The pain of the knife ripping into my side was unbearable. The excruciating pain was more real than I ever thought it could be. I felt warm blood run down my side, and Daniel then pulled the knife out slowly, and I gasped in pain. When the knife finally escaped my body, I doubled over on the forest floor, and clutched my wound. My eyes were squeezed shut, trying to block out the pain, but I heard Rixon's cruel laughter of glory.

I then heard footsteps starting to walk away from me, and I knew that he was leaving me, leaving me to die in the forest.

I breathed in with short breaths, for I couldn't find myself the energy to take long breathes. My world was slowly fading, and the pain only worsened as time went on. Then, I heard the softest sound, almost a cry.

"Nora!" That was the word, my name, over and over again. The saddened call of my name made my eyes sting with tears, as I relieved whose voice was calling my name with mourning. Patch.

"Patch," I whispered. I was too drained of energy to shout, but my urge to live wouldn't die. I sucked in a deep breathe, and used all my energy to call out his name. "Patch!" I screamed, and my abdomen stung with pain, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut again.

"Nora, Nora!" His voice was growing closer, but my breathing was becoming shorter. He was close, and I knew it, but I didn't know how much longer I would last. The smell of fresh blood passed my nostrils, and footsteps came closer, and closer.

"Oh my god, Nora!" When I was opening my eyes at the slightest amount, I saw John leaning next to me. Patch had sweat rolling down his forehead, and his eyes full of fear. Patch reached down, and placed his hand on my wound, pressing slightly down. I winced in pain.

"I'm going to get you out of here, but we're going to take it easy, okay?" Patch asked me. I could only nod, as my energy to speak was officially gone.

Patch slowly cradled me, and then lifted me of the ground as he began to quickly walk to his car. Every step John took shot another pang of pain to me, and I was squeezing Patch's shoulder, hard. After what felt like forever, we finally reached Patch's truck, and I could by then barely open my eyes because of the pain.

Patch then slowly slid into the back seat of his truck, with my back on the seat. He then laid a towel on my stomach and told me to hang on. The truck was on now, and I could feel the sharp turns and hear the sound of wind crashing into the car as he drove even faster.

"Hang on Nora! We're almost there! Keep breathing!" Patch shouted with pure fear and worry in his voice. I kept breathing, even though it hurt, I kept breathing not to live, but for Patch. I am not going to die because of Rixon. He's not going to ruin us. So I continued to take deep breathes, only thinking about Patch, and my mom, and Vee, and about the people that needed me, and loved me.

Suddenly, the tires on the truck screeched to a stop, and I could hear John's front door close. When I heard my door open, my eyes cracked open, and Patch then carefully lifted me out of the truck, and cradled me towards the hospital. Patch was now skipping to the door, and I could feel arm blood slipping down my waist, and hitting the ground, leaving a trail of blood behind us.

"Breathe, Nora!" I heard Patch pleaded before I felt him push the hospital door open. The hospital was bright, and my eyes clenched even tighter because of the pain, and the light.

"I need a doctor! Now!" I heard Patch shout. I then heard a skipping of feet as, I guess, doctors rushed to me. When I once again opened my eyes, I saw that three doctors had come, and they brought a stretcher. Patch hurriedly placed my on the stretcher, and the doctors asked a bunch of questions, but their words were muffled by my weakness.

My eyes were about to close again, until I felt John's hand squeeze mine. I looked up to see Patch, covered in my blood, with a worried look on his face, and he then leaned over, and whispered in my ear,

"Stay with me." I could hear pain in his trembling voice, and I could feel his tear smear on my cold face. I took a deep breathe, and used the remaining of my energy to whisper back, "Always." Until my world collapsed into darkness.