Disclaimer: I do not own Wildfire or any of the characters from the show - no copywrite infringement is intended.
"How long has she been out like that?" Junior questions as he ran past the onlookers towards Kris' hospital bed. "Have they given you any news?"
"Honey, they haven't told us anything," Jean whispers from behind, patting his shoulder and sniffling back the tears that were falling down her cheeks. "She floats back every so often, whispering your name or Wildfire's, but she hasn't really come all the way back to us yet."
"What happened?" He questions as he turns to stare at his best friend, Matt. The look on Matt's face is ragged; his hair messed up from his hands continuously running through it. Nerves and fear has never looked good on Matt, and as Junior waits for his answer he knows that whatever happened Matt feels that it is his fault.
"We went for a ride. A last ride around Raintree to celebrate her win, to say goodbye, to remind her what she was leaving behind following you to Alaska. Wildfire reared when Kris went to jump. It wasn't even a big jump – I mean you've seen them jump. This shouldn't have been anything. I think something must have spooked him, but whatever happened Kris lost her balance and fell off his back..." As Matt's voice trails off everyone in the room imagines the scene, but Matt relives it in those moments, explaining bits and pieces of the accident. In his eyes you could see the terror of watching your best friend and former love falling off her horse, trying unsuccessfully to wake her and knowing that to get the help she needs you would have to leave her in the woods and find help. By the end of his story tears are falling down his face, and he looks devastated.
"Matt, no is blaming you honey. You did everything you could." Dani touches his back and pulls him into her arms, whispering words of love and comfort, but nothing stops his tears.
"We made it to her pretty quick. A few of the stable hands and I were out in the south pasture working some of the horses when we heard Matt yell for help. The doctor's think it may be a concussion, although the longer she is unconscious the more serious it looks. They will know more as soon as her scans are back," Pablo mentions this from the doorway, where Jean is in his arms.
Junior speaks as if he hasn't heard a word they have been saying, his eyes never leaving Kris' face, "I told her not to come, that we would be fine with the distance. That we would visit as often as we could manage it. I told her that this project would only be a year and then we'd be together forever. She shouldn't have been taking a final ride around Raintree, she should have been celebrating her win. I don't think I can handle forever being over already, I don't think I can know that this happened because she was choosing to follow me, so she needs to wake up." Junior sighs as he lifts her hand to his mouth, drawing in her scent.
"Kris was ready to choose you, she was ready for her life with you to begin now," Dani whispers. "She told me that she couldn't be away from you anymore. She knew that it was important she make this decision now, that you never doubt her again."
"I have never doubted her – Kris always follows her heart. That's why I love her, that's why I need her to wake up." As he stares into the eyes of his friends and family, a single tear falls down Junior's face, landing in a puddle on Kris' hand.
I know this chapter is really short, but I hope to have a few longer chapters coming up... Please review and let me know what you think.