City of Delusion
Part Sixteen
The next morning, I woke up to Patrick at my bedside, his sleeping figure slumped over my bed, his hand close to mine. I gently began stroking his fingers, at the same time staring out into the busy hallway, anything to distract me from the pain surging through my body. Patrick mumbled a bit in his sleep, only to jerk awake a few seconds later. He yawned and looked up at me, a relieved smile crossing his lips.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked, smiling as he took my hand and squeezed it. I cringed a bit at that, which immediately sent him into mini-panic mode. I sighed and shook my head as his hand went for the call button. He sighed and withdrew his hands into his lap, staring at the floor.
“I slept fine, I guess,” he replied softly, his gaze looking at everything but me. I gently grabbed his chin and turned his face to mine.
“This is isn’t your fault. I can tell you’re blaming yourself.”
“But-”
“I’m fine,” I reassured him, already knowing what he was going to say. He looked around, taking in the surroundings, the dreary hospital room, his eyes still screaming out apologies.
I lay back and stared up at the ceiling, the tension in the room growing. Why did this have to happen? Everything had been going so well.
A heavy silence fell over the room, the only noise to keep me from going insane coming from the beeping monitors and hushed voices in the hallway. It continued for a few minutes before someone ran into the room.
“Sorry to bother you,” Pete gasped, clutching his side. “But they caught him.” He turned on the TV, before being dragged out by hospital security. Patrick and I looked up at the screen, only to see Paul being shoved into a cop car. I gasped and looked over at Patrick. He looked at me, a smile crossing his face.
“It’s over.”
“How’d you sleep?” I asked, smiling as he took my hand and squeezed it. I cringed a bit at that, which immediately sent him into mini-panic mode. I sighed and shook my head as his hand went for the call button. He sighed and withdrew his hands into his lap, staring at the floor.
“I slept fine, I guess,” he replied softly, his gaze looking at everything but me. I gently grabbed his chin and turned his face to mine.
“This is isn’t your fault. I can tell you’re blaming yourself.”
“But-”
“I’m fine,” I reassured him, already knowing what he was going to say. He looked around, taking in the surroundings, the dreary hospital room, his eyes still screaming out apologies.
I lay back and stared up at the ceiling, the tension in the room growing. Why did this have to happen? Everything had been going so well.
A heavy silence fell over the room, the only noise to keep me from going insane coming from the beeping monitors and hushed voices in the hallway. It continued for a few minutes before someone ran into the room.
“Sorry to bother you,” Pete gasped, clutching his side. “But they caught him.” He turned on the TV, before being dragged out by hospital security. Patrick and I looked up at the screen, only to see Paul being shoved into a cop car. I gasped and looked over at Patrick. He looked at me, a smile crossing his face.
“It’s over.”