I haven't felt so hopeless in my life honestly, everything I witnessed; all of the lives I tried to save, it was all for nothing in the end. Even I couldn't predict this event, let alone save anybody from it either. It was sometime after class, I decided I would make a trip down to Chloe's house for a minute since she wasn't answering my texts at all. I still remember the heartbreak I felt when I saw one of the childhood homes I grew up in dissolve into the hungering flames that almost touched the sky, sending pillars of black smoke everywhere with traces of weed hidden among the thick smog; a classic Chloe move. Of course I acted on instinct; and I ran straight though the front door that was melted off completely in an attempt to try to save her.
I remember the path way, how the flames leaped everywhere; from the curtains, to the filing cabinet laced with important papers that don't have a meaning anymore obviously. It looked like a tunnel of fire in a house full of old memories, so not only was it igniting everything in sight physically, but emotionally as well. Finding a path was tricky, as the smoke invaded the moisture in my eyes and blinded me basically. Of course I tried to stop time like I did with Kate Marsh; but to be honest I had no idea how I did it that time so nothing even happened; I was on my own and I surely thought I was going to die next.
I was making my way upstairs, while the damaged structure began to fall apart in mid air; raining a hailstorm of flames down on top of me and once again blocking the path I used to make it from the door to the steps. Of course I knew what I was getting myself into; but I didn't know if I would be able to make it out. Chloe's room was gone when I managed to carefully step over the less damaged pieces of wood, it was one fiery vortex that pushed me to the point of tears; if it wasn't so fucking hot in there I would have cried at the sight I had witnessed.
There was nothing, all of the rooms were gone, I could scarcely see the outside and watching the bystanders down on the ground, my parents were holding each other; crying at the fact that they lost me too, while the firefighters approach the house with their equipment and waltzed right through the front door. Everything went black by then, I remember trying to make it down the staircase but the crackling sound and the sizzling pops the wooden stairs made under the heat and pressure caused my slim weight to break everything apart and instantly I hit the flaming ground with no remorse from gravity, and that alone was enough to make me pass out. I swear I was done, my skin was seared with massive scars under my clothes, all in lengths that would make it impossible to cover; my hair was basically singed up to my ears but luckily my hair always grew fast, and the blood... I don't remember anything about the blood but I was told before my wounds automatically cauterized; I was coated in it.
I lie there in the hospital bed staring up at the ceiling, thinking of nothing and focusing on the waviness of the room from the drugs they have me on. My head pulsates against my pillow as if it's lodged underwater, my eyes can barely stay open as it is, while the blurry white room once again comes into focus; surrounded by medical supplies, monitors, and that content beeping sound that I dread the most.
I was told by one of the nurses that I was severely injured in the storm, Chloe's house caught on fire and I was reckless enough to believe that I could have saved her life one last time. Maybe some people are just destined to die over and over again until it's lodged inside my brain that there's no way I could have rescued her from her fate. And with that being said, maybe there is a little bit of fate inside of everyone.
Everything hurts, the bones crack and snap under the pressure of my body trying to lift itself up, I try to push myself up again, only to be stopped by the sudden mass of tubes that are sticking outside of my body. From outside of the room that has a row of windows covered with blinds, I can make out the silhouette of someone approaching my door, knocking calmly before entering inside with a small smirk on his perfect face.
Mr. Jefferson's done everything he humanly can to make my stay a little better here in this Hellhole, to be honest I heard from a few people that he cares a little too much about me, not that there's a problem with that at all; I actually kind of like it.
"Glad to see you're awake." He makes himself right at home, while setting down a box of chocolates and flowers on the table beside my bed. I catch a glimpse of his dark brown eyes while he flashes me a quick smile, pulling up one of those comfy chairs and sitting across from me with his dark eyes shining.
Mr. Jefferson's a sweetheart; there's no question about it. He's very helpful towards anyone and not to mention he'd do anything to see someone smile. It's hard to imagine why he's single, I really can't see it to be honest, not to mention everything about him just fits so well; his passion for photography, he's a great listener, there's literally nothing bad I can think about that could affect his outcomes. I mean, of course there's the occasional incident here and there, but other than that; what everybody doesn't know; won't hurt them.
"Still can't communicate properly, I see." He jokes once more; ruffling my hair with his hand while he towers above me, still wearing that same smile he greeted me with at the door.
Everything about him catches me off guard, from the simple actions that he does to make anyone's day, to the fact that all he has to do is even smile in my direction to make me feel like I'm on top of the world. It's wrong, I know. But I can't help but feel like he's the right one despite our age difference.
"S-slightly." I manage to take the words out of my mind and shove them through my mouth, they removed the tube from my throat just yesterday and I've been having some difficulty speaking but not a whole lot, it just feels like my throat is burning really.
He nods his head silently, glancing down at the ground underneath my bed before looking back up and holding my eye contact for a long time. I know there's something on his mind, there always seems to be considering it's been awhile since we even had the chance to be alone after I did what I did, I will admit it was a stupid move; but if your best friend was burning alive inside the very home that gave her a roof over her head; you would attempt the same thing.
"Good, well, better than before when you were in here. I didn't even recognize you when they brought you in..." His eyes look a bit sad while his lips form the words, I guess nobody suspected me to even try to do something about that fire, considering the entire structure was not only on fire; but it was breaking down rapidly and consumed rather quickly. Honestly I didn't achieve anything at all; it engulfed the house within minutes killing Chloe and her mother inside. David however, fuck if I know where he went, but I just have that feeling like he's responsible for this.
I go silent instantly, being consumed by my own thoughts on what I could have done to just be there in time. The signs were there, David was becoming more and more violent towards Chloe, the texts she sent me gave me some clues after I've re-read them a few times, not to mention when her mother called mine the night before; I wasn't told what was going on, but the way she's taking this isn't good at all. If only I was there sooner; if only I didn't try to stop by Warren's house before Chloe's, if only, if only, if only...
Before I know it, my eyes begin to tear up immensely; I couldn't really tell because the drugs they have me on make my vision blurred anyways. Mr. Jefferson quickly gets up from his comfy spot, and gently walks over towards the top of my bed, his icy fingers wipe my tears away against my burning cheeks, he then reaches down a bit and kisses my forehead with a gentle motion. The skin tingles where he kissed me, almost instantly vaporizing all of my tears away while he holds my gaze once more, before he takes one of his hands and moves them down to my shoulder.
"B-but what if someone comes-" Immediately I jolt back just in case somebody walks through the door and witnessing this act; considering almost every half an hour the nurses are here, giving me my medicine or leaving a tray of food behind that I sure as fuck won't touch.
He sighs under his breath, while holding back a small laugh, I always found it cute when he did that.
"Not everything I do must be considered sexual towards you." His fingers move my hospital gown down past my shoulders, exposing the burned flesh that left long, white jagged lines, which mostly healed along my collar bone; but not so quite around my mid section and especially my legs. He touches them lightly, tracing the lines all the way around to the other side of my shoulder with his gentle touch, gazing into my eyes after he's done.
"You're still beautiful, and you will recover nicely with these amazing lightning bolt scars." He sometimes has a little kid attitude towards things that are supposed to be taken seriously, I guess it's good to look at this on the bright side; I could have been burnt to a crisp with no chance at survival whatsoever.
He wraps his arm gently around my shoulder, hugging me softly and pressing my head against his beating chest. Inviting me to see and feel what he feels for me almost, his smile widens a little bit.
"You know I would lay down with you right here and let you lean on me instead of this stiff thing, in a heartbeat." He softly whispers while kissing the top of my head once more in a loving motion.
I already know that he can't because what if somebody checks in and catches him holding me like that... He then carefully removes his arm from my slightly damaged shoulder, I can't tell if it's the drugs that are making me feel this or if it's affection he's giving me, and the affect he has on me. Either way; it feels nice and relaxing despite the images that still dance across my mind from the fire.
He then reaches into the bag he brought with him, pulling out a handmade quilt and setting against the small couch by the window that overlooks Arcadia Bay and the ocean, spreading out the blanket he then reaches over to grab one of the couch pillows, using it as a pillow for himself. My eyes follow him, noticing that I must have been passed out for the entire day considering it's dusk outside, and the streetlights light up the darkness down below the third floor.
"I don't mind, to be honest when you were out for a few days I managed to overhear when your parents couldn't make it to spend some nights here, so I would instead. I hope that isn't weird to do." Once he gets his makeshift bed ready, he pulls himself up off of the couch and calmly walks towards the room light to switch it off, plunging the room into total darkness; minus the monitors attached to me to keep track of my heart rate and stuff.
That's actually really sweet of him, making sure I wasn't alone when I wasn't aware of what was happening around me. I actually like having this secret love affair behind everybody's back, to be fair Warren kind of knows, he caught us one day after classes in his room near the back far away from the door and well, Warren hasn't talked to me since. As far as I know he hasn't even walked through those doors to even say hello to me. I guess he hasn't told anyone; nobody came barging down the hallway to haul Mr. Jefferson away in handcuffs yet; let's not jinx it either.
He returns his way towards the window without managing to hit his toes on anything in the room, considered it's trapped with tubes, and bulky stands, and all that fun stuff and quietly crawls under the quilt on the comfy small couch. He positions himself so that way he can just gaze up and meet my eyes even in the dark due to the light glow of the monitor beside my bed, he smiles a heavenly smile and then groggily opens his mouth, yawning in the process.
"I'll be here in the morning, just like I have been for the past few days."
And with that he closes his eyes, and begins to breathe deeply against the quilt. I can't help but smile at him while he sleeps peacefully on that small couch, who would have ever thought that I would end up with someone like him? Never mind the age difference and how we met, it's the fact that he looks after me at my worst, and never even left my side once. And if he did, it was to avoid my suspicious parents who are starting to catch on rather quickly than I had thought. The nurses noticed him around and asked if he was a relative of mine; of course he lied and said yes, so let's just hope they don't ask my parents about him any time soon. For now, I just want to focus on getting better and enjoying the time he's been making for me, even if it just so happens to be late at night.