Chapter 4;
DAN'S POV;
The following morning, I was awoken by a nurse entering to check on Keri. I slowly raised my head from Keri's side and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.
"Have you been here all night?", asked the nurse.
"Yeah," I replied sheepishly.
Truth was that I couldn't bring myself to leave her side. I needed to know that she was okay before I could leave.
"You must be exhausted. Maybe you should go home and get some sleep."
"I'm not too bad actually. I managed to sleep for three hours or so and anyway I can't leave her here on her own."
"Would you like me you to bring you up some breakfast?", the nurse asked as she wrote up Keri's notes.
"No, I'm okay, you don't need to bother about me. How is she this morning?", I explained.
"She's doing well. We just have to wait for her to wake up," smiled the nurse.
"I hope she wakes up soon."
"Right well that's all her check ups done. I'll go now and see about some breakfast for you."
"You really don't I'll be fine." I really didn't want to be a burden to her.
"It's my job. You've been here all night Dan, I'd guess that you've eaten nothing in hours, so I'm getting you breakfast! We can't have you worrying yourself to death and not eating because next thing you know you'll collapse on us too and you don't want that now, do you?"
I sighed in defeat, "I suppose not, thanks."
The nurse smiled before exiting the room.
I turned my attention back to Keri.
"Please wake up," I whispered as I took hold of her hand.
A sudden knock on the door made me jump,
"Oh Tom it's you," I relaxed as I recognised the familiar face.
"Just me. Sorry I didn't mean to startle you. How is she?"
"The nurse said she is doing well," I explained.
"Well that's good, isn't it? Have you been here all night?", asked Tom.
"Yeah."
"Do you want to go home and sleep for a few hours?", suggested Tom.
"No, I'm fine. I got a few hours of sleep. I'll be okay mate. I can't leave Keri by herself."
"I can stay if you want and you can go and get some sleep and get changed," volunteered Tom.
"No, I want to stay here."
Tom nodded.
"Here you go," smiled the nurse as she walked into the room with a bowl of cornflakes, a cup of tea, and a plate of toast.
"Thanks," I smiled gratefully.
"No problem. If you need anything else, just come find me, okay?"
"Yeah I will, thanks again."
The nurse smiled before leaving the room.
I grabbed a slice of toast and chomped on it.
Tom stood up, "I'm going to run and get myself a cup of tea, you've made me hungry," Tom laughed.
"Sure."
Tom left and I finished off eating my toast.
"Dan?", a voice questioned.
I was sure I hearing things.
I turned and looked in the direction from which the voice that had spoken my name had come.
As I turned, I was greeted with two beautiful blue eyes.
"Keri?", I questioned, not quite believing my eyes.
"Keri!", I exclaimed as I hugged her. "Thank God you're okay. I was so worried."
"Why would you be worried about me?", questioned Keri coldly.
I felt a pang of guilt wave over me again.
"Oh come on Keri. I'm sorry about how I behaved before with you. I am so sorry."
Keri just looked away from me, just as Tom walked in.
"Mate you will not believe how far I had to walk just to get a cup of tea. Oh and Aneisha rang, she said she'll be here shor- Keri! You're awake!", exclaimed Tom.
"How are you?", he asked.
I stood up. "I'll go let the nurses know that you're awake."
"Dan I can do that, you stay with Keri," offered Tom unaware of the tension between the pair.
"No, I can do it!, I snapped storming out the door.
KERI'S POV;
"What's up with him?", a shocked Tom asked.
"How should I know!", I snapped.
"Did something happen between you two?", enquired Tom.
"No," I snapped.
"If you say so but something doesn't seem right. I've never seen him this worried you know, not even with Zoe. Keri he has sat by your beside all night. He hasn't went home. He has been by your side since the incident."
I feel my expression soften. "He has?"
Tom nods, just as Dan re-entered the room.
"So Keri what happened? The doctors told us that you had poison in your system and that was what caused you to collapse. How did you get poisoned? Was there someone in the room with you?", questions Tom.
I shift in my bed.
"Keri you can tell us you know," comforts Tom.
"I barely know you. I only meet you both yesterday."
"Come on Keri, we just need to find out what happened. We need to know what happened? Why they targeted you?", pleads Tom.
"They...they...they didn't target me," I whisper.
"What do you mean?", demands a startled Dan.
"They...they...they..were after...you," I choke.
"Me?", asks an extremely confused Dan. "What do you mean me?"
"After over hearing you and Aneisha, I stormed off and ran into one of the rooms. But I hadn't realised that there was someone in the room with me because I had been crying. But a noise startled me. I thought that it was you but when I turned it was a young woman. She told me she was going after you. I told her no, to leave you alone. She threw up a small bottle in her hand and caught it. I asked her what it was. She said it was a poison for you. I told her that you weren't here. She of course laughed and told me I couldn't stop her and that you were there. That was when I made a proposition to her," I explain.
"What was the proposition?"
"I told her that you weren't with me, that it had just been me and Aneisha that had come. I told her that if she left you alone, I'd...I'd...I'd"
"You'd what?", demands Dan.
"Dan calm down," warns Tom.
"I'd take the poison," I cry.
"WHAT! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? YOU DON'T NEED TO PROTECT ME! YOU COULD HAVE DIED!", yells Dan.
"So what? I was supposed to just lie down, let her kill you? Really you think I could have done that? Would you have done it? Had it been the other way around, would you have let her kill me?", I sob.
Dan's expression softens at my question.
"No," he whispers. "I wouldn't," before he gets up and leaves the room.
"DAN!"
He ignores my calls.
