There's No Turning Back

I stared at him for a short while; doesn't he remember? Annie looked up at him, frowning. "Don't you remember?" she asked him and he shook his head, looking down upon her.

"I don't remember everything." he spoke softly, leaning down to kiss her head.

Her face scrunched up in thought, "Why not?" I decided to interfere then, before everything got more confusing for her.

"Because, honey," I started and her head whipped over to me, waiting for an explanation; David's reaction mirrored her's, "David has been asleep for a very long time. Would you remember everything if you slept that long?" I asked her and she thought about the question for a moment, before shaking her head.

David nodded, still staring at me, "Yeah; so do you mind telling me what happened?" he cracked an innocent smile and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"I have to sooner or later," I told myself and he nodded, waiting patiently. I let out a noise to show that I was thinking, "How much do you remember?" I questioned him.

His mouth moved to the side and he stared up at the ceiling in thought. I watched him carefully - examining his hazel eyes as it shined and glistened in the bright light, moving around as he gazed around unmovingly, at the tiled ceiling. My face twisted itself around as I began to examine his nappy hair, thinking about how bad he needed to get it washed and cut it. Also, the pale contrast of his skin looked sickly pale - he's in need of a natural source of Vitamin D.

His lips began to move, "Really, all I remember is up to when I jumped off the fire escape thing and nailed him one in the face." I listened to his words, still examining him up until he turned his head towards me, "Stop staring at me." he whined, pulling up the hood to my vest over his head, making my face twist into contortion more than ever.

"But you look so sick and- disgusting!" I exclaimed, my voice going into a pitch that would contain a whine in it.

"What?" he exclaimed, seeming offended.

"You're so pale, that you look like you'll be sick in any minute- and your hair!" I pulled the hood down from his head, "It's all nappy, and oily and stuff..." I trailed off, resisting to keep my hands down by my side.

He rolled his eyes, "Well sorry I haven't taught myself how to shower in my sleep yet." he shook his head, silently chuckling to himself, "I'll take one when they let me leave." he turned back to look at me, "Mind telling me what happened, now?" he hinted at my dazed, yet still contorted, face.

"Oh uh," I thought over what to say -especially with Annie in the room, "Uhm, so you jumped on him from your spot on the fire escape and told me and the girls to run away, and then I can only guess that you two got into a fight." I struggled with my words, "He shot you... the bullet did pierce your heart a bit but it pretty much missed. You flat lined once from massive blood loss." My voice dropped down to a whisper that was barely above audible.

I stopped there, letting the silence of the hospital take over us; it should be obvious from there what happened afterwards. I went back to what I was doing before: studying David's face.

It seemed to have taken the look of sudden sorrow - only by a few percentages. His eyes focused on a spot on the white blanket that was on his bed; he didn't blink nor move.

I hesitated on disturbing him from his thoughts, "David?" I slowly called his name; Annie looked up at him as well, waving her hand in front of his face. He blinked, finally coming back from whatever world he was in for a moment. Annie giggled and climbed off the bed, running over onto the couch to look out the large window that overlooked the streets and parking lot below.

"You alright there?" I asked him, feeling his forehead - just a chance to touch him again.

"I'm fine; just thinking - the whole thing was like, replaying in my head again." he spoke softly once again, chuckling as he removed my hand away from his face which was planning to lightly smack him on the forehead. "I just woke up and you're already planning to hurt me?"

"Nah - I was just trying to wake you out of your little world." I replied, sighing and laying down next to him, wrapping my arms around his waist as he held me. I felt relief rush through me to know that everything was real and that this isn't just some miracle dream. We laid in silence; I watched Annie from a distance and David probably went back to staring at the wall.

"I'm so glad this is over." David said lightly, almost whispering - breaking the silence around us. I looked up at him, "It's scary, you know - having to fight some guy larger than you, who has a gun. Risking your life to save someone you love and two other people who are barely still kids." he paused, then let out short, bitter laugh, "And then getting shot at the heart, knowing you were dead for a few minutes..."

He took inhaled and then exhaled, pulling me closer to him so that my head laid on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. I gazed up at him through tear-filled eyes; hearing the pain in his voice as he spoke about his experience made me want to cry, even at the little fact that he said he risked his life to save someone that he loves.

"I'm just glad things turned out the way it did," his arms tightened around me. He laid his cheek against my forehead, "-Happy just to hold you right here; I'm not gonna lose you." he whispered, moving his lips to kiss the tip of my nose, "You mean way too much to me. I love you Lianne." his sentences practically died down to a whisper in the end before his lips gently touched mines.

He had caught me by surprise; my breath got stuck in my throat. My heart rate sped up and my thoughts were fogged up. It all came as a rush to me, and I couldn't comprehend his last sentence until he pulled away, placing one last kiss on my forehead.

"I love you too, David." I said gently; I was sure of my feelings.

I walked slowly by Pierre's side as he struggled to keep up a regular walking pace with David on his back. It was a funny sight to see him struggle, with David laying his cheek against Pierre's shoulder - a peaceful, teasing smile playing across his lips as though he was sleeping in heaven. His legs were still weak to walk properly by himself after being inactive for over a month.

"Ugh," Pierre grunted, "I don't see why I have to carry him." his head whipped around to glare at Jeff, Chuck, and Sebastian who were behind us, chatting and teasing Pierre behind his back.

"Because you normally carry him anyway." Sebastian piped up, his accent clearly recognizable. He gave Pierre the thumbs up and stuck his tongue out.

Pierre turned his head towards me and I raised my hands up in defense, "I'm a girl - don't look at me. I don't carry grown men." he rolled his eyes and looked forward, glaring at nothing in particular, "Don't glare when you were so ecstatic to see him in the beginning." I teased him, giggling.

"David!" a group of voices chorused down the hallway outside the open door; I could hear the pairs of feet slap against the cold floor as I-Can-Only-Guess-Who ran towards the room.

"I better get off..." I hesitated, quickly moving into a sitting position. I got up and sat on the white plastic chair that was placed next to the bed, waiting until I sat down before I stopped moving and letting my head calm down from the blood rush.

David shot me a queer glance and in a matter of seconds, four grown men appeared in the room, all of them hopping onto the bed and bombarding him in hugs and greetings. I thought the bed was about to collapse under all of their weight when they pounced on it - or at least I was sure that the bed would've creaked, moved, and made a hole against the wall.

The shocked look on mine and Jamie's faces would've been enough to make anyone believe that the four men would've mugged the patient to death.

"Boys!" Jamie exclaimed, screeching at the same time - a loud noise that caused them to stop, "Calm down before you send him into another coma."

"B-But... David's back!" Pierre partly whined, directing to David.

"But did I volunteer to be the slave around here?" he retorted, his voice going to a high octave.

I shrugged, "Maybe you did; you just sold yourself to your best friend." I smirked at him, "So deal with it." he mimicked me underneath his breath as I let out a cynical laugh.