Everything was so white. Too white.
In such a mundane place, they could at least try to raise the patients'
spirits with a little colour.
He hated hospitals. Perhaps it was the aroma of strong disinfectant, or the sight of room after room full of sickly people. Whatever the reason, he always found that setting foot in a hospital made him feel even worse than before.
His weary gaze fell on the, funnily enough, 'white' clock that was situated directly above the door to his small, empty room. 4:25pm. He waited a bit, then glanced up again. Still 4:25. Perhaps the stupid thing was broken. Then, agonisingly slow, the hand moved on. Time moved so slowly in this place.
He was so lonely, and the room was so quiet except for the annoying and too frequent beep from the machine that fed him fluids. He wished he could share a room with other patients, at least then he could have some company and hear something other than the beating of his own heart. But no, his father would not have allowed him to associate with other lowly, sick people. Oh, how he was fed up with his father and his damn money. His father hadn't even bothered to visit him, not once. No one had, save for his grandfather who was the only member of his family that ever bothered to give him the time of day, even at a time like this, when he needed them the most.
'Think happy thoughts, Tristan,' he mumbled to himself, feeling like he was speaking to a 4 year old and not just to his 24-year-old self. But for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything or anyone that might make him smile and brighten his spirits at his time.
'Don't fool yourself Dugrey, like anyone cares,' he thought glumly.
"Tristan."
He was so caught up in his thoughts, he barely heard his name being called by the last person he ever expected to see. Glancing up slowly, his eyes locked onto a pair of wide, blue eyes and his heart immediately sped up like he was running a marathon.
"Rory?" He wasn't sure if his eyes were tricking him or if she was really standing before him. "I thought... I thought you'd gone for good..." he stuttered.
"I made a mistake, Tris." She said quietly, awkwardly shifting her gaze to her feet, her voice soft and full of remorse. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what I was doing... I thought leaving was the right thing to do but.. Then I saw today's paper and you were..." her voice broke, and from his short distance away he noticed the thin trail of tears cascading down her smooth cheeks. He longed to kiss away her tears, but found that to be an impossible feat, as he was bedridden and she was still standing by the door.
"Its ok, Ror. Don't be upset. Everything's gonna be fine." He soothed, beckoning her over. Reaching his side, she pulled him into a gentle half hug, careful not to disturb his plastered arm and broken ribs.
"When I heard what happened, I... I was so scared. I couldn't stop thinking, 'What if you had died?' The papers had been so unsure of what condition you were in so I feared the worst and I cried and cried and couldn't stop crying, and then I got so angry at that stupid guy that I don't even know and his stupid car for almost taking you away from me!" Tristan smiled at her rambling and pulled her forward to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. "Its ok baby, I'm ok. It was an accident, but everything is fine now. I'd never leave you, you know that right?"
She nodded, her face turned towards the floor. Tristan gently reached out with his good arm, and lifted her chin to look her in the eye. She sniffed sadly. "I'll never leave you again, Tris. And I'm so sorry that it took me this long to realise how I really feel."
He looked at her, not daring to uncage the hope rising inside of him. "And how do you feel?" He questioned softly.
She gazed at him fondly for a moment, before leaning forward and tenderly kissing him. Having made her point, she was about to pull away, when she felt him kissing her back and deepening their kiss. Time was lost on both of them, as they drowned in the passion, and all too soon they were out of breath and had to part for air. Pulling away reluctantly, Tristan waited for Rory's reaction, desperately hoping for a sign that would indicate that she felt for him what he had always felt for her. Throughout the years they were enemies, the years they were good friends, he had kept these feelings well hidden. And that was how they stayed, up until 3 months ago, when he had kissed her and told her he loved her, and she had responded by running away.
Searching her eyes, he saw it. A shining hope, a fiery passion, an unquenchable love.. For him. Then she smiled, and he smiled in return. He decided that it had to be the best feeling in the world to love someone, and have them love you back. He couldn't have wiped the smile off his face if he'd tried.
It was at that moment when he realised the truth. He didn't need money, or success, or popularity. He didn't need a family that couldn't give him the love that he craved.
All he needed was this one girl. This one girl who, even at the hardest times of his life, never failed to make him smile.
He hated hospitals. Perhaps it was the aroma of strong disinfectant, or the sight of room after room full of sickly people. Whatever the reason, he always found that setting foot in a hospital made him feel even worse than before.
His weary gaze fell on the, funnily enough, 'white' clock that was situated directly above the door to his small, empty room. 4:25pm. He waited a bit, then glanced up again. Still 4:25. Perhaps the stupid thing was broken. Then, agonisingly slow, the hand moved on. Time moved so slowly in this place.
He was so lonely, and the room was so quiet except for the annoying and too frequent beep from the machine that fed him fluids. He wished he could share a room with other patients, at least then he could have some company and hear something other than the beating of his own heart. But no, his father would not have allowed him to associate with other lowly, sick people. Oh, how he was fed up with his father and his damn money. His father hadn't even bothered to visit him, not once. No one had, save for his grandfather who was the only member of his family that ever bothered to give him the time of day, even at a time like this, when he needed them the most.
'Think happy thoughts, Tristan,' he mumbled to himself, feeling like he was speaking to a 4 year old and not just to his 24-year-old self. But for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything or anyone that might make him smile and brighten his spirits at his time.
'Don't fool yourself Dugrey, like anyone cares,' he thought glumly.
"Tristan."
He was so caught up in his thoughts, he barely heard his name being called by the last person he ever expected to see. Glancing up slowly, his eyes locked onto a pair of wide, blue eyes and his heart immediately sped up like he was running a marathon.
"Rory?" He wasn't sure if his eyes were tricking him or if she was really standing before him. "I thought... I thought you'd gone for good..." he stuttered.
"I made a mistake, Tris." She said quietly, awkwardly shifting her gaze to her feet, her voice soft and full of remorse. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what I was doing... I thought leaving was the right thing to do but.. Then I saw today's paper and you were..." her voice broke, and from his short distance away he noticed the thin trail of tears cascading down her smooth cheeks. He longed to kiss away her tears, but found that to be an impossible feat, as he was bedridden and she was still standing by the door.
"Its ok, Ror. Don't be upset. Everything's gonna be fine." He soothed, beckoning her over. Reaching his side, she pulled him into a gentle half hug, careful not to disturb his plastered arm and broken ribs.
"When I heard what happened, I... I was so scared. I couldn't stop thinking, 'What if you had died?' The papers had been so unsure of what condition you were in so I feared the worst and I cried and cried and couldn't stop crying, and then I got so angry at that stupid guy that I don't even know and his stupid car for almost taking you away from me!" Tristan smiled at her rambling and pulled her forward to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. "Its ok baby, I'm ok. It was an accident, but everything is fine now. I'd never leave you, you know that right?"
She nodded, her face turned towards the floor. Tristan gently reached out with his good arm, and lifted her chin to look her in the eye. She sniffed sadly. "I'll never leave you again, Tris. And I'm so sorry that it took me this long to realise how I really feel."
He looked at her, not daring to uncage the hope rising inside of him. "And how do you feel?" He questioned softly.
She gazed at him fondly for a moment, before leaning forward and tenderly kissing him. Having made her point, she was about to pull away, when she felt him kissing her back and deepening their kiss. Time was lost on both of them, as they drowned in the passion, and all too soon they were out of breath and had to part for air. Pulling away reluctantly, Tristan waited for Rory's reaction, desperately hoping for a sign that would indicate that she felt for him what he had always felt for her. Throughout the years they were enemies, the years they were good friends, he had kept these feelings well hidden. And that was how they stayed, up until 3 months ago, when he had kissed her and told her he loved her, and she had responded by running away.
Searching her eyes, he saw it. A shining hope, a fiery passion, an unquenchable love.. For him. Then she smiled, and he smiled in return. He decided that it had to be the best feeling in the world to love someone, and have them love you back. He couldn't have wiped the smile off his face if he'd tried.
It was at that moment when he realised the truth. He didn't need money, or success, or popularity. He didn't need a family that couldn't give him the love that he craved.
All he needed was this one girl. This one girl who, even at the hardest times of his life, never failed to make him smile.