A/N:
Merry Christmas y'all, here's your update!
Previously:
I leapt up, determination seeped through my body. I looked around frantically and though my blurry eyes refused to focus I could make up my mom's figure… with a gun being held to her heart. I ran, her attacker stared at me in horror as I tried to snatch the gun out of his hand, but I froze in horror as the attacker who still had a light grip on the gun looked into my eyes and pulled the trigger, the nose of the gun still pointing straight towards my mom.
()()()()
The gunshot that followed echoed through the alleyway like a whisper. Zach's final attacker fell to the floor. Mr Solomon was grabbing the gun out of my mom's attacker/potential killer's hand and with one deft motion a bullet went straight into the man's heart. But my eyes were only on my mom, her eyes were only on me.
"Mom, don't move" I found myself saying as I rushed over to her. "I'll get Mr Solomon to get help" I shrugged off my jacket and looked for where blood was seeping out, but I couldn't see anywhere. Finally my mom looked down at my stomach and my heart stopped. I followed her gaze to where blood flowed freely out of my side. The first thing I felt was relief. My mom was safe; my mom wasn't going to die. The second was the pain. I fell onto the floor, everything felt like slow-motion as all the faces of the people I cared about leaned over me.
"Stay awake Cammie" I winced as I heard Zach's voice say the same words he'd said at the fire. He'd saved me back then, but there was really nothing he could do now. I used the last of my energy to look down my body where Zach was trying to stop the bleeding with my jacket, his fingers fumbling hastily in his rush to stop the blood. That was when I knew… I had no chance, Zach was a spy, and he was never clumsy.
Someone pushed my head back down. "It should have been me!" I heard my mom sob. "Someone just hurry up and get the CIA! Joe!"
"They're on their way" Mr Solomon reassured her. "Zach, keep putting pressure on the wound"
"I am" Zach said.
Every word began to become a struggle to understand, it sounded like people were whispering.
"I love you" My mom whispered into my ear. I smiled. This must surely be the best way to die… except from the pain. I felt my body begin to relax, letting the pain engulf me.
"Please don't give up Cammie" Zach was saying… well at least that's what I thought he said. What I hoped he said, because I tried my best not to give up.
It was ages before I heard the sirens… but then I heard my mom say "Thank god they were quick"
Suddenly it felt like my body was being shoved in all directions, cold hands gripped onto me tightly.
"Let… me… go" I managed to murmur.
"It's okay darling, I'm with the CIA" the woman said.
"Let me carry her!" I relaxed again at the sound of Zach's voice.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea…" The woman began to say. "She may not want that"
It took all the strength I had but I finally managed to mutter something that sounded a little like "Zach…"
I felt myself being jostled a little and then I was in warm and familiar arms. "This doesn't mean you can sleep Cammie, you need to stay awake" I heard Zach say sternly. I smiled to myself, it was no more than the slightest twitch of my lips but by the way Zach suddenly held my body tighter I was sure he'd seen.
I felt myself being laid on some kind of bed… "Zach" I muttered in alarm.
"I'm right here, I promise I'll stay with you Cammie, your mom's here too, and Mr Solomon, it will all be okay…"
Those were the last words I heard before everything turned black. The only thing I could feel was Zach's hand in mine, and I never felt it leave.
()()()()
"Do you think she can hear us?"
"No" someone said definitely.
I felt someone gently stroking the back of my right hand, someone else had a firmer grip on my left hand and I instantly recognised it as Zach's hand.
I somehow managed to twitch my fingers. "She's awake!" I heard Zach's voice; I'd never heard him so happy before.
"How do you know?" I heard my mom ask.
"She moved her fingers!" Zach sounded like a child opening their presents on Christmas day.
"She didn't move her right hand" my mom's voice sounded dead. "Are you sure?"
It took all of my will power but I gave my mom's hand a feeble squeeze.
"Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed. "Cammie, if you can hear me, I love you so much!"
I could feel my consciousness drifting, but I gave each of their hands a final squeeze.
"I love you too Cammie…" I couldn't bet on it… but I could have sworn that was Zach who spoke.
()()()()
"It's been four weeks now"
"I know… but the doctor said that's normal when the patient has been in a coma"
Four weeks. Coma.
I was sure my heart stopped at their words. How could it have been four weeks since I'd last woken up? I was absolutely determined not to sleep again…
()()()()
"How long has it been now?"
"Ten weeks"
I immediately panicked. This time I was determined. I would not sleep until I'd spoken to Zach… I took a deep breath… but chocked. Something was lodged in my throat, my painfully numb hand tried to move whatever was blocking my windpipe but something was pulling at my hand.
"Cammie calm down!" Someone urged. "Doctor!" Someone was yelling. I tried to breathe again but there was still something blocking my throat, why couldn't they get it out! I was still chocking, I could feel tear pouring down my cheeks, the heart monitor beside me was going crazy, and the beeping was pounding annoyingly in my head. I reached with my other hand and felt the wires holding back my hand. I pulled them out, somehow managing to scream at the pain it created, hot liquid was pouring down my hand.
"Cammie, calm down, open your eyes, you're in hospital!" I didn't recognise the voice, I continued to scream.
"Cammie, I'm here!" as soon as I heard the voice I felt my body relax, I frantically felt for Zach's hand and found it.
"Cammie, breathe, just breathe!"
"…Can't…" I managed to choke out.
"You're on a ventilation tube so you have to breathe steadily"
As I swallowed I could in fact I could feel the tube obstructing my throat, I tried to do what Zach said and breathe slowly, and sure enough I could finally feel fresh air filling my lungs, burning my throat.
"I know it feels strange" The man said. "And I know it hurts, but it will help you to breathe easier"
I felt Zach's fingers trace the back of my hand and I finally opened my eyes. At first the only thing I could see was a blinding light, I blinked stupidly. It took a while but my eyes finally grew accustomed to the light and I could start to make out the shapes of the people surround me. Zach and a man I had no idea of the name of.
"I'm your Doctor" the man answered my unasked question, he wasn't looking at me though, he was looking at my hand. I followed his stare and gasped at the blood pouring out where I'd ripped out some tubes.
"I need to sort that out" he said. "Look the other way"
I did as he said and looked at the only other place I could. Towards Zach.
"How are you feeling?" He asked. It wasn't until he asked that I felt the stabbing pain in my stomach where I'd obviously been shot, but otherwise I just felt numb.
"I feel like…" I began to say fine, but Zach's expression was telling me not to lie. "Like I haven't slept for ten weeks"
Zach shivered as he said. "That's exactly how long you have been sleeping… it's probably the morphine"
There was one question that was burning at the forefront of my head, but I was too scared to ask it, and I could see Zach was too scared to give me the answer… but then he sighed.
"We won't be going back to The Gallagher Academy Cammie" He smiled warily.
"Why not?" I asked panic stricken. "What about Liz, Bex and… Macey"
Zach smiled a little at this. "They're coming back to Blackthorne with us"
"But what about Mr Smith? And their parents? And…"
"Cammie, we go to a school for spies…" He started to say but I gave him a frantic nudge and looked towards the doctor sorting out my hand.
The doctor smirked. "It's okay, I'm with the CIA" the doctor smiled.
Zach smirked and continued. "We go to a school for spies, your mom managed to get proof about what was going on at the Gallagher Academy and she's at the Langley CIA base right now trying to sort out letting everyone from there come to Blackthorne"
"Do you think she'll be able to?" I asked.
"Of course" Zach smiled. "This is your mom we're talking about"
"And… what did the Circle want me for?" I asked shakily.
Zach seemed reluctant to answer at first… I mistook it for sadness about his mom being dead.
"Are you sad… about your mom?"
"Of course not" Zach almost laughed and I breathed a sigh of relief, but then Zach's eyes hardened. "They wanted the names of the Circle members… the ones that your dad died to protect… but it's okay, because they didn't get them" Zach smiled.
The doctor finally left and the room descended in an awkward silence.
"Zach I need to ask you something" I sighed, knowing Zach might laugh at me.
"I heard you say you love me" I couldn't meet Zach's eyes but he was trying to meet mine.
"I did" Zach confirmed. I looked up at him. "Because it's true" he shrugged as if he were trying to make out it was no big deal.
"Well, I kinda feel the same" I smiled. Zach looked up at me sharply.
"Even after everything I've done?" He asked.
"What?" I frowned.
"Cammie, I let you get shot, how can you still love me after that?"
"Fairly easily!" I cried out indignantly "Especially as it wasn't your fault." Zach raised his eyebrows sceptically. "At all" I said defiantly, signalling that was the end of the argument.
Zach sighed in defeat. "Fine, you win our first ever argument as boyfriend and girlfriend" Zach smirked. I rolled my eyes.
That night I slept badly… it was mainly due to the fact I didn't want to sleep. Zach was cuddled up next to me, his arm draped gently over my body, my head on his chest. It was just so perfect that I was scared to sleep and realise that another week had gone past… another month… or even a year!
"Go to sleep Cammie" Zach muttered into the pillow.
"I don't want to" I said as I cuddled up tighter next to him.
"I'll still be here when you wake up" Zach promised as his fingers brushed gently through my hair.
"Promise?" I asked.
"Promise" Zach replied. And he never broke that promise.
So at the moment this is looking like the end unless I decide to do another chapter just to finish a few things off… but I'm thinking this looks like a fairly okay place to end. What do you think? Revieeeeew please! Also check out my new story 'Rebellious'!