Running From Lions

I came around in the ambulance with Alex holding my hand crying.

“Alex,” I said and he jumped up.

“Rory, are you okay? That’s a stupid question really. I rang Jack he’s coming now, your brother left and they said they’ll ring your parents when they get you to hospital,” he said and I tried to move.

“Okay Rory you need to keep still okay,” the woman said and I looked at her like she was crazy.

“What’s she on about?” I asked and then I realized they’d taken my top off.

“What the hell?” I asked and Alex rolled his eyes.

“I tried to tell them it was your favorite top but well you’d never get the stain out of it babe,” he said squeezing my hand.

“What stain?” I asked and he looked at me.

“Rory when you moved you started bleeding, your top was covered in blood,” he said.

“Why?” I asked and the woman looked at him.

“Rory Jonah got you, I tried to tell you to leave but you didn’t. He cut me as a threat! Do you really think I’d have let him touch me without severe threats? He’d got a knife Rory, he’s stabbed you,” he said and I shook my head.

Jonah would never do that to me! I told myself over and over as I tried to convince myself this was a lie.

I must’ve passed out again because I remember nothing from the ambulance to being in a room with Xavier.

“Rory,” Xavier said standing up at my side.

“Are you okay? Jack should be here soon. They’ve tried to ring your parents but they’re not answering so he said he was going over to see them before he came down here,” Xavier said and I nodded.

“Is Alex okay?” I asked and Xavier nodded.

“He’s fine. How are you feeling?” he asked and I nodded feeling sick.

Xavier who sat on the edge of my bed holding my hand.

“It’s a good job Jack wasn’t there, he’d have been useless. He always has been in a crisis; Alex kept his head. I’m sorry I should’ve walked him home,” Xavier said and I shook my head.

“Jonah did this, why would he do this? Why Alex?” I asked and he shrugged.

“Where is he?” I asked and he moved the hair from my face.

“He’s with the doctors but he’ll be through as soon as he’s finished up he’s with his parents so I stayed with you. Jack would kill me if I left you alone,” he stated and I smiled.

“I know you don’t need this but can you think of anywhere your parents might be?” he asked and I shook my head.

“Home, when I left they were arguing. It was my fault I started talking about Jonah and dad took my side, where’s Jonah?” I asked and he shook his head.

“He took off before the ambulance got there, Alex couldn’t keep you and chase him so he stayed with you. Don’t you worry about everyone else, Jack will get here soon enough,” he said as Alex walked in followed by his parents.

Alex was in tears and practically tackled Xavier.

“It’s okay,” Xavier whispered into his hair as Alex shook.

“Alex she’s okay,” he reassured.

“Really?” he asked not looking at me.

“Yes, she will be when her parents get here and sign to say they can operate,” Xavier explained.

“What?” I said and he looked at me.

“You need surgery, they’ve managed to stop you bleeding temporarily but it won’t last forever. They need to operate to stitch you up properly but because your under 18 your parents need to agree to it, every minute they don’t get here makes it worse for you so if you can think of anywhere babe tell us okay?” Xavier said and I just looked at him.

“You guys need to think as well, you maybe don’t know them all that well but anywhere they’ve mentioned going before they could be there,” he said to The Gaskarth’s who were stood in the corner of the room.

Everyone sat in silence as Alex cried into Xavier’s shoulder when the door flew open.

“Babe!” Jack said stopping dead at my side and his eyes widened.

“Are you okay?” he asked and I nodded slowly.

“Thanks for staying with her,” he said to Xavier who smiled.

“Mom and dad have gone back home, there’s nobody at your house,” he stated and the nurse walked in to check on me.

Everyone sat down and it felt like hours passed by and a dull ache grew in my side to full pain, it felt like my skin was burning and I couldn’t take it, I shifted around trying to escape the pain.

“Rory,” Jack said jumping up from his chair to me as I squirmed.

“It hurts,” I complained and Alex called for a doctor and they came rushing in, they all started talking and saying things I didn’t understand.

“We can’t until her parents get here,” a nurse argued and the doctor looked down at me.

“She’s bleeding again and unless we do something she could die,” he said and I felt sick.

“No! Do something!” Jack shouted keeping hold of my hand through everyone.

“Unless someone signs to agree to take responsibility we can’t,” the nurse replied as the doctor started shouting things to the nurses.

“You guys have to do it,” Alex said and I heard his parents refuse.

“If anything goes wrong they’ll blame us, we can’t take that chance. We don’t even know her parents that well,” his dad argued and he shouted at them.

Jack just looked between everyone crying and lost.

“You have to do something!” Jack shouted at whoever was listening.

“Have you heard from your parents?” Xavier asked as I closed my eyes.

“No they said they’d ring the hospital if they found them, we can’t do nothing. Please just agree to it, I’ll say I made you, please,” begged Jack.

I felt the pain spread across my stomach making my body freeze in pain stopping every movement I tried to make.

“Fuck it!” I heard someone shout as I passed out.