When I woke up, it was as if I was having a déjà vu.
The first thing I noticed was the needle etched into my hand, with a dark tube attached to it. Blood. On my finger was once again a clip, as I heard the beeping right above me. The heartrate monitor.
Both my wrists and arms had been freshly bandaged. My jaw felt weird as if there were stitched in them. My neck felt quite swollen. I could also feel some bandage on there, too.
I suddenly remembered what had happened, and I sat up straight immediately.
And there they were. Dad, mum, Claire with her husband, Mark. I had startled them with my sudden movement. " Mercer," Dad smiled at me. Relief etched his worn down face, as they all walked up to me.
They started talking to me. I barely registered any word they said, as I scanned the crowd for only one familiar face. He truly wasn't here. He was actually dead. Dad had lied to me, telling me he was okay. Chester had been right after all.
" He's getting coffee." My eyes flung toward Mark, as I stared at him in disbelief. "He said he would be back soon."
" I don't believe you," I said and swung my legs over the edge of the bed and pulled the clip off my finger. Claire flew back, as she stared at me in disbelief. " Are you mad? Get back on that bed!" she spoke firmly.
" Get out of my way, Claire," I said, my voice near hysterical. I grabbed the IV pole stand and tugged it with me, followed with a loud protest of my family.
" Let her go," dad shouted to his family, who abruptly stopped talking. " You all know what she's like."
I opened the door and walked bare-footed into the hallway. My feet were still dirty, and it made me wonder how the rest of my body and face looked. I probably looked like I had just crawled out of a bin.
I looked around and started walking in a random direction. He had to be alive. He couldn't be dead.
I nearly stumbled into him when I wanted to turn the corner. " Oh, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed as he shot backward. His eyes grew big when he realized it was me.
" Mer? Why are you out of bed?" he rejoiced, a smile on his lips.
I felt how I lost control over my legs and fell down on my knees as I started to sob uncontrollably. The pain in my heart subdued and changed into nothing but pure joy.
" Mer?" Niall asked, alarmed, as he put the coffee on a nearby side table and crouched down in front of me and took my hands in his.
" He said you were dead," I choked on my own words and tears as I started to get hysterical. " He said he had killed you, Niall. He made me believe you-" I couldn't say it again.
" I'm alive, I'm okay," he replied as he carefully wrapped his arms around me and pushed me into his body while I cried tears of joy and tears of pain, while he kept repeating he was fine.
I had the idea I had ruined his entire shirt and slowly let him go. " God, look at me," I muttered as I wiped away the tears. " I probably look like a mental hospital runaway."
Niall and I both laughed, as he gently grabbed my hands. " You did have a bit of an audience," he softly replied. I turned around and saw my family standing a few feet behind us while they watched. I turned back to Niall and started giggling like a little kid.
" Am I on morphine?" I asked him. Niall let out a booming laugh and nodded. " I had expected you'd become more willing to others, but apparently you still managed to waltz your way past your own family."
Niall helped me to get up, and walked with me back to my room as he supported my weight with his body. We halted in front of my family.
" Niall, this is my family. Family, this is Niall," I said to them. I saw how dad's eyes were etched onto Niall's firm grip on my waist.
" Yeah, thank you sis, but we've already met him," Claire replied with a wink.
" I suppose this is no longer a publicity stunt," dad stated. I nodded. " That's right."
A smile appeared on dad's normally quite stern face. " Welcome to the McCoy and Fulton family, son. But be warned, if you break her heart, I will break you."
" I think she'll break him first, dad. She's feral, after all," Claire said to him. We all laughed, as I looked at Niall. " I would be first, indeed."
" Now, back to bed young lady," Mum said with a strict voice, as she stepped aside for me to pass. While I did, she leaned towards me. "He's handsome."
I couldn't help but smile.