"Hey." Jack whispered. I had awoken the next day in that same dull hospital room. The room was bright this time, it raised the happiness a bit. Jack was my only visitor, and he seemed happy to see me awake.
"Hey." I whispered. I wasn't fully aware just yet. Jack reached up and grabbed my hand. He was smiling sweetly, though his eyes seemed worried.
We sat in silence for a few moments, just looking at each other. It had been days since I'd seen him, and I missed him insanely. I needed his presence more than anything.
Jack stood up at my bedside, and just looked down at me happily.
"What happened?" I asked feebly, "I mean, how did you guys find me?" I was surprised he heard me on account of my voice was incredibly weak.
"Alex and I drove that area, Zack and Kara walked it, and Rian hitchhiked a chopper." he explained.
"Oh. All I can remember was falling, then hearing people shouting, and now I'm in a hospital 1000 miles away."
Jack didn't say anything, he just blinked.
"Who found me?" I asked.
"Me and Alex." he said smiling, touching my hair.
I knew it would've been him.
"I thought you were dead Grace." he said with pain in his small voice. I could tell that my disappearance was hard on him, as it was on me. "I need to be more careful when we're on tour." he stated, turning his back to me.
"How could I have been so stupid?" Jack continued. I opened my mouth to stop him, but couldn't find any words. I knew it wasn't his fault that I was kidnapped, but who was at fault? Me?
"Jack, it's not your fault the bus got stolen, and I just so happened to be on it." I said, sitting up on the hospital bed, ignoring the pain from the IV.
"Yes it is!" he said, trying to keep his voice down. "If I stayed with you rather than drinking and partying, you wouldn't be like this." he said angrily.
"Jack, I'm here now, I'm alive. Doesn't that matter?"
"Of course it does. But..."
"Jack," I interrupted, "no 'buts', it's over now." I whispered.
Jack turned back around, his eyes sorrowful, yet understanding. He took 3 slow steps to my bed and put his hands on either side of my face. He leaned down to kiss my lips just once. He pulled back and looked me deeply in the eyes, as if to say 'I'm sorry'.
"I love you Grace, and don't ever leave me like that again, please?"
I smirked and looked down at my bruised hands, then nodded.
I looked up to see him smiling, the natural twinkle restored to his eyes. With his hands still holding my face, his kissed me again. This time, ignoring my injured state. He ran his fingers through my dirty hair as my hands clutched his shirt. I was more than happy to be with Jack again.
After he pulled away and sat down next to me, he asked, "So was Alex sexually harassing you last night?"
"Oh yeah, that." I said, looking away.
Jack laughed and flipped open his phone. "I think it's time I share you with everyone else."
He called in all our friends to greet me after awakening, everyone was ecstatic to see me alive and OK.
"How was sleeping for 5 days?" Rian joked after hugging me tightly.
"Joyous." I said sarcastically.
"I was so worried about you!" Kara said from under Rian's arm.
I was lovingly hugged and kissed by a lot of my close personal friends, including my dorm sisters, when I noticed an absence. I was automatically terrified at why they weren't here.
"Jack?" I said frantically. "Where is Zack?"
"Um, Grace." he began.
The room went silent.
Alex came out from behind a few of my friends to explain. "Grace, Zack is a couple rooms over."
"Why?" I asked confused.
"He fell when we were out looking for you. He broke a lot of bones, he's beat up pretty bad." Alex said.
I suddenly felt like I was shot in the stomach. Another person was hurt on account of me. Without so much as a sob, a tear dribbled down my cheek, I was a monster.
"Where is he?" I asked Alex.
"Room 43." Alex said quietly.
I pushed my friends out of the way as I raced to room 43. It was only a few rooms over, but the door was shut and locked. His visiting hours were up. I looked down at my wretched feet and saw the tears drop to the floor. I felt horrible.
"He'll be OK, Grace, I promise." Jack whispered from behind me. I turned around to bury my face in his chest. Was he really going to be OK?
"It's all my fault." I said, my throat dry and hot.
"No Grace, it's not." he said, holding me closer. He wiped the tears from my cheeks before kissing them. I looked back at Zack's lifeless body. It hurt to know this happened when looking for me. Precious little me.
A second set of arms were being wrapped around my waist from behind. Alex rested his head on my shoulder to join in on our little hug. I leaned away from Jack to kiss Alex on the cheek. This made him smile. I turned back to Jack, stood up on my tippy toes to kiss him on the lips.
Then came a third pair of arms, that came with a fourth around his shoulders. Rian, and Kara, were the last to join our group hug. I had my boys with me, which made the pain in my body seem to melt away.
But it felt empty without Zack. His absence sent yet another tear down my cheek.
"Oh, Jack, aren't you forgetting something?" Rian asked, winking to Jack secretive like.
"Oh yes, thank you Rian for reminding me."
I looked at the both of them trying to think. What was going on?
Alex, Rian and Kara released themselves from our hug and walked back to my room. Once they were gone, Jack looked down at me. Seeing my puzzled face made him grin and laugh to himself.
"What is it?" I asked.
Jack just smiled down at me. He leaned his forehead on mine, waiting to see if I would figure it out. But when I didn't, he finally gave in.
He moved his face down to my ear.
"Happy Birthday." he whispered.
I was an idiot who forgot my own birthday. Wow. I had finally turned 21.
My friends awaited me in the room over to celebrate my birthday. I felt extremely loved. What with having Jack's arms wrapped around me, Alex's hand holding mine, Rian's hand on my shoulder, and everyone else smiling at me happily.
The only thing missing was Zack.
