Carry Me

Levia’s breathing was still ragged as she sat in the chair in the hospital waiting room, clutching her right foot and wincing in pain. Blood covered her face from the cut stretching from the middle of her forehead down to the right side of her chin. She tried to stay calm, but it was hard when blood was clouding her vision.

After the second aftershock, Zacky and Levia had gotten up and moved around, seeing what all was damaged. Without warning, a third aftershock had started, this one even more violent that the first two, and Levia had no clue where Zacky was. While she was in the kitchen, waiting for the shaking to stop, a chunk of broken plate fell from one of the cabinets and sliced Levia’s face wide open. Zacky had rushed to her aid, twisting his ankle in the process, when he heard her screams and once the aftershock ended, took her to the hospital.

A couple more small aftershocks had happened since they got to the hospital, but Levia managed to not freak out.

Zacky was currently at the front desk in the emergency room, trying to explain to the lady at the front desk that Levia needed attention now, but the lady was telling him that they had many other patients injured from the earthquake to tend to, and she would have to wait.

Levia applied pressure on as much of her face as she could. At least the bleeding was slowing down.

Zacky limped over to Levia, favoring his left foot over the right.

“How ya doing?” he asked once he sat himself in the seat next to her.

“Fine,” she replied, using both hands to keep pressure on more of her face.

Zacky laughed. To anyone else it looked like Levia was just pushing her face in for no reason. Not to mention the fact that her concentrated expression was priceless.

She turned to him, hands still covering her face, “What are you laughing at?”

He shook his head, “Nothing.”

Levia looked down at his ankle, “How is it?”

Zacky shrugged, “Good. I just stepped on it wrong and need to walk it off.”

Levia nodded and looked down at her own foot. Zacky followed her gaze.

“How’s yours?”

Levia took a bloody hand off of her face and felt around her ankle, hissing when she pushed on it wrong.

“Not good I take it,” Zacky frowned.

Levia sighed, “I never did have good luck.”

Zacky gently hung his arm around her shoulder, “Hey, you’re stuck here with me, aren’t you? I’d say that’s a pretty good thing.”

Levia gave Zacky a forced smile, “Yeah.”

Zacky frowned and withdrew his arm. So much for that idea.

Levia suddenly felt lightheaded and almost fell out of her chair. Zacky reached over and caught her, setting her back upright.

Levia became dizzy and tried to stay awake. Things were becoming blurry and moving around a lot. It was kind of like her first night here, only then she was drunk. Now it was blood loss.

“Levia! Levia stay awake!”

She squinted at the sound of Zacky’s voice, “Zacky?”

“I’m right here,” he said, but his voice was muffled to Levia.

Zacky called for a nurse and fumbled around in his pocket for his phone. He had to call Matt so he and Addi could get to the hospital for Levia.

A couple of nurses rushed over to Levia right as she passed out, her head falling back to the wall and her body going limp. Zacky cursed as the nurses put Levia in a wheelchair and took her into the ER. Zacky tried to follow, but was stopped by a doctor.

“I’m sorry, sir, family members only.”

Zacky scowled and limped away, mumbling obscenities about the doctor under his breath.

He’d just have to wait until Matt and Addison got here.

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Jacoby lay on his bed, in some hotel in Pennsylvania, wide awake. He wasn’t really visiting family, like he had told Levia, just some friends that practically were like family. He couldn’t sleep knowing that his other friends and family back in California were going through a huge earthquake and a shitload of aftershocks. He knew Levia told him she was fine and he should sleep, but he just couldn’t do it.

Levia. Jacoby sighed when her name appeared in his thoughts. He just couldn’t get that girl off his mind. He didn’t know what it was about her, but something just drew him in, like a worm on a fishing line. He was hooked.

Jacoby wondered why Zacky was alone with Levia. It shouldn’t bother him, but it did. Was he just there by chance, or did he have a motive for seeing Levia? Obviously Zacky didn’t know that there would be an earthquake, but he had really lucked out. If Jacoby had been there, he would’ve gladly gone to see Levia and could’ve protected her.

He ran his hands over his face. He really needed to get his shit together and stop thinking about Levia. She probably didn’t care about him anyway.

Although she did say that she had loved him since high school…

But still, that was just one of those celebrity crushes. It wasn’t like she really knew Jacoby, and therefore couldn’t actually be in love with him.

Maybe when Jacoby got back he would ask her out on a date. Yeah, a date. That would be a good first step.

Still feeling sleepless, Jacoby groaned and rolled out of bed to go turn the television on again.

“-are now saying that this was the last of the aftershocks, six in total. The overall outlook seems grim, as hospitals are filling up and the body count is rising. Many homes and businesses have been flattened to the ground, and are standing no longer. The San Andreas fault seems to be the cause, and researchers are working on-”

Jacoby let out a frustrated sigh and shut the television off. He sat back on his bed, running his hands through his disheveled hair. He suddenly felt cold, and decided to go put on a shirt and some pants. No sense laying around in his boxers if he wasn’t planning on sleeping anyway.

He looked at the clock on the small nightstand. It was only…6:36?

Jacoby raised an eyebrow. Maybe he really did dose off for a bit.

He peeked out of the small window and saw the sun rising. From his window he could see the small downtown businesses, like restaurants and small shops. This town had become kind of famous since his friend had his own show filmed here.

Jacoby knew he wouldn’t get any more sleep, so he decided just to get up and go downstairs and eat some breakfast in the lobby. Maybe he’d learn some more news. Not that there were many people in West Chester, but still. A person never knew.

He just needed something to get his mind off of Levia.

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Levia grimaced at the bright light that flooded her vision. Wait, bright light?

She opened her eyes fully and looked around. It looked like she was in a hospital room… with an IV on her arm and she was in a…hospital gown?

“You’re awake!”

Levia’s eyes started to tear up when she heard her sister’s voice, “Addi?”

Addison appeared in front of her and carefully lent down to hug her, “I’m so sorry!”

Levia closed her eyes, “For what?”

“For not being there for you! I know you’ve never been through an earthquake before and-”

“I’m fine, Ads. I can handle myself. I’m not a little girl, you know. I’m a grown woman.”

Addison chuckled at her comment, “If you say so. But I was so worried! Matt and I were just eating and all of the sudden there was this shaking…”

Levia cringed, “Let’s just not talk about it, okay?”

Great. Now Levia had a fear of earthquakes. That would go really well when she was living in California: earthquake capital of the west.

Levia heard someone clear their throat and knew that she and Addison we’re the only ones in the tiny room.

She looked up and locked eyes with Matt, who gave her a bright smile. She felt those little butterflies in her stomach, like the kind you get with a childhood crush.

Oh no.

She smiled back before moving her eyes to the next person. It was Zacky, giving her a knowing look. His eyes flickered over to Matt before looking back at Levia. She smiled sheepishly, her butterflies getting 10 times worse when Zacky grinned back at her.

Double oh no.

“Hey! Don’t forget about me!”

Levia playfully rolled her eyes, “How could I possibly forget about you, Brian?”

He smirked, “You couldn’t.”

“Exactly.”

Addison walked over and poked him in the chest, “How many times have I told you to stop hitting on my sister?”

Brian held his hands up defensively, “She was-”

“She did nothing! Stop it!” Addison huffed, crossing her arms and turning her back to Brian.

Zacky and Matt both snorted a laugh before looking at each other and bursting out in laughter. Addison sent them a non-threatening glare, causing them to laugh even more.

Matt’s laughter died down and he walked over to Levia’s bed, tenderly touching the giant scab running down her face. Levia’s face contorted into pain and Matt pulled his hand back sharply.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Levia said, gently touching her own face before grunting in pain again, “it’s just a little…sore yet.”

Matt continued to observe her cut, “What happened?”

“A broken plate fell on my face,” she said monotonously.

Matt tried to keep a straight face, but his mouth twitched at the corners, “Well…that’s an interesting story.”

“Oh my gosh!” Addison exclaimed, frantically shoving Matt out of the way and leaning over Levia, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Levia chuckled, “I’m fine, Addi, really. It’ll heal.”

“The doctor said it would leave a nasty scar,” Zacky said, joining in the conversation.

Levia’s heartbeat gradually sped up as Zacky neared the bed, and was pounding in her ears by the time he got to the other side of the bed, watching her like the other two.

Levia mentally slapped herself. She had it bad already.

Brian walked over to stand by Zacky, feeling left out. He stared at Levia in a disturbing manner, purposely trying to creep her out.

Levia stared back at him like he was insane, “Why do you look like you’re going to rape me?”

Three heads shot in Brian’s direction, who continued to stare at Levia, “Because I am?”

Addison’s mouth fell open and Matt and Zacky starting laughing again. Levia looked alarmed.

Brian grinned deviously and put one hand under the side of the blanket, slowly running it up Levia’s bare leg. He got to her thigh when Addison stormed over to him and punched him in the arm.

He jerked away, “Hey! What was that for?!”

Zacky was leaning on the bed for support from laughing so much, and his body was too close to Levia for comfort.

Matt wiped away a tear of laughter and looked down at Levia, who was watching Zacky uncomfortably, “Personal space invasion?”

She nodded, “Yep.”

Matt slapped Zacky on the side of the head and Zacky jerked his head up, rubbing it.

“What the fuck?”

“You were invading her personal bubble.”

Zacky locked eyes with Levia, smirking a bit, “So sorry.”

Levia looked at him disbelievingly, “Uh-huh. Sure.”

Addison had resumed her spot beside Matt, but was watching Brian like a hawk. He grinned at her innocently.

“So when do you get to come home?” Addison asked.

“They want to keep her for a few more hours to make sure she had enough blood,” Zacky answered.

Levia looked at the clock. It was just after 3 in the morning.

Levia’s eyes drooped and she blinked slowly, “I’m kinda tired.”

Addison reached down and patted Levia on the cheek, “You get some sleep. Matt and I are going home to check out the damage, but Brian will stay with you, even though I don’t trust him to not rape you in your sleep.”

“It was a joke! A joke!” Brian defended.

“I can stay too, if you want me to,” Zacky said.

Levia looked at Zacky. His eyes were bloodshot and small, dark bags were starting to form under them. He looked tired.

“Nah, you go home and get some rest, Zacky. You look beat,” Levia told him.

Zacky opened his mouth to protest, but Brian put a hand over it. Zacky glared at Brian.

“He will. You just worry about sleeping, alright, Levia?” Brian interrupted.

Levia nodded slightly, already starting to fall asleep, “Okay.”

Addison squeezed Levia’s hand and turned away, towards the door. Matt smiled at Levia before leaving with Addison, the door shutting quietly behind them.

Zacky approached her bed slowly, but Levia was so close to being asleep that she hardly saw or heard him.

“Bye, Levia,” he said, leaning over her and running a hand through her hair before following Matt and Addison out of the door.

Brian sat on the chair next to Levia’ bed and kicked his feet up on another chair. He closed his eyes and rested his hands in his lap.

“’Night, Levia.”

“Goodnight, Brian.”