Chapter 14
In The Arms Of An Angel
Spend all your time waitin'
For that second chance;
The break that would make it okay.
There's always some reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day.
I need some distraction.
Oh, beautiful release.
Memories seep through my veins
That may be empty,
Oh, and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight.
I'm in the arms of the angel.
Fly away from here.
From this dark, cold hotel room
And the endless nights that you fear.
You were born from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie.
You're in the arms of the angel.
May you find some comfort here.
So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back.
The storm keeps on twistin'.
Keep on buildin' the life
That you make up for all that you lack.
Don't make no difference.
Escape one last time.
It's easier to believe
Then this sweet madness.
Oh, this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees.
In the arms of the angel.
Fly away from here.
From this dark, cold hotel room
And the endless nights that you fear.
You were born from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie.
You're in the arms of the angel.
May you find some comfort here.
You're in the arms of the angel.
May you find some comfort here.
-7 days later-
Phoenix awoke with a jolt, gazing around her. She touched her forehead. It was bandaged. She sat up, and gazed down at what she was wearing...which apparently wasn't an ordinary hospital gown. Actually it was more of a gray tank top and gray sweat pants. One of the women who'd gone in the ambulance with her was in the room. Maryanne....yes that was it. She smiled weakly at the woman who had come to stand by her bedside.
"Hey sweetie! How do you feel?" she asked touching the girl's arm. She had actually grown quite attached to both of the gorgeous white haired girls.
"Awesome but Ah need to see Colin. And my sister. Where are they?"
"Can you get out of bed?"
"Hon, if yah asked me to Ah could get up and sprint around the whole hospital"
"I'll take that as a yes" Maryanne laughed, pulling down one of the metal sides that were keeping the girl in. She helped Phoenix to her feet, watching the girl carefully. Phoenix had long since had the IV taken out when they figured out she'd live and stay hydrated. She led the younger woman to a room across the hall, which held Evyn and Calysta. Both of them were in chairs, and Calysta practically leapt to her feet when Phoenix walked in.
"Icess! You're up! Finally" Calysta laughed, hugging her sister. Phoenix nodded slightly hugging her sister back. Calysta had only sustained a broken wrist and a few bruises and Evyn had a few busted ribs and scratches, not too much. She nodded at him slightly drawing back from her sister.
"Where's Colin?" Phoenix asked Maryanne, turning away from her sister. The older woman's face held a grave expression. She just motioned for Phoenix to follow her, to which she gladly obliged. They walked down the hall into the Intensive Care Unit and Phoenix stopped for a bit.
"Are you coming sweetie?" Mary turned around tilting her head slightly. Phoenix nodded slightly following her to a door. "He's in there. He's not come around yet but we know he can hear you. So speak to him if you want. Do you want me to come in with you?"
"No...this is somethin' Ah've gotta do alone" Phoenix replied, walking into the room. She walked slowly over towards the bed surveying the damage. She couldn't count the injuries he had, or the number of tubes sticking out of him....which was quite a bit. Her eyes started to fill with tears as she took his hand. It had been bandaged, but didn't look too bad.
"Fear not the flame of my loves candle. Let it be the sun in your world of darkness. Give unto me all that frightens you. Ill have your nightmares for you, if you sleep soundly" she sang softly stroking his hand with her thumb. It tore her up to see him like this. Knowing that he wasn't in a coma was SOME comfort....knowing that he wasn't on life support was even better....but it still hurt. At least someone hadn't had to call her, at least she'd been there with him. Phoenix moved the uncomfortable railing on that side down. She sat down laying her head on his hand
-+- 30 Minutes later -+-
Phoenix jolted awake again. She felt the hand she had fallen asleep on move under her. She sat up quickly gazing at his face. His eyes fluttered open, and he stared carefully at her. As if she was something out of a dream. Her eyes were red and puffy, and tearstains on her cheeks gave him the evidence he needed. She'd been crying. Now new tears were starting to pour down from her ice blue eyes. He reached his hand up, wiping at her tears with his thumb. She burst into a fit of crying, laying her head down against his unbandaged shoulder. He stroked her back lovingly, pressing his cheek to her forehead. Maryanne had come in and moved a bed without sides right beside his bed, so now all he needed to do was position her comfortably against him.
His ribs hurt, especially when touched, but he could stand this pain. Once he'd gotten her situated he started to talk to her, his voice quite a bit groggy.
"Shh...I'm alright. Darlin' don't cry....please? Shh...I'm alright...shh.." he whispered, rubbing her back. He'd hated to see her cry, especially when he was the cause of it. She erupted into another fit of fresh sobbing, letting everything out. All of her pain, worry, strain, everything....she was lucky to have him here still with her.
"Shh baby please don't cry....please. Shh....c'mon. I hate to see you cry. Please? Don't cry...shh" he said once again, still rubbing her back. A while later once she'd settled down, she stared up at him. He didn't see she was awake yet, he didn't sense it either. She laid a hand lightly on his chest, close to his neck.
"Ah love you" she said quietly still gazing up at him. He kissed her cheek nodding slightly, trying to hug her closer to him. He couldn't do it, that hurt way too much.
"I love you too. Now sleep. Please. You need it."
"But-"
"I'll be right here when you wake up darlin'. Now sleep" he stated, laying his cheek against the top of her head again. She nodded slightly and drifted back off to sleep. Only when he was sure she was sleeping did he allow himself to nod off into dreamland.
-+- Meanwhile at the Institute -+-
"Alright. Thank you very much. Uh huh. We appreciate it. Bye-Bye now" Emma said before hanging up the phone. She dashed up to the professor's office to find Erin, Bobby, Rouge, Jenni, Jubilee, Kitty, Connie, Asia, and James demanding to know where their friends had gone.
"Yes Emma?" Charles asked gazing at his friend. She looked as if she had something urgent to tell him and he better not probe her mind to look for the answer.
"Your daughters, Colin, and Calysta's boyfriend Evyn were in a horrible accident. No one was killed but Colin's in ICU. Calysta was just on the phone. They're in the William Penn Memorial Hospital up near the New York/Pennsylvania border" Emma said, not really pausing to breathe. Charles' eyes grew about as big as saucers. "Oh! And Calysta said not to worry"
A/N: I Kirsty made up the William Penn Memorial Hospital. Even though I'm sure it does exist it was just the best thing I could think of.