Piper could not believe her surroundings. A hospital bed. Cold, drab walls. An IV pump. An oxygen pump. Noises she vaguely recognized, but couldn't concentrate on. What was this? Some kind of weird hell for failed witches? But if it was hell...Where had Paige come from? Piper closed her eyes, then immediately reopened them. She felt the urge to fall back into the void, the oblivion that was so much easier than this reality. She had to resist, though, because Paige had looked at her so pleadingly. As if she cared, as if Piper hadn't just given up on her sisters. As if she hadn't tried to forget them. A moment later, Paige bolted back inside the room, followed closely by Phoebe. Piper ached, seeing her sisters so close. Maybe this is hell after all. Maybe this is a way of reminding me of what I lost, of what I should have held onto, and didn't. Still, she knew she was going to fight to stay awake, to stay in this alternate universe, this punishment. At least here she could see her sisters again.
"Piper. Oh, god. I've never been more happy to see those beautiful brown eyes in my life," Phoebe breathed, sobbing heavily. Piper tried to speak. Couldn't.
"We though we'd lost you," Paige whispered, then was speechless herself.
Piper couldn't believe the love in their eyes. How could they love her? How could anyone? And then she remembered Matt. He loved her, but he had also lied to her. Said her sisters were dead. And maybe they were, but Piper didn't think anyone could look more alive, and she was grateful for this chance. Her heart clutched, thinking of how much she wanted to hold them, cling to them and never let go. She didn't deserve the opportunity, but that didn't stop her from wanting it. Phoebe crept to her, squeezing her hand, kissing her forehead. To Piper, it felt real. But she knew...It just couldn't be true. Piper struggled to fight the tug of exhaustion, fough to keep her eyes longer, to keep her beautiful sisters in her sight, and lost. Eyelids drooping, she whispered "I'm...sorry."
And that's when Piper flatlined.
At first, Phoebe and Paige glanced around, unable to understand the loud, insistent beep. And then they were being pushed out of the room, told to wait outside. Panic set in, then. Phoebe clung to Paige, screaming, crying. She sank to the floor, pulling Paige with her. Paige stayed silent. No tears. No reaction. Just...emptiness. How could this be happening? They had just gotten her back, she had opened her eyes, spoken to them both. And now? Paige shook her head slowly. Now, they were losing her all over again. She snapped. No warning, just a sudden jerk of muscle, and she was surging to her feet, storming blindly through the hospital, knocking people, objects out of her way. Paige didn't hear Phoebe calling her, didn't hear the cries of outrage from the people she pushed down. She heard nothing. Saw nothing but a red, hazy film. And the only thing she felt was rage. Pure, unadulterated rage.
Phoebe watched her sister's rapidly retreating figure, and had a moment of fear so intense she nearly passed out. What did she do? Did she go after Paige? Did she wait for the doctor? Her conscience battled itself, thoughts racing so fast she could barely grasp what was going on in her mind. Piper could die, and she would be waiting for nothing but more heartache. Paige could hurt herself, or someone else. Piper could be alive. Paige could go to hell. What to do? What to do? She could just go home, pretend none of this was going on, but then, who would hold the family together? Piper is dying. Paige is gone. She could be gone for good. But now, the decision was made for her, wasn't it? She had already chosen. Chosen by not acting. Paige was completely out of her sight. Piper was still in the room in front of her, and she was standing there. Doing nothing. Just as she had been, before Piper was found. Some sister she had turned out to be.
Paige found her car, somehow, and blindly unlocked the doors, got in. She started the engine without remember where she got the keys, and backed out without even bothering to check her mirrors. She only knew she had to get away. Get out of there. Fast. No thinking. Just drive. Her hands shook on the wheel, but she didn't notice. She focused on the road ahead, ignored her blurred vision. She swerved. Once over the yellow line. Twice. Three, four, five times. And still, she didn't see. She kept driving, without realizing the speedometer read 110. Now in the middle of the road. Now completely in the other lane. Back to her own lane, dragging in long ragged breaths she didn't know she was taking. The breaths got shorter. The car swayed back and forth, back and forth. Cars moved, some screeching to a stop, some barely missing her. And still she kept driving. She didn't even know there was anyone else on the road. Didn't care. Yellow and black signs danced in the distance. Warning signs, telling of sharp curves. Cautioning against high speeds. And still she kept going. The car crept across the yellow line. Back again. Across.
Phoebe forced herself to move, to think. She had to keep herself from blanking out, had to focus on anything other than Piper in that room or Paige out of her mind. Phoebe closed her eyes, opened them, closed them again. She dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands, trying to keep her head clear. How long had it been? Five minutes? Ten? Was Piper gone, or were they stabilizing her? So many questions. Phoebe felt another surge of panic. Knees weak, hands shaking, she tried desperately to concentrate on something else. Anything else. Multiplication tables. Five times one is five. Five times two is ten. Five times three is fifteen. Five times four is twenty. She's dead. Oh god, she's dead. Five times... Phoebe's vision darkened, and she fought against the blackness. Can't. Have to stay alert. Five times five is twenty-five. It was getting hard to stand, and she sank to the floor, propped up by the wall in front of Piper's room. Five times six is thirty. Darkness. Total oblivion.
