They leave pretty soon after that, and I'm exhausted. The next few days are a blur of Eliza and Ben, not-talking, nurses, changing bandages, and a dull pain that I know would be a lot worse without the drugs. Or if I were Jacob or Seth, for that matter. I ask the nurse if I can see them, but she just says no and tells me not to talk. Sometimes, she'll tell me they're getting better so I don't ask, but I'm still nervous. If I'm in rough shape, what about them?
Then there's the Volturi. They're out there. What if they find us? They're vampires. And Bella and Edward, they are too. The Cullens were always pretty strange, so it's not that big of a stretch, and I never got what Bella saw in Edward anyways. Maybe she thought the whole vampire thing was attractive. As for the werewolf thing, I'm not really mad he didn't tell me. Obviously, that's not exactly something you can just tell people. But I'm glad I know now.
On day I-have-no-idea, the nurse comes in with a smile. "Want to see him? Seth is stable, so you ready?"
I nod. I'm glad the kid is okay, I really am. But another thought pulls at my gut. "Is Jacob-"
"He'll need a little longer, but soon. I promise," she says as she helps me into a wheelchair. We go down some hallways and into a room similar to mine. She pushes my wheelchair up to the bed, and he turns to me. He's almost completely covered in bandages.
"Hi Seth. uh, I'm Meghan." My voice is less froggy than before. If the lady tells me not to talk, though, I swear.
"Yeah. You're Jacob's Imprint." That word again. Imprint. What's it mean? I just nod and smile. We sit in silence until the nurse wheels me out. We go down a few different hallways than the ones we took to get here, and the next thing I know we're stopped in front of the clear doors of the burn ICU. A muscular figure sits on the bed, some parts of him covered by bandages, others the skin is open and raw. Doctors buzz about. He blinks. He's awake? My stomach churns. I can barely recognize him. We go back to my room. I'm glad I'm not supposed to talk, because I couldn't. The last thing I said to him was to come back when he could tell me the truth. What if he can't come back? I didn't even tell him how much I liked him, how all I wanted to do was stay curled up next to him next to him forever. Maybe I even loved him. What if I never get to know? I sigh, letting my eyes fall closed.
The following is a nightmare Meghan has but it's a little bit graphic. There is also some things resembling PTSD from the fire, so if you don't want to read that please skip to below the horizontal line.
A blur with a brown ponytail sprints past. Jayla. I take off after her, pushing through the tall grass. I call out, but she doesn't respond. I hear a crash behind me. A wall of water descends, pushing forward. I run faster. There's a woosh, and the frass in front of me blazes to life. I stop, the water advancing behind me.
Somebody walks out of the flames, carrying something. I gasp and nearly vomit. Jayla's face is melted, her skin hangs off her bones and bits of bandage dangle from her lmbs. She carries Jacob in her arms, his body red and pink and singed black. She throws his body at my feet, and before I can scream the flames and water engulf me.
I wake up shaking. That's one thing. I never wake up screaming, people don't come running asking what's wrong. I try to breathe, focusing on the things I know are solid and real. My sheets. The pillow under my head. The monitor's gentle pressure on my index finger. I pull my pillow to my chest, pretending I'm resting my head on Jacob's chest. j
When I get discharged, Jacob is still in the ICU. I go back to school, because Ben and Eliza are worried about me staying at home by myself too much. I'm kind of glad to get out of the house, but I also can't focus. Yes, some of it is worry for Jacob, and the whole oh-yeah-vampires-and-werewolves-exist thing, but also the Volturi. Will they come for me, like they did Bella? And what the hell is Imprinting? There's also just a vague feeling, when even if I'm not thinking of anything in particular I also can't bring myself to focus. Sometimes, when I hear a crack from a pencil snapping or a book dropping, I freeze wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights, certain something is on fire. My friends try, they really do. But they just don't know what to do. I don't even know what they should do.
The hospital said they'd call when I could see Jacob. I still went as often as I could, usually sitting outside the doors and watching the doctors and nurses, or just him lying there. I want to be a doctor, and I'm admittedly fascinated by the detailed protocols, how people don't magically get better but because of intricate systems. They are so calm. I wonder if I could do that, knowing the fear and anger and worry of everyone who loves my patients.
They call me on a Saturday morning. I rush through the lobby, annoyed with the secretary for taking so long. I head upstairs, to the wing where I had been. At least he's out of the ICU.
"Jacob?" He's nearly covered in bandages, like Seth was. He tilts his head and I can see his face. It's blotchy and bandaged and swollen, but those are his deep, dark, soulful yet critical yet laughing eyes, his boxy nose, his lips. I immediately break down, sobbing. I sink down into the chair beside the bed and reach out to take his bandaged hand. He winces, and I let go, but rest it on the bed beside him."I'm sorry. I know you can't talk either, but it's okay. I'm just... I'm glad..." He blinks slowly, and I know he gets it. I didn't have to say anything, really, and he would've got it. "You know I don't hate you. I mean, I know you know that, but I just wanted to say it, because last time I saw you I was mad and it wasn't because I don't like you or anything, I was just pissed." It all comes out in a jumble, but I have to say it. He brushes his fingers against my hand, and I wipe my face with my other sleeve. He blinks again, and a tear slips out of each eye. "Shh, don't cry," I say. He blinks out more tears. I want to reach out and touch him, wipe his tears away, hold him tight until he has no more to cry and falls asleep, be there when he has nightmares, the ones about it all but also the ones that seem random, that seem random but hurt even more. For now, though, I whisper a lullaby and sit as close as I can until the doctor says I should leave.
A/N Hi- I realize I didn't post earlier this week. It's been a crazy week for me and I had to focus on some other things. But we're back! I also edited the beginning of Ch. 6 to make it more clear. hope you enjoy.