Lost in the Shadows

35

Bang

Bang

Bang

I didn't mean to

It wasn't meant for her

It all echoed in my mind over and over as the pain in my back was still prevalent. I slowly opened my eyes to take in my surroundings. I was in a small hospital bed that shockingly felt fairly comfortable considering the circumstances. "Wes," I called after realizing he was holding my hand with his eyes closed.

He quickly stood up in a panic, but then pushed the hair out of my face. "How are you feeling," he asked sincerely.

"Like I've been shot, was I shot," I joked but Wes didn't find it amusing at all. Tough crowd, I thought.

"This isn't funny, if that bullet would have hit you half an inch to the left, you would be paralyzed or dead. You almost died, Danielle," he frantically explained making me want to ease his stress.

I was about to say another snarky comment like 'unfortunately for you, you're stuck with me'. But decided against that since Wes seemed so shook up about it. I however deal with stress and pain through humor and jokes. "But im here," I decided to say instead.

"Yeah, and now that you're okay I can finally yell at you about how stupid you are. He was aiming for me but you took the bullet," he calmly yelled at me like a disapproving parent. I just sat there not knowing what to say and neither did he until he knelt beside me grabbing my hand into his, "look, I love you, but never do that again. Whatever happens to me happens. I've lived this life my whole entire life, if it's my time, it's my time. I can deal with that, but if you die, I can't live with that. You're the most important thing to me and I forbid you paying for my burdens," he started tearing up m but I wiped them before they had a chance to stream down. "There was so much blood. I was so scared I was going to lose you," he confessed burying his head into my lap.

I felt for him, I would react the same way if the roles were switched, but I knew in my heart that I would do it again. Just as I wrapped his curls around my finger, the boys walked in bringing various gifts. "We didn't know what to get," David said dropping a big brown teddy bear on the ground.

Wes wiped them tears from dave discretely before taking the gifts and placing them on the table where many other things lied. "What is that," I asked referring to the flower and stuffed animal shrine.

"You're a popular girl," Luke commented. "Like everyone on the team came down to visit you," he said making me feel good that the team is finally excepting me.

The boys looked at Wes making him walk out of the room in hurry, I knew he was angry. Not at me, but at the situation as a whole. "You really scared him back there, you know?" David said walking further into the room.

"Why does every one keep saying that as if I woke up this morning thinking to myself 'I wonder what a bullet in my back feels like'," I rolled my eyes mocking the way him and Wes keep telling I scared him.

"Well, we're all glad your feeling better," he laughed. "You've been out for 10 hours," David told me nonchalantly as if that wasn't a big deal.

I attempted to sit up, but my back still throbbed with pain and that's when Wes walked in with a nurse, "Can you give her more medicine, she's still in pain," he instructed her as she nodded checking my heart rate and the monitor.

"How'd you know it was hurting," I asked him as he handed me Jell-o.

"I've been shot a few times in my life," he said sitting down beside me again. "Other than the back wound how do you feel," he asked checking my head for a fever.

"A little loopy," I admitted staring at the red Jell-O that wiggled when Wes handed it to me. I continued to examine the wiggles making Wes take the Jell-o back from me.

"That's the medication working," he told me as if he's been through all of this before. I wondered how many times he's been shot and if anyone was there for him. I assumed the boys were, but as I watched them poke things and cut up the flower pedals with their knives, I could imagine they weren't much help.

"When can I leave? I want to leave now," I told him,

"We can see about tomorrow, but you're not leaving here tonight. And trust me you don't want to leave, tomorrow that wound will hurt like a bitch." I felt my eyes getting sleepy again, but I wanted to stay up and talk to Wes, I hated to see him this distraught. "Also, I'm about to call your mom and tell her what had happened," he said sitting up from his chair, but I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down.

"Don't call her, she'll make me go back to Georgia. Please don't," I begged. I realized how weird that sounded, begging Wes to not tell my mother I've been shot.

"Danielle, you were shot, I think you going back to Georgia would be good for you," he said not excited about me leaving either.

"No. I want to stay here with you," I groaned not releasing his arm.

"Well, staying with me almost got you killed," he sternly told me.

"What about the plan then? What are you going to do Friday?" I asked on my last straw of ideas to get him to let me stay.

"To hell with the plan. I don't think you understand the seriousness of you being shot. I almost lost you, do you really think I'm going to let you just walk into an cruel murderers house," he spat but he never raised his voice.

"You're going to lose me if you send me away," I told him making his face drop.

"I know," he paused looking at me, "but at least you'll be alive."

"David, help me out here," I called wondering if his best friend could talk him into letting me stay.

"We-," he tried, but quickly stopped once Wes gave him the death glare. A face that would frighten anyone, except me. He doesn't scare me.

"Wes please, let me stay. I love you," I pleaded pulling his arms closer to me. I saw the boys look over to us in shock as they shared glances of confusion wondering if they heard that correctly.

"And I love you, that's why you have to leave," he said not caring if his friends heard him admit his feelings towards me.

"Can we please talk about this when I'm less dizzy," I begged as he planted a kiss on my forehead.

He let out a sigh of confliction, but nodded, "Yes, get some sleep," he instructed allowing me to rest.