Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Veronica Mars... but don't you wish I did? hahaha
Author's Note: Hello to all my lovely and loyal readers out there! You have no idea the joy it brought me to see how many of you came back to this story after so long. To try and make up for my absence I'm releasing two chapters at once! You all inspired me so much I couldn't stop writing. They would have been out even sooner if I hadn't tried to write a page of it while I was pretty much... well asleep. Anyway, please please enjoy! Thanks to all of my anonymous reviewers, whom I couldn't thank individually: amanda, Molly, MackeyPac, shelley, milly and Jessica. You all surely contributed to my speedy writing. Read away...
He stared at her. Catatonic. Deaf and blind to the world that was closing in around him. There was nothing for him without her.
All this feels strange and untrue
And I won't waste a minute without you
My bones ache, my skin feels cold
And I'm getting so tired and so old
It was then that he saw it. Her body which had lain frozen before his eyes, suddenly moved. He was sure of it. He focused his view on her stomach as it rose just slightly and then fell. Again, he stared unblinkingly as her chest rose as though breathing in and then exhaled. The side of his mouth turned up in a half smile and something akin to a laugh escaped his lips.
A hand strongly grabbed his shoulder, "Hey… Don't give up yet. You know she's not going that easy."
He looked up into Weevil's face, his grin still present, "Look…" he pointed to her, "She's breathing." He watched as Weevil's head snapped to the side and then back to him. He began to shake with sobs of relief as he felt arms pull him up to stand and walk over to her. He sniffled as he looked down upon her still unconscious form.
"Why isn't she awake?" he asked, somewhat childlike.
The female EMT looked back over her shoulder at the broken boy and smiled sympathetically, "Her vitals are still a little weak, but we got her back. It appears she took a pretty hard hit to the head, so she likely has a concussion. We're going to take her to the hospital and make sure she doesn't have more serious damage than our initial assessments can determine."
The anger swells in my guts
And I won't feel these slices and cuts
I want so much to open your eyes
Cause I need you to look into mine
Tell me that you'll open your eyes
Tell me that you'll open your eyes
As he took this in with Keith on his right and Weevil on his left, a few more EMTs ran down the hill with a stretcher. He watched silently as they gently moved her onto it. As the others around him began to move, he slowly trailed those who were maneuvering her carefully out of the woods. As he neared the edge of the trees the bright lights of the multiple ambulances, fire trucks and police cars grew brighter.
He shielded his eyes as he felt as though he were walking onto a movie set. People fluttered around him, and as a few of them stopped to try and fix his and Weevil's wounds, he momentarily lost track of where they'd taken her. His eyes searched for her frantically as someone attempted to dab at the cuts on his face. Finally after what seemed hours, he spotted them hoisting her into an ambulance. He pushed past everyone in his way until he reached the doors. Keith was already inside with her, holding her hand tightly. Despite feeling as though he may be intruding, he tried to get inside, but was stopped by a hand pushing against his chest, "I'm sorry, sir. Family only." His breath caught in his chest as they started closing the doors on him.
His pleading eyes somehow made eye contact with Keith as he responded to the loud voice of the EMT. Through the back window he observed Keith leaning over and then pointing to the doors. The guy nodded reluctantly before pushing open the door and ushering him inside. He jumped inside immediately, taking a seat next to the man he currently owed his sanity.
"Thanks," he said in a heartfelt tone, his eyes still glued on her.
"You were essential in saving my daughter tonight. You deserve to be here," he said, slightly choked up.
One of the EMTs suddenly interrupted, "Does either of you know how long she was unconscious before we arrived on the scene?"
As the one who had been with her, he opened and closed his mouth a few times before responding, "Maybe five minutes… I don't know. I didn't have a very good concept of time, or anything else…"
His eyes squinted at her to decipher what she planned to use the information for as she stared intently at her watch.
"What's going on?" he asked, somewhat demanding.
"As of right now, she may simply be unconscious from the blow she received to the head," she took a deep breath before continuing, "She may, however, have more serious internal damage than we know. Which could be a result of that trauma or of being unconscious for such a time as she was… or both."
He stared blankly at her, along with Keith. "You're talking about possible brain damage," he choked out.
She closed her eyes to him a moment before nodding her head, "But we really can't know for sure at this point. We need to examine and monitor her further before we can come to any conclusion."
Get up, get out, get away from these liars
Cause they don't get your soul or your fire
Take my hand, knot your fingers through mine
And we'll walk from this dark room for the last time
The joy he had felt at seeing her breathe was replaced with dread. He had been too quick to celebrate her revival. Just as likely that she would be herself again, was the possibility that she would never even wake up. Apparently waking up didn't even guarantee she'd ever be herself again. He closed his eyes as despair began creeping back into his veins.
The next thing he knew, everyone was rushing out of the ambulance. He quickly begins jogging behind the stretcher that's rolling fast down the hallway away from him. For the second time that night he feels a hand against his chest, stopping him from going with her. His body stopped abruptly, making his tennis shoes squeak against the shiny linoleum floor. The world disappeared as he watched her get smaller and smaller in the distance until they push her beyond a set of swinging doors and out of his sight. Defeated, he walked with Keith to slump in the hard, plastic chairs of the waiting room. He looked over at Keith who is staring blankly ahead of him.
As he started to allow his heavy lids to close a middle aged woman in a nurses' uniform approached him. He looked up at her with empty eyes and she shook her head, "Come with me, honey."
He wanted to protest, but she took his hand and led him to the nurses station. He didn't feel like fighting her. He wasn't strong enough. Stopping at the desk, she let go of his hand, "Wait here, just a minute. I'll be right back."
His tired body slumped against the desk, laying his cheek on the cold marble. She tapped his shoulder a moment later, "Here, hon. Take these." A pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt were placed softly in his hands. "There's a restroom right over there that you can change in," she instructed, pointing to her right.
He looked at her slightly confused, until he looked down at his own clothes, soaked in blood, dirt and water. He swallowed, "Thanks."
She smiled at him sincerely, gently squeezing his shoulder, "You're welcome."
When he flicked the light on in the restroom, he was greeted by a stranger staring back at him from the mirror. His eyes looked into himself with shock. He reached a weary hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes before looking again, the image unchanged. His eyes were red and his hair and face was smeared with mud. There were streaks of hardened blood from having his head beaten in mixed with streaks of dried tears from having his heart ripped out. He quickly averted his eyes and changed into the dry, clean clothes. He threw his old ones in the trash, not willing to ever see her blood stains on them again. He went to the sink and rested his elbows on the edge, putting his head in his hands. The heels of his hands pressed into his forehead in frustration, before he mechanically tried to clean his face. As he left he looked at himself once more. The blood, tears and dirt were gone, but the vacant look in his eyes remained.
He returned to his chair, getting barely a look from Keith. Exhaustion overtook him as he pulled one foot up onto the chair, rested his head on his knee and passed out. He saw her behind his closed eyelids.
Every minute from this minute now
We can do what we like anywhere
I want so much to open your eyes
Cause I need you to look into mine
She was perfect, smiling and happy. He ran to her. Worry was etched in his face as she eluded him. Finally he reached her, gently taking hold of her tiny wrist and turning her to face him. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.
"Are you okay?" he breathed, moving back to take her face in his hands and look deep into her eyes.
Veronica rolled her eyes, "Of course I am, Mr. Worry Pants. Why wouldn't I be? I'm here with you." With that she smiled and snaked her hands up behind his neck, placing a kiss on his nose.
He sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and then stroked her cheek, "You got hurt… They weren't sure you'd make it out alright."
She laughed lightly at his distress, "Ye of little faith. I wasn't going to let a little thing like being drowned and having my head bumped on a rock take me away from you."
He swallowed hard, "I was just so scared… I couldn't save you. I wanted so badly-"
She shushed him placing a finger over his lips, "It's okay. I'm fine. You'll see…"
With that she turned and walked away, too quickly for him to follow. "Veronica!" he yelled after her, running as fast as he could as she faded into oblivion, "Veronica, wait!"
"Logan!"
He stopped abruptly, looking around as he heard his name called.
"Veronica?" he asked, panicked.
"Logan!" a distinctly masculine voice said, now much closer, and he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He bolted upright in his chair and blinked hard.
"What…?" he asked softly, and then turned to look at a concerned and tired Keith.
"Logan… you were yelling… In your sleep," he sighed, "You were calling out Veronica's name."
He swallowed hard at the realization that it had been all a dream. His chin quivered, "I-I'm sorry."
Keith's throat constricted as he used the hand that was still on his shoulder to pull him into a tight embrace. The two clung to each other for a moment until they heard loud, quick footsteps approaching them. They broke apart immediately, standing to meet the doctor that approached them.
Tell me that you'll open your eyes
Tell me that you'll open your eyes
Tell me that you'll open your eyes
Tell me that you'll open your eyes…
Oh, is the suspense killing you yet???? Well, then what are you waiting for: ) Read the next chapter silly.