Stained Red

-I Own Nothing-

Chapter 1

As I wake up I pull the comforter off and start to stand. That's when I notice I am no longer in the hospital. I'm home, at the Quatremaines, in my own bed. When did this happen? Where is Ethan? Was it all just a dream?

I run from my room and down the hall to Ethan's. Stopping in front of it I feel my heart pounding as if it is going to explode in my chest. I need him to be in there and unharmed. Yet, my mind starts to ponder the possibility that he isn't. What if it wasn't a dream and he is still laying in a hospital bed with a bullet in his chest. What if he is wondering why I'm not with him and thinking I still don't forgive him.

I need to know. My hand starts to shake as I reach for the door. It makes a squeaking sound as it opens. I peak my head in and that's when I see him laying on the bed. He is fast asleep. Tears of joy slide down my face and I let out a sob. He must have heard because his eyes open and he looks right at me. Groggily in a whisper he asks, 'Love, Are you OK?'

His voice was all I needed for my feet to move. I run and jump in his arms for him to hold me as the tears keep streaming down my face. He knows I need him to just hold me because he doesn't ask questions. He just fixes it so we are both comfortably laying there with me tightly wrapped around him. I cant let him go because if I do he might disappear. I cant tell what is reality and what is a dream. All I know is that he is here now.

He kisses my head and finally begins to speak again. 'Tell me what's wrong love. I cant help you until you tell me.' My cheeks are stained with tears and every now and then I still have some tears leak from my eyes with a quiet sob. I am afraid to tell him. I don't want to remember. Instead I look in his eyes and tell him I need him. I move my lips to his in a passionate kiss. I have to feel him. I have to make sure this is real. I need him to be real.

He kisses me back and lets me lead. He knows I need for him to just love me. I shut my eyes as I start to unbutton his shirt but that's when I no longer feel him next to me. Opening my eyes, I realize he is gone and I am once again in a hospital bed. I turn my head and see my dad asleep in the chair next to me. I feel the tears once again feel my eyes and fall down my cheeks. It was real. He was shot and now he could die. Its all my fault. I cant lose him.

My quiet sobs must have awoken my dad because I feel his arms wrap around me. I cant do this anymore. I need to be stronger for Ethan, but I don't know how. I hear a squeak that makes me turn my head toward the door . My ex-sister in law, Liz comes through it with a tray of food. She smiles sadly at me while she sets the tray on the table by the bed. I expect her to just turn around and leave but instead she takes a seat on the bed and motions for my dad to go outside.

He looks at her and nods. He doesn't leave until he asks me if I will be ok. I smile through my tears and say I'll be fine. A lie but he needed to hear it. He walks to the door while looking back at every step. Finally he reaches it and turns the knob. My heart goes crazy because I don't want to be left alone. He must see it in my eyes because he starts to come back toward me. Liz stops him though by saying she will stay with me until he returns. I turn my head slightly at Liz and smile a thank you.

I lay myself down as I hear the door close with my fathers departure. I can help but think about what is going on with Ethan. Is he out of surgery. Part of me cries out that I need to be with him. Then my conscious kicks in that I need to wait and let the doctors do their job.

Liz gets off the bed and I start to panic thinking she is leaving. She just smiles at me and moves to the chair that my dad had vacated. I know its selfish and needy to make someone stay with me but I need them to be here. I am afraid if they leave then I will allow myself to leave this room and search for Ethan. Even worse I am afraid of what I will find.

Liz touches my hand. I turn to look in her eyes and I see the sadness in her eyes. She is worried about me. I don't deserve it. I start to tell her so when I hear the door squeak open again. I turn my head and see my dad and Tracy come in. Tracy has been crying and my dad eyes let me know something is wrong. Its Ethan. I just know it because every part of me is screaming that something happened.

Tracy smiles at Liz and asks her to go and talk to Lucky outside because he needs a word with her. I know they are just trying to get her out of the room. They want privacy to give me the bad news. I watch as Liz smiles sadly and nods as she gets up to leave the room.

Tracy moves to sit in the chair as my dad places himself standing beside it. I have never seen my dad truly scared, but at this moment I can see he is terrified about what he has to tell me. I look him straight in the eyes and I tell him to just tell me. No secrets and no sugar coating anything.

I see him nod as he begins to speak. 'The surgery went well. They placed Lovett in a room to monitor for any side effects that could take place. He was in there for just a few minutes when the alarms started going off saying a code blue was in process. The doctors ran in to save him, but there was a problem. Lovett wasn't in the room. He was gone.'

-Please let me know if you want me to continue.-