sorrow she began banging on the door with her hands, "Vincent! Please let me in! Vincent! Meredith! Mrs. Blood! Someone! Anyone! It's me, Jewel. I'm back from the hospital, I was discharged. Hello?"
"They're gone."
Whipping around she saw Alfred standing beside a black car. He was dressed in clean clothes, the blood washed away from his person. He had his hands clasped in front of him but moving to the side, he opened the back door of the car.
"Let me drive you home, Jewel."
"No, I'm here to see Vincent. He wasn't in the hospital. They said he was never brought in last night. And that I had a car accident and I was brought in by paramedics."
Alfred stood beside the open door, "Yes, that is the story that brought you to the hospital last night. Now, Jewel, please get into the car."
Jerkingly shaking her head, she took a step back toward the large door. Hoping that it would open and she would be greeted by Vincent's low voice, 'there you are, love.'
"I let you keep me from Vincent yesterday. I won't let you do that now. He promised he would never leave me. And I mean to hold him to that promise."
"Jewel, listen to me."
She looked at him with tear-filled eyes.
"He's gone."
"What do you mean, 'gone'?"
Alfred held the door wider and gestured for her to sit inside.
"No! What do you mean 'gone'? You said he would be fine. He said he wouldn't leave me. H-He p-promised he wouldn't leave me." Falling to the ground, her hand clutching her chest as she felt her heart tearing itself apart. She sobbed, "He promised. He said he l-loved m-me. He said h-he wouldn't leave."
"Please Ms. Crest, enter the car so I may take you home. Mr. Blood has been moved to a secure location for an undermined amount of time. Mrs. Blood has gone with him. Both shall return when it is safe."
Looking at Alfred she shook her head. Why didn't he wait? Why didn't Meredith wait?
"Ms. Crest, I would hate to use force but you must leave the premises."
Realizing that if Vincent was indeed gone and he didn't not want to be found, then there was truly nothing she could do.
He left her.
The one thing he promised he would never do. He did.
The car door shut once she was inside and silently Alfred drove away. Looking out the window she watched the large empty house that became the source of both her sorrow and her happiness. Closing her eyes she hung her head, the tears falling against her hands in her lap.
"What do I do now?" She whispered when Alfred stopped in front of Elle's cafe. The building was still boarded up but she knew her friend still lived in the flat above.
Meeting her gaze through the rear-view mirror he said, "Live your life. The life you had before all this, before Vincent."
The life she had before Vincent. She couldn't even if she tried. Vincent had changed her.
"Ms. Crest, you must forget everything you saw, everything you heard, for both your safety and for Vincent. Go back to being a barista. Go back to being a normal girl. Find a normal guy and live a normal life. Many people don't get this chance-you are getting it now."
She nodded as fresh tears fell from her eyes. Despite what Alfred said, she knew she could never forget her time with Vincent. He was seared into her soul. And when someone is soul-bound, one cannot merely 'forget'.
"Good luck, Ms. Crest."