My eyelids feel impossible to keep open..so I slowly drift them close.
"No."
His arms tighten around .
"No, stay with please."
"I’m tired."
The words barely co out.
"I know."
He swallows hard
"I know, sweetheart."
Then before anyone can stop him..... Zane carefully slides one arm beneath my knees, the other around my back and lifts , lik I weigh absolutely nothing.
His grip is impossibly gentle, like he’s afraid I’ll break.
"It’s okay."
He starts walking fast.
"It’s okay."
I rest my head against his chest, listening to the frantic beat of his heart.
"It’s okay."
He keeps repeating it, over and over again.
Maybe for , maybe for himself.
"It’s okay my little spitfire."
And as he carries through the darkness toward help...Those are the last words I hear before I go off.
When people talk about dying, they always make it sound peaceful, like it’s so gentle thing, like your life flashes before your eyes and mories co rushing back and sohow make everything okay.
That’s not what it feels like.....well atleast for .
All I feel is fear...Pure, overwhelming fear, fear for myself and for my baby. Fear that I won’t get the chance to hold him or her, fear that I’ll never see Zane or family again.
There’s pain everywhere, burning through my side andd spreading through my body. Making it hard to think or to breathe, even hard to stay awake.
I hear voices around but they all sound distant and Muffled, like they’re underwater.
I think Soone is shouting, another is running, soone is is definitely crying.
But none of it sounds real anymore,everything feels far away.
The only thing that feels real is Zane and his arms around m...and his voice, the way he keeps telling everything is going to be okay. Even though I can hear the fear in his voice, even though I know he’s terrified I want to tell him I’m trying, trying so hard to stay awake and trying so hard to keep fighting.
But I’m tired.
God.
I’m so very tired.
My eyelids feel heavier with every passing second but I force them open.
Just for a mont, just long enough to look at him.
Zane.
His face is pale and his eyes wild, his shirt stained with my blood.
And sohow that scares more than the pain.
Because Zane never looks scared.
Never.
Then I see Lucas beside him running and Keeping pace with us.
His face tight with worry and his eyes fixed on . Like he’s refusing to look away, like if he does sothing terrible will happen.
I want to tell him Aria is alive...that’s she’s here, that she’s okay and after all these years he finally has her back.
And it’s okay...that he can go to her.
But my mouth won’t cooperate, nothing will.
The darkness keeps creeping closer, pulling at and trying to drag under.
"No," I hear Zane say.
The word sounds broken and desperate.
"No, Elaine. Stay with please, please....you can’t...you can’t go. Please my love."
I’m trying.....i really am but everything hurts and resting sounds so good right now.
I just need to rest for a little while, just for a second. Just enough for the pain to stop.
My eyes slowly drift shut and I struggle to force them open again.
The last thing I see is Zane, the last thing I see is Lucas.
One looking terrified, the other looking helpless and then everything goes black.
Zane’s POV
"No."
The word leaves my mouth before I even realize I’ve spoken.
"No."
Elaine’s eyes have closed and they aren’t opening again. The sight sends a wave of terror through unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
I’ve been shot before, ive been stabbed, ive had guns pointed at my head, I’ve stared down enemies who wanted dead.
None of it compares to this.....none of it.
Because right now, the woman I love is unconscious in my arms and there’s blood, so much blood.
"Elaine."
My voice cracks.
I hate how terrified I sound.
I fucking hate it.
But I can’t help it.
I adjust my hold on her, cradling her closer against my chest as the dics rush around us. I say a silent thank you to who ever rushed them over here.
One of them starts talking, giving instructions and checking her pulse.
I barely hear any of it, all I can focus on is her.
Her closed eyes and the frightening stillness.
"Stay with , sweetheart."
I brush damp hair from her forehead.
"Co on."
Nothing. No response, not even a twitch.
The dic shines a light into her eyes.
"Sir, we need to move."
I don’t let go, for a second I genuinely consider refusing.
"We need to get her to the hospital imdiately."
The baby.
God.
My baby.
My gaze drops briefly to her stomach, a stomach that’s still completely flat, a life that’s barely begun and sohow I already love that child with everything I have.
Fear wraps around my throat.
What if...No, I imdiately shut the thought down. I can’t think like that, I won’t.
Because if I start imagining the worst, I’ll lose my mind.
The ride to the hospital feels endless, I sit beside her the entire ti with one hand wrapped around hers.
The other brushing her hair back every few seconds, pointless movents.
I keep talking to her, even though I know she probably she can’t hear .
Or maybe she can.
I don’t know, I don’t care.
"I’m still angry at you."
My voice is low and rough
"You know that?"
The dic glances at briefly before looking away.
Good.
I don’t want an audience.
"You don’t get to do stupid things like that."
I squeeze her hand gently.
"You hear ?"
Nothing.
The silence is unbearable.
"You promised forever."
The words slip out before I can stop them and suddenly my chest hurts. Physically hurts.
"You don’t get to leave ."
I look away quickly, swallowing hard.
Because I refuse to cry, too now not when she needs , not when our child needs .
So I keep talking, keeping my hold on her hand. Keep pretending everything is going to be okay.
By the ti we reach the hospital, I’m running entirely on adrenaline.
Doctors are already waiting, the second the vehicle stops, they’re moving.
Fast and efficiently, i hate every one of them, noot because they’ve done anything wrong.
Because they’re touching her, taking her from .
"Sir, we need room."
"No."
The response cos instantly.
The doctor blinks.
I realize how it sounds and force myself to take a breath.
Then another, then another.
Lucas suddenly appears beside , I hadn’t even noticed he’d arrived.
His hand lands on my shoulder firmly
"Let them do their jobs Zane."
I stare at him, back at Elaine then back at him.
Finally, reluctantly, I step back and the doctors wheel her away and for the first ti since finding her...i can’t reach her, touch her or protect her.
The realization is devastating.
The doors swing shut, she’s gone and the waiting begins.
I hate waiting.
Always have. But tonight? Tonight it’s torture.
Hours seem to crawl by....i sit. Stand.Pace. Sit again.
Repeat, over and over.
Nobody bothers or tries to talk.
Probably because I look one inconvenience away from snapping.
Lucas understands so he leaves alone.
Mostly.
Though I notice he never goes far.
A small movent catches my attentio, I look up and freeze....then feel ence guilt, with so much happening I almost forgot about her.
Aria.
For a second I genuinely forgot, forgot she was alive and she was here. Forgot that tonight wasn’t just about losing soone, it was also about getting soone back.
She stands awkwardly a few feet away, looking uncertain and nervous.
Looking heartbreakingly familiar.
I stare at her, she stares back. Neither of us knows what to say. How could we?Years were stolen from us.
Years.
Then she slowly sits beside , neither of us speaks nor imdiately.
Finally she says quietly,
"She’s going to be okay."
I laugh.
A short humorless laugh.
Because neither of us knows that, not really.
"I hope so."
Aria nods.
Then after a long silence she leans her head lightly against my shoulder. The sa way she used to when she was younger.
The sa way she used to after nightmares and suddenly I’m hit with a mory so sharp it nearly takes out.
My little sister.
The one I thought I’d buried, the one I thought I’d lost forever. She’s here and I can’t even fully process it.
So we sit there together, waiting.
, Lucas and Aria.
An impossible reunion overshadowed by fear.
Minutes pass, then more and more.
Until finally the operating room doors open and everyy muscle in my body locks.
A doctor steps out, his mask hanging around his neck and his expression serious.
My heart imdiately drops. I stand so quickly my chair nearly tips over.
Lucas is on his feet too Aria follows.
The doctor looks directly at , straight into my eyes and in that mont I know.
Sothing is wrong, sothing is very, very wrong.
The doctor takes a breath.
Then says:
"Mr. Zane, we have a problem."
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