Affliction

Zacky’s P.O.V.

My hands gripped the steering wheel and my eyes were focused on the road. The anxiety was killing me; I kept glancing at my phone every few seconds. I fidgeted in my seat as I nibbled on my snakebites. My heart was pounding rapidly and I was about to explode any second. I just wanted to grab my phone and call Matt, but he reassured me. He’ll call when something went wrong. I slowly drove down my street and pulled up into my driveway to see Gena walking back and forth with bags in her hands.

“Gena, what the hell are you doing?” I exclaimed turning off the ignition and climbing out the car.

“What does it look like I’m doing,” she hissed putting more bags into her car. I groaned deeply and ran my hand over my tired face, “Gena, will you please stop so we can talk about this?” I pleaded as she shook her head.

“No, Zachary, I’m tired of this shit. I’m just making it easier on the both of us,” the blonde spat as she walked into the house. I followed the petite woman into the household and just stared as she grabbed her belongings.

“Making what easier?” I exclaimed throwing my hands into the air dramatically.

Gena stopped what she was doing and marched up to me, “Zacky, just look at you. Just look at your fucking eye. I’m not stupid!” she screamed poking my chest.

“So, you’re leaving me, because I got into a fight?” I replied incredulously.

“No, I’m leaving for the reason of the fight. YOU FUCKING KISSED SOMEONE WHO ISN’T YOUR GIRLFRIEND IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY….INCLUDING ME!” She spat angrily.

“Baby, I’m sorry,” I exclaimed taking her hands.

Gena pushed me away, “NO, YOU AREN’T. YOU STILL LOVE HER. IF YOU DIDN’T YOU WOULD WANT ME TO STAY. SO, DO YOU WANT ME?!” She asked gazing into my eyes.

…I hung my head low.

She laughed holding no humor, “That’s what I fucking thought. I hope you’ll be happy with that no good tasteless whore,”

I snapped my head up and grabbed her by the arms, shaking her violently, “DO NOT FUCKING TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT!” I shouted angrily as my eyes shifted to a hunter green color.

Gena looked petrified as I noticed what I was doing and loosened my grip. I dropped my hands to my sides and Gena rapidly grabbed the last of her belongings. She walked out the door, leaving the house key on the table and left without any hesitation.

I dropped to my knees and hid my face in my hands. I was one confused motherfucker. No, wait, I wasn’t confused. I know what the hell I want and that’s Erynn.

My phone began vibrating violently in my pocket as I stuck my hand in and started rummaging. I pulled out my sidekick and saw Matt’s name flashing on the caller id. I answered the call and pressed the phone against my ear.

“Matt?”

I stood up from the ground and furrowed my eyebrows together, “Val? Calm down. What are you saying?”

I ran my hands through my hair as I collected what Val was saying on the other line, “Fuck, I’ll be there!”

I hung up my phone and grabbed my keys from the counter, rushing out the house and towards my destination.

++++

I pushed through the hospital’s revolving door with determination set in my mind as my green eyes searched around the room, looking for my friends.

“ZACKY!”

I snapped my head to see Ashley running towards me. I jogged up to her as she embraced me into her slim arms. I hugged her as she pulled back and stared into the my eyes, “Erynn is hurt really bad,”

My blood boiled as I glanced up to see the guys embracing their significant others. Myesha cried into Brian’s chest as she shook her head violently, “This is my entire fucking fault. I saw all the signs, but never said anything,” she sobbed as Brian soothed his girlfriend.

“Baby, this isn’t your fault. That dick was a coward for putting his filthy hands on her,” Brian seethed angrily as his brown eyes shifted.

“God, I should have fucking killed that fag!” Matt spat standing up from his chair as he started pacing around madly.

“Matt lower your voice. They can kick us out of here,” Val reasoned with her boyfriend as Matt began fuming. Stream was blowing out of his ears and nostrils, “I DON’T FUCKING CARE! THAT DOUCHE PUT ERYNN HERE! I SHOULD SLIT HIS THROAT. YES, I’LL SLIT HIS THROAT RIGHT NOW!”

“Sir, can you please lower your voice,” a timid nurse asked sternly as she examined the tall heavily tattooed man.

Matt snapped his head and pointed his finger at her, “You stay the fuck out of this!”

“MATT, SIT YOUR ASS DOWN AND CALM THE FUCK DOWN!” Jimmy exclaimed at the lead singer as his crystal blue eyes blazed with annoyance.

Matt grumbled under his breath and begrudgingly plopped down in the chair. Jimmy huffed and glanced around at us as I licked over my snakebites and shook my knee, “We’re going to stay calm and wait for a doctor to tell us what the fuck is up, alright,”

Matt was about to say something, but Jimmy turned him down, “Shut it, Shadows!”

Matt glared his hazel eyes at the drummer and stared across the room. Hours and hours seemed to have passed as I ran my hand roughly through my hair. Someone would go to the bathroom or ask the receptionist anything new about Erynn.

Time seemed to wind down as we heard shoes coming down the halls. Nine heads popped up as a doctor sauntered towards us with a beige folder in his hands. The man looked no older than his mid-thirties as he pushed up his glasses.

“Matt Sanders?”

Matt stood up suddenly and we followed, huddling around the doctor. The man chuckled staring at us, “You must be all of Erynn’s family?” he asked with a soft smile.

Princess nodded with teary eyes as Johnny held the shorter woman, “Yes, we love her dearly,”

The doctor nodded his head and Matt stepped up with a lost look in his yellow eyes, “Is she alright,”

Doctor Jefferson smiled softly and looked down at his folder, “Erynn’s alright. She’s in stable condition and is resting,”

I was afraid to ask, “Can you tell us what happened to her?”

The light skinned man pinched the bridge of his nose and scanned Erynn’s test sheets, “Erynn suffered multiple blows to the face, fractured ribs, and needed twenty stitches to the hairline and cheek. She was lucky the cut didn’t ruin her visions,”

I was seeing red. I clenched my fist as Myesha shook her head, “God, I knew it. I knew it,”
Brian placed his tattooed hands on his girlfriend and made her look up, “Myesha, this is not your fault,”

Myesha nodded but sighed, “But, I could have reported this. I knew Erynn was hiding something,”

Jimmy rubbed over his face tiredly as he spoke, “Myesha, Erynn was hiding this from all of us,”

We knew Jimmy was right, but why didn’t Erynn tell us from beginning. We could have saved her. I could have saved her.

“Would you guys like to see her?” Doctor Jefferson asked politely as we nodded, “Okay, but it’s two at a time,”

“Alright, I’ll go last,” I commented sitting down on a chair as Matt and Val followed the doctor through the doors.

Jimmy sat down next to me and placed a hand on my back, “Erynn will be alright, Zack. She’s a fighter, remember,”

I glanced up from my hands and stared into Jimmy’s crystal blue eyes, “I know she is. I just can’t stop the feeling some of this is my fault,”

Jimmy sighed deeply and gazed into my soul, “And how is this your fault,”

I sighed and shook my head, running my hands through my short hair, “If I just stopped loving her this shi---“

Jimmy placed his hand against my mouth and I furrowed my eyebrows together. Jimmy removed his hand away from my lips and wagged his finger at me, “Now, you listen, mister. You can’t stop loving the ones you care for. I see this situation as a sign for you and Erynn to rekindle what you guys had from the start,”

I gazed down at the tiled floor and sighed, “You’re right, Jimmy,”

I glanced up and saw Jimmy giving me a toothy grin, “Of course, I’m right, Zack. Just think about it,” he said patting me on the back as he stood up from the chair and walked towards Ashley.

Brian and Myesha returned from seeing Erynn and I just noticed I’m the last one to go. Brian and Johnny took a seat on each side of me as I licked over my snakebites, “So, what happened with Gena?” Brian had the encourage to ask me.

I merely shrugged and glanced into the guitarist’s chocolate brown eyes, “What about her?”

Johnny stayed quiet, before speaking, “So, you finally realized Erynn is the one?”

I nibbled on my piercing and stared at my two friends, “Is it too late to say yes,”

Brian smiled widely at me, “Nope,”

Jimmy and Ashley walked through the doors as I stood up from my spot. I walked past the couple as Ashley placed a hand on my bicep, “She’s asking for you,”

I visibly gulped as Jimmy patted my shoulder and walked away with his girlfriend. I sighed deeply and pushed through the doors as anxiety was kicking in. My green eyes stared down the stretched pale walls of the hallway.

..I really hated hospitals.

My heart was racing and palms became sweaty. My feet did the walking as I found myself standing at Erynn’s door. There she was. Staring out the window, watching the night sky as tubes was hooked up to her nostrils. A patch was taped under her eye and her flawless face was bruised, but that didn’t take away the beauty from her.

My eyes started to sting as I walked into the room. Erynn turned her head and smiled beautifully at me as I took a seat in a chair next to the bed. I scooted the chair as close as human possible and placed my head on her lap. Erynn ran her hand through my dark locks and stared into my blurry vision. I noticed her long luscious hair was not chopped off in a distorted way.

“Why Erynn? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Erynn stopped her actions and turned her head as I straight up in the chair, “What did you want me to say, Zacky?”

Her voice. Her beautiful voice. That bastard ruined her voice.

The sound lost its sweetness, now it sounds like Sophia Bush but in a good way. I sighed deeply and ran my hands through my hair roughly, “Oh, I don’t know. That my fucking pussy of a boyfriend decides to use me has a punching bag,” I exclaimed standing up from the chair and started pacing around the room.

“Zack, it was not like. If I told you guys. Chris would have killed me,” Erynn retorted with tears streaming down my face. I stopped in my tracks and saw Erynn shake, “You guys don’t know how much I had to live with this ordeal. Chris cheats on me countless and hits me when, I’m supposedly out of line. I had TWO fucking miscarriages, because of him. You don’t know how embarrassing it is to know you’re a laughing stock, when your boyfriend is slapping you around. I hated it! I hated myself. I just wanted to die!” Erynn cried loudly as her body shook violently.

I ran towards her side and embraced her in my strong grip. Erynn cried into my shirt and I soothed her hair. I kissed her forehead as Erynn stopped shaking and pulled away from my embrace. I tilted her chin and made her gorgeous hazel eyes stare into my green ones. Erynn searched my face as I spoke, “I love you, Erynn,”

Erynn stared deep into my orbs and responded, “I never stopped loving you, Zacky,”

I gazed at her full lips as I cradled the back of her head. Erynn stared at my pierced lips and I softly placed mine on hers. Erynn kissed back as our lips fused together. I felt electricity shook my body and I knew Jimmy was right.

…You can’t stop loving the ones you care for.