Chapter 17: Together Again
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I was on vacation. Now I'm back and here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. Please Review.
Cole felt like he was floating. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was standing in a cloud of white mist. "Hello?" He called. No answer. He looked around and saw that nobody was around. "HELLO!" He called again. Still no answer. "Where am I?" He asked.
"You're in limbo, son," a voice replied.
Cole turned to see his parents, Richard and Elizabeth Evans, standing there. "Mom, dad?" He asked. Elizabeth nodded and he was in disbelief. "What do you mean, I'm stuck in limbo? Is Alyssa okay? What about Roger?" He asked.
"Alyssa's fine, son. She'll heal. Roger's got a good chance of going behind bars for life," Richard replied.
"That still doesn't answer about where I am," Cole commented.
"You're in limbo, Cole. You're stuck between life and death," Elizabeth informed.
"How can I get back?" He asked.
"All you have to do is choose. You have the choice of dying or living," Richard replied.
Cole nodded and then he looked over to see Alyssa sitting by his bed with tears in her eyes. "Mom, dad, what'll happen to Alyssa?" He asked. Elizabeth sat next to her son and sighed.
"Cole, we've been watching you grow up from a little baby to a grown man. We know that you'll do the right thing," she assured him.
Cole nodded and sighed. "I have to be with her, mom. I need her just as much as she needs me," he confessed. Richard placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Well then, son, you know what to do," Richard stated.
Cole nodded and stood up. "I'm going to miss you guys, so much," he told them. He embraced his parents with a sigh.
"We'll always be with you, Cole," Elizabeth assured him.
Then he felt darkness come over him.
Cole heard a beeping sound and opened his eyes. He quickly closed them again when light hit his eyes. He looked over to see Alyssa sitting next to his bed, holding onto his hand, and her head was on the side of his bed. He looked over across the room to see Wes sleeping in one chair with Jen sleeping in his lap. Next to them were Eric asleep on the bench next to the far wall. He was leaning up against the wall and Taylor was lying across the bench with her head in his lap. Cole looked back over at Alyssa. He reached over and wiped the tear away from her face. Alyssa stirred and opened her eyes. "Alyssa," he whispered. She sat up and wiped the rest of her tears away.
"Cole, you're okay," she whispered.
Cole smiled and nodded. "I'm fine, Gorgeous. I'm just fine," he replied. The heard everyone else wake up and Cole smiled to see his friends.
"Cole, you're up," Jen announced.
They got up and walked over to his bed. "Hey, buddy, how are you doing?" Wes asked. Cole chuckled and then he felt Alyssa holding his hand tight.
"I've been better," he replied.
He suddenly felt pain go through his head. "Did anybody get the number on that truck?" He asked. Everyone chuckled at his comment. "What happened to Roger?" He asked.
"The police stated that Roger has a good chance of not getting out of the mental ward they're sending him to," Eric replied.
"Thank God for that," Cole stated.
They nodded and Alyssa touched his face. "Alyssa," he whispered. She smiled as he touched her face.
"I'm here and I'm not leaving anytime soon," she assured him.
The rest of the group decided to leave the couple alone for awhile. Alyssa looked over his wounds that he took for her safety. "Oh, Cole," she whispered. She touched the bandage that was around his stomach. She then looked at him with tear filled eyes. "You were almost killed because of me," she murmured. He held onto her hand and looked at the engagement ring he put on her finger.
"Lyssa, I would die for you. I love you too much to lose you," he told her.
"Then I would lose you. Tell me how would I live without you?" She asked.
Cole sighed at the thought of what would happen to Alyssa if he died. He knew one thing for sure. She wouldn't live long without him. She said so herself the night before she was kidnapped. "Alyssa, how long have I been out?" He asked.
"Two weeks," she replied.
"Wow."
"We thought we lost you a few times."
He sighed sadly and leaned back against his bed and held her hand. "I saw my parents," he told her. She looked at him in disbelief.
"What did they say?" She asked.
"They told me that I had a choice. They told me that I could die and that I could live. If I were to choose death, I knew that you wouldn't be able to live that long after that. So, I decided to live to be with you. To fulfill our future together," he replied.
Alyssa smiled and held onto his hand. "Alyssa, I know that the wedding is going to be backed up because of court and you healing from the attack," he started. She hushed him with a kiss.
"Don't talk about the trial. Just hold me," she told him.
He held her in his arms and once she fell asleep in his arms, he fell asleep knowing that this was the way it was supposed to be.