A/N – After writing most of Chapter Twenty-Three and going back to proof, I decided to let this first part stand alone. The rest of the chapter will become Chapter Twenty-Four and it is nearly finished so it should be up in the next couple of days.
Also I wanted to respond to a comment that was left by a reader but there was no e-mail so I'll do that at the end of this sequence.
Chapter Twenty-Three
My body feels heavy but the pain in my chest isn't as bad now.
I can hear voices but they seem so far away.
I'm breathing, I can hear the air moving in and out of my body…
The voices are getting louder…
there is one…
…it's… familiar.
"Please, Don you have to hold on! Help is coming!"
One of the voices is angry…
…furious. I can't make out the words. It's so full of rage that I feel...
…is that fear?
I'm not afraid for me; I know I'm going to die…
…I'm afraid for someone… someone my death will hurt…
I'm so tired.
The angry voice is getting louder now. It's screaming… "liar… die you bastard!"
Another deeper voice starts yelling "Get her out of here."
I'm so tired.
I wish the voices would stop yelling.
I just need to sleep for a while.
There are more voices now, but I can't make out what they are saying…
I'm so tired.
A bright light is there…
…I don't like it…
…soon it's gone.
An unfamiliar voice is close now.
"He's in shock! He's lost too much blood"
The voice says something else but it's starting to fade just like the others.
The heaviness in my body starts to fade…
I'm floating like a feather on the breeze.
I'm drifting away now.
It's quiet and blackness is everywhere.
I'm sinking into a stillness.
It's peaceful… it's quiet.
Suddenly pain rips away the dark!
White hot pain searing through my body!
The voices are back.
"Go to three hundred!...
…Clear!"
More pain. This hurts, oh God please stop.
I want to go back to the darkness.
There was no pain in the darkness, it was quiet and serene.
The familiar voice is back. It breaks with emotion.
"You can't give up, you promised, Don. I can't lose you!"
"We have a sinus rhythm."
Charlie! The voice belongs to Charlie.
I remember now… It was sunny. We sat in front of mom's grave. I told him that I would never give up on him…
… I promised him. I try to call to him.
"He's coming around."
"Charlie…"
I look and see brown eyes full of fear and relief staring into mine.
I try say that I won't break my promise, but the words don't come.
Someone is holding my hand…
…it's Charlie…
…I squeeze his with all my strength. I know he understands; I won't give up.
I'm so tired…
…my eyes close but I listen to Charlie's voice.
He's speaking. He's saying that he's there; he won't leave.
Charlie's voice is my anchor. If I hold on I won't fall back into the darkness.
Sounds are fading again. It's growing quiet but I hold on to that voice.
I can't hear it now but my heart knows it's there.
I won't give up. I promised him.
It's very quiet now.
I think I'm moving but everything is muted and distant.
I'll sleep for a while.
The voices are back again but I can't hear Charlie any more.
I try to call out to him.
I'm not sure they can hear me.
There are flashes of light… moving quickly.
The voices are above me now.
"BP's falling…"
"Get him up to O.R. STAT!..."
"Charlie! Where are you?"
"What's his blood type?…"
"AB positive, his brother is downstairs. They'll have blood sent up as soon as they are finished."
Something is covering my face. I can't breathe…
The lights and the voices are going away…
…it's quiet again.
Charlie…
This is a comment left by one reviewer:
lex ()
Charlie dosn't have a drivers license and dosen't have a car
Well lex this story is set in season two and Charlie does have a driver's license as we saw in the episode Harvest. Most people get a car after they get a license. Charlie makes a lot of money and would not have a problem affording a vehicle so I am assuming that he has one since he now has a driver's license.
I will never begrudge any constructive comments and indeed I have used them to try and write a better story. The mistake that I made with the Dewey Decimal System is a case in point of that fact. This comment however didn't really strike me as particularly constructive, but more dismissive. Perhaps I am misinterpreting the reviewer's remark; if that is the case then thank you for trying to point out an error, even though in this case it isn't actually an error. At least you took the time to write something and that effort is appreciated.
I have received so many wonderful reviews and I am eternally grateful for that. I will actually use these reviews when I submit my first original piece to a publisher to show that I have captured at least a small fan fiction audience so these reviews could end up being a huge assistance in a very real way. One reviewer thought that I wrote professionally. That was a very nice thing to say. Actually I am a complete novice. For the full story of my writing background; check out my profile.
I promise as soon as I finish the next bit I'll get it up. The extra time is used well, for proofing and making sure that things are right. Thanks so much for your patience.
Alice I
