Don't Fall Recklessly, Headlessly in Love With Me

Blair begins to stretch in her starched-ridden hospital gown when she is reminded of her sore muscles. She winces at the pain. When she opens her eyes, she tries to focus her vision. She can see a blurry man, tall and dark-haired wearing dark clothing. As her sight becomes clearer, she can make out his square jaw and his mildly defined cheekbones. He is walking towards her, and she notices his deep, emotion-filled brown eyes. They are mesmerizing. Not because they are beautiful, which they are, but because those are the exact same eyes she sees when she looks at her reflection in a mirror. She begins to sit up when the pain of her stiff muscles send a burning electric sensation through her body that she can see behind her eyelids, halting her.

We’d be so less fragile if we were made from metal, and our hearts from iron and our minds from steel.

Aaron pauses in the doorway, unsure of what to do next. He notices there is someone else in the room with her, a blonde sitting in the chair next to the bed. He stares at the petite brunette in the bed across from him; she’s propped up on one elbow, and looks overwhelmingly uncomfortable. Blair turns to the blonde, with a look of confusion on her face. The blonde stands, “Hi. Can I help you?” Blair interrupts her, “No, Serena, its okay.” He takes a deep breath and walks to the side of the bed. “Your mother is out of town, so they called me.” This cold statement burns almost as much as the heat from the flames did. For the first time in her life, Blair is speechless. She stars down at the floor, avoiding eye-contact. “How are you feeling? Is there anything I can do?” His voice is flat and unemotional. “No, I’m fine.” She’s fighting back tears.

Soon you’ll find that if you try to save her, it will renew her anger. You will never win.

The tension in the room is heavy. They both stare at random objects, silently, for what seems like an eternity. “Mr. Hotchner? I’m Serena Van der Woodsen, I’m Blair’s best friend.” He smiles politely, “Nice to meet you.” Blair doesn’t care for the small talk, “S. Where’s Chuck? Is he okay?” Serena turns to Aaron for a moment, before turning back to Blair. “B, he lost a lot of blood and he never woke up… So, it’s not looking good.” This instantly breaks her heart. Tears are streaming down her face as she looks at her father, waiting for him to do something to make it all okay. The way he used to do when she was little.