Thanks to those who have given me positive feedback! I am going to continue writing. This time I'm going to write from Mike's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Everything is black. For a moment, I wonder if I am alive. My eyes crack open, and I see a yellow light above me. I feel numb. I open my eyes a little more. I see a figure sitting near me out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head toward him. I feel even more exhausted after just a slight movement.
My eyes adjust a little more, and I see the figure near me more clearly. It is Ryan Hardy. I look into his eyes.
"I didn't tell them anything," I manage to choke out.
He nods his head at me. I still want him to know.
"I didn't tell them anything," I repeat.
"I know," he softly says.
"I didn't tell them anything."
Suddenly, I can't breathe. My eyes feel wet. I panic. I don't know what's happening to me. Then, I feel a firm hand on my shoulder.
"It's ok," he whispers to me.
"I didn't…" my voice trails off.
"Listen to me, buddy. You did great today," I can hear him say.
There is gentleness in his tone. It doesn't sound like the Ryan Hardy I first met. He also has a different look in his eyes. Guilt, maybe?
He continues holding his hand on my shoulder and making eye contact with me. I catch my breath.
"That's it. Take it easy," he says.
Hearing his voice makes me feel relaxed. I close my eyes, and everything goes black again.
My eyes crack open again. I don't know how long I've been out. I feel a hand on my shoulder again.
"Ryan?" I ask.
"I'm right here," he says, squeezing my shoulder.
"How long was I out?" I ask him.
"A few hours," he says.
"He's been here the whole time?" I think to myself. Maybe there is a softer side to Ryan Hardy after all.
"How come you stayed here?" I ask him.
"I didn't want you to wake up alone," he says.
"Thanks," I respond. "And I didn't tell them Claire's location."
"I know. You kept repeating that until you went to sleep."
"I don't remember any of that," I tell him.
I stare at the ceiling, confused.
"What can you remember?" he asks me.
There is a hint of concern in his voice.
"I remember Charlie stabbing me, gunshots, and you holding me. Everything goes black from there."
It hit me: Ryan is the one who saved my life. I look at him again.
"You saved my life, Ryan," I tell him.
"I'm the reason you're in the hospital," he says. "If I would have gone with you, you would have been ok."
Ryan puts his hands over his face. When he takes them away, it looks like he has tears in his eyes. I reach out and touch his arm.
"It's not your fault," I reassure him.
He looks at me again. I can tell he feels a little better, but he still wears an uneasy expression on his face.
"You should get some more sleep," he tells me.
I nod my head and take my hand off of his arm. I feel the exhaustion take over. I close my eyes, letting the darkness take over.
I hope this turned out ok. Feel free to review.
