Levy's POV

I remember thinking the hospital room felt so quiet just moments before hell broke loose. Natsu was in surgery, Gray knocked out, and Lucy sedated. Parents, friends and siblings began to join our little group, offering comfort and peace.

Gray's cousins, Lyon and Ultear, ran into the hall breathing heavy. I grabbed Ultear in a hug, not caring that we had issues. Fear filled her eyes as she clung to me. "It's okay, he's going to be fine. The moron was raising hell in the hallway when we got here. Gajeel knocked him out so the nurse could look at him."

"Thank God!" Ultear cried as she buried her head in my shoulder. "I- I'm sorry for everything I did to you. I'm sorry I hurt you and Wendy."

"Don't," I laughed. "It's okay. Go check on Gray."

With that, the girl ran off to be with her family. Lucy's father dropped into the seat to the left of me as Igneel took the one to my right. "That boy of yours will be Lucy's death."

"Jude, shut up. She loves him and he's on an operating table. Of course she panicked, triggering a seizure. Layla would have done the same if it was you."

"True." Lucy's father laughed.

"Levy?" Igneel glanced at me. "Have you heard anything yet?"

"Lucy and Gray are stable and will most likely be discharged either tonight or tomorrow. Nothing on Natsu. Sorry, sir."

I quickly excused myself to go sit beside Lucy's bed. She was sedated so it was boring, but it was calming. That was until the door opened.

Jose stood inside the door, a smirk painted on his face. He grabbed my arm and I twisted out of it, bringing my other arm up and catching his cheek with a hard punch. He fell and I ran to Lucy's side, carefully pulling her from the bed. I glanced at Jose to see him slowly regain consciousness. There was no way to get Lucy out of the room with him waking up, I had to protect her though. Moving fast, I pushed her limp body across the tiles, hiding it under the bed before facing off with Jose.

I wish I had been stronger, I wish Gajeel hadn't opened that damn door. I wish Jose had never come back.

Gajeel lay bleeding out on Lucy's hospital room floor. I sat cradling his head as doctors rushed around us and Igneel restrained Jose. I felt tear slip from my eyes and watched them fall on his cheek.

A hand touched my shoulder and I realized I was screaming his name repeatedly, trying to wake him. Metalicana pulled me away from him as the doctors rushed him into surgery. I couldn't stand, I had no strength. All I could do was scream.

Lucy was pulled from under the bed and moved to another room. Jose was rushed out of the hospital, a doctor following to stitch his arm. Igneel didn't want to risk him getting away again or bleeding out.

I watched the doors Gajeel disappeared behind. I felt cold and alone. The rooms looked darker and colors looked duller. I knew I loved him. I wasn't stupid. He lit up my world and made me feel invincible. He gave me the strength to fight Jose to protect Lucy. I couldn't live knowing I was the reason he died. So I prayed.

I've never believed in God or any all powerful being before. I didn't know who to pray to, so I prayed to all of them. I begged any Devine power to step in and save him. I begged with all my heart.

I was shaking. My breathing began to come and go in awkward, uneven gasps. An ache formed in my chest and I screamed. I couldn't do this. I couldn't sit here while he fought for his life. I was hysterical.

A heavy leather jacket fell over my shoulders and a hand rubbed my back. Sobs tore through me. Blood stained my hands. Red surrounded me once more. Fear hugged me tight as I began to rock.

Laxus's POV

I stood in the hallway outside the operating room and stared at Little Blue. The strong girl was gone, the hero no longer present. A woman who took the death of her family, the abuse, the bullying, her first friends being injured, and Lucy being attacked with a fighting spirit and a will to survive was falling to pieces on the waiting room floor. Her face was pale, her eyes bloodshot and puffy. Tears flowed rapidly and freely from her eyes and her voice breaking as she screamed and screamed. Her body was covered in blood and her dress torn to shreds. She sat rocking back and forth in a ball on the floor as Metalicana wrapped Gajeel's leather jacket around her and tried to calm her. Doctors stood to the side, discussing whether or not to sedate the hysterical blunette.

Mira cried as she held a screaming Wendy while Erza sat quietly rubbing Rogue's back. Juvia was in Gray's room crying into his shoulder.

I growled and walked up to Little Blue. My fist curled around what was left of her dress and heaved her to her feet. I felt my palm connect with her cheek and a stunned silence filled the room. Levy's eyes began to focus and she regained a bit of her strength.

"Thanks, Laxus, but if you ever slap me again, Mira won't be having babies." She said as she blinked away what little tears were left in her eyes. I smirked only to turn around to see the She-devil giving off a terrifying aura. Oops.

Little Blue was back which meant Wendy and Rogue were about to become a hell of a lot calmer. The tiny blunette had a calming effect on all those around her. She walked with ease down the hallway towards the doors of the operating room. I fell into step behind her, sensing the girl had a plan. I glanced sideways and saw Igneel, Metalicana, Jude, and Guildarts follow suit. Then came Erza, Rogue, The Thunder Legion, Mira and her siblings, and Wendy join our ranks. Lucy rolled herself out of her room as Gray, Juvia, Lyon, Ultear, and Cana stepped out of another room. The nurse who had spoke with Gajeel earlier stepped into the fray as well. We pushed through the doors, ignoring the fact that we weren't supposed to be here and headed towards Gajeel's operating room with the nurse's guidance.

Levy's POV

I pushed through the doors to see Gajeel lying on a table, doctors surrounding him. They were beginning to stitch his wound shut. "Is he okay?"

"You guys shouldn't be in here, but we could hear your screams from in here so I understand that this young man is very important to you." A doctor spoke, her voice somewhere between harsh and sweet. She didn't turn to look at us just continued to work on Gajeel as she started to speak again, "The boy woke up halfway through surgery, mumbling about shrimp and saying he refused to leave it. I have no idea what that meant, but I assume one of you does."

Mira stepped forward, her voice one of respect and sadness, "Gajeel was referring to the small blunette in the large leather jacket, ma'am. He sometimes calls her Shrimp."

"Is that so? Come here, child. If you're the one he was mumbling about, maybe hearing your voice will help him fight for his life." The woman said.

I stepped forward, slowly closing the gap between myself and the boy I loved. When I reached the table, the woman took my hand and placed it in his, telling me to talk to him, to give him hope. So, I spoke.