A/N: Hello again! Long time no update? Don't worry, Nora & Patch are back now. I humbly ask for your reviews and opinions! xx
NPOV
My breathing has calmed. The night air stings my cheeks on the cold forest ground, but at least I can breathe. Take this one step at a time, Nora. Breathe, stand, walk. I attempt to push myself up with my forearms, and I do manage a little, but my palms slide against the damp leaves and I'm right back where I started.
It's hard to tell the time, but my guess would be a little after midnight. Again, I'm not really sure how long I've been by myself here. It could have been minutes, but it felt like hours.
Thankfully, the pain that seared through me, starting in my spine and blasting all throughout my abdomen and chest, has finally begun to subside. It's left me exhausted and sore. But at least I'm not crying in agony.
I dimly remember calling out for Patch right when I fell to my knees. Maybe I dreamt I did, or maybe I'm just delirious right now. I feel as if all control of my body is gone, I can't even tell if I've moved at all.
Where am I again? I think the woods. Hmm, that sounds right. Maybe I should just wait here a little bit longer…
I gasp suddenly and blink my eyes rapidly. NORA! I hear in my head, a distant shout that echoes through my mind. Patch?
How long was I out? Was that Patch calling me? Of course it is Nora, no one else can do that, I think to myself and mentally roll my eyes.
When I try to push myself up again, I find it easier. I've gotten to my knees and I grab onto the nearest low branch to pull myself up the rest of the way. With a new vigor and a new purpose, I stumble a few feet to where I think I heard Patch's voice. The steps jolt me forward shakily, rattling my head. I grit my teeth and keep going.
I don't think I could speak right now, my throat totally dried out, but I feel fairly competent in my mind. I focus all my energy and say to his mind, "Patch, I'm coming… just … keep talking to me."
I feel an overwhelming surge of relief and many other emotions coming form him, so I lean on a tree and squeeze my temples while he says back, "NORA! Where are you?! I'm coming for you! Just hold on, baby. I'm coming!"
"Patch, I feel you, you're close… Please hurry." With that, I start my stumbling again. I'm afraid if I stop one more time, I won't have the energy to start moving. I walk for mere minutes that stretch on to feel like decades.
Then, when I feel like I can't take another step, he's there.
"Angel!" He shouts, grabbing me under my arms and supporting me. My eyelids start to slip but I manage a small grin. I think I see Vee past his shoulder, but I didn't get a good look so I'm not entirely sure. I'm sure I look like a lunatic right now. He's still talking to me and frantically trying to hold my head up to look into my eyes, but I don't care. I'm in his arms, I'm finally safe. Now, all I want to do is sleep.
"Patch," I croak out, splitting my dry lip with my smile.
PPOV
"Patch," she whispers roughly.
The instant she sees me, her dry lips crack into a smile that splits them. However, that's not the roughest thing about her. Her hair is matted to her head and she is covered in dirt and leaves. There are several holes in her dress and stockings, her boots are scratched and caked with mud. I can see the streaks on her face from the tears that had fallen.
I am desperately trying to keep her alert, talking to her and forcing her head to stay upright. She coughs a bit to clear her dry throat. Her eyelids droops and she seems delirious.
Vee is stunned behind me, frozen to her spot and choking back a sob. The combination of being kidnapped by archangels, killing one of them, running through the woods, and now the sight of her best friend like this has taken a huge toll on her.
I sling Nora up into my arms, carrying her bridal style as she rests her head against my chest and hums softly. I'm worried about her mental state at this point, I need to get her home. Walking over to Vee, I grab her arm and led the three of us back to my Jeep. We'll take care of the Neon later.
We aren't very far from the cemetery but it's very easy to get turned around in these woods, and I understand how the girls got separated and lost. Once we're next to the car, Vee slides into the back and I seat Nora beside her, telling both of them to lean against one another and buckle each other. Surprisingly, Nora is still awake. She's humming. She claims that she isn't in any pain and I don't see any immediate broken bones or bruising, so I'll just have to wait to see what happened.
As I'm making sure that Nora is secured, she hiccups and giggles, saying "Where are we going, Patch?" Her eyes are glassy and her head keeps bobbing around.
I look at her with concern and say, "Home, Angel. You'll be home soon." I brush her face and she giggles again. Her skin is freezing. I shrug off my jacket and lay it across her. Her demeanor is quickly becoming crazed, it might be shock.
Vee seems to be shaking it off. She takes Nora's hand and tells me to start driving. I hop into the driver's seat and get out of there as quickly as I can. I'm ready to leave this night behind me.
Once I get closer to her house, Vee says, "Make sure she's okay Patch. I would insist on staying with her but I think at this point it would just confuse and upset her." As I pull up her driveway, I can see tears in her eyes. She's trying to stay strong for Nora, who is looking at her with confusion, but Vee is clearly shaken up.
"Where are you going?" Nora asks with a childlike curiosity, tilting her head.
Vee sighs and says sadly, "I'm gunna go inside and get some sleep, babe. You should get some sleep too!" Vee looks worn out and doesn't want Nora to worry, so she just pats her hand as Nora says happily, "Oh. Sleep. That sounds good, I think."
With tears in her eyes, Vee kisses Nora's forehead and hops out of the car, thanking me quietly and telling me she'll text me in the morning. She runs to her front porch and slips inside.
My angel sits in the back seat of my Jeep, clearly in shock from what happened to her. I speed home along the back roads of Coldwater and take Nora into our place as soon as we get there. She's still humming along.
Once I get her into our bedroom I gently sit her on the bed and strip her dirty jacket off and take off her boots. At any other time, I would really appreciate her outfit and compliment her on it, but now is not the time. She's still giggling every time I touch her and it has me seriously concerned.
I get her into one of my tee shirts, wipe off all of the dirt on her face and arms. I don't see any bruises or scratches, which is a good sign. I gently wash her hair and braid it, letting it fall down her back. All the while she hums and closes her eyes softly. I am constantly talking to her, telling her that she is safe and that she'll never leave my side.
"Angel, tell me if you're hurt. Are you hurt? Honey, if not, I want you to get some sleep." Her eyes meet mine but they are distant and glassy.
She responds with a little yawn, saying, "I was hurting, Patch. I was really scared. But then it went away." She pauses for a minute before smiling and adding, "And then you came!" She bites her lips and sways. I grab her shoulders and gently push her down so that her head is resting on her pillow.
Like a child, I pull the covers up and watch her snuggle into them. Once again she yawns, mumbling an incoherent, "Goodnight, Patch."
I feel tears well into my eyes, and like Vee, I lean into her forehead and plant a soft kiss. I whisper, "Sleep tight, my Angel," and she drifts into a peaceful sleep.
All I can hope is that this delusion and shock will wear off with sleep. Nora is a fighter, I know that she won't give up her mind without a say. I believe she'll make it through this. I stay by her side the entire night, in case she wakes from a nightmare or wakes suddenly. I don't sleep at all.
What a freaking day.
NPOV
I am aware that I'm in our bed before I'm awake. The light in the room casts a yellow glow behind my eyelids. My body feels weirdly sore right now, so I can't imagine what moving will feel like. But surprisingly, I don't feel that bad overall. A little headache, that's all.
I stretch my leg muscle first, slowly stirring awake. A tiny moan escapes my lips as I pop joints and spread across the bed. My eyelids flutter open, taking it in. Yep, I'm in our bedroom. The light seems brighter than normal, but I might just be a little tired.
From my peripheral vision I see Patch. I turn my head to him, smiling wide when I see him. I giggle at his face, he has a sexy five o'clock shadow and he looks funny. His eyes turn wide, almost in horror.
"What is it?" I ask, sitting up, worried that something's wrong.
He looks hesitant and a bit scared, asking, "How are you feeling, Angel?" His words are slow and drawn out. He's acting so weird.
I look at him with an equally confused expression and answer, "Goooooood? Why are you treating me like I'm crazy?"
Patch is instantly relieved and lunges over to hug me tightly. I wince from my sore muscles and hug him back, even though he's acting like he's the crazy one. "What's gotten into you?" I ask. He releases me slowly and looks into my eyes.
"Do you remember anything from last night, Nora?" His eyes search mine for answers.
I rack my brain, trying to remember. "OH!" I exclaim, when I finally remember. I grab my head and lean forward. I remember it all.
Patch rubs my back as I gather my thoughts. Going to Vee's… walking through the woods to get to Patch… being alone, lost, and doubled over in pain. It's a lot to handle. But what's worse is that I remember it in crystal clear detail.
Patch tells me, "I was so worried, Angel. You were acting delirious, you were obviously in shock. That's why I was so scared when you smiled and laughed when you first woke up." It makes sense, his horrified look.
Even though I was hysterical last night, I feel as sharp as a tack right now. "Patch, I feel totally fine. It's so weird, because I remember how much pain I was in, but I feel completely normal." I look at my hands, turning them over and I examine my tingling skin. I feel, practically, new.
Right now, as I'm sitting in bed with him, I'm hyper-aware. I can see every speck of dust in the air, feel every slight movement on the bed, I can hear Patch's heartbeat from where I am.
I look at him incredulously and say, "I feel better than fine, Patch."
PPOV
What? Nora tells me that she feels better than she did before?
I'm stunned silent. I truly believed that I might not get my Nora back. That when she woke up, she would still be crazed out of her mind. I sat by her side all night, worrying that I might not get my Angel back. And here she is, practically glowing.
She laughs and takes my hand, jumping out of bed. She's wearing one of my tee-shirts, one that barely covers her bottom and is riding dangerously high on her thighs. I laugh after a minute too, grabbing her hips and spinning her around me.
She gasps and smiles, holding my hands and saying, "Patch!"
I set her down and kiss her on the lips, overjoyed that she is okay. Better than okay, I think to myself. But I won't let her off this easy.
"Angel. You still need your rest. You have a lot of recovering to do and even more talking. I still need to know what happened! I was so worried that you were hurt or kidnapped or dead." I mean business, I won't let this slide. "Why did you follow me to the cemetery?" About this, I am actually pissed. How could she risk her life like that?
She crosses her arms and bites that lips again. "I don't know, Patch. I hated having secrets and I needed to know what was going on and I thought Vee and I could handle it." Crap! Vee, I need to text her and tell her that Nora is okay.
I decide to dwell on the fact that she followed me later. Instead I say, "And you! You said last night that you were in a lot of pain, but then you saw me, and you were in shock."
I see her eyes glaze as she remembers in detail her episode of pain last night. She whispers, "I was, Patch. It was horrible. I don't know what was wrong with me. It really scared me, and it was worse not having you next to me." She shudders and curls her hands into her chest, leaning herself against me. I stroke her hair and whisper loving words.
"I can't let that go, Nora. We need to know what happened to you." I am planning out in my head what we should do when she says, "We'll figure that out as soon as you tell me everything that you were up to in the cemetery. Besides, I feel really good now!"
She has me matched. I don't want to worry her with my shit right now, it would just add a burden to her already heavy shoulders. And besides, if she's feeling better, what would any human doctor tell her to do anyway? I still would feel better if she went, though.
I groan and we're at a stalemate. "It's hard to judge what your pain was; it might have just been shock that came out as a physical pain. Promise me the second that you feel sick again, you'll let me take care of you." I stare her straight in the eye and make her meet my gaze.
She rolls her eyes and says, "Yes, sir." I see the playfulness in her eyes and know that my Angel is really back. She's back.
I grab my phone and text Vee, Nora is doing well this morning. No post-trauma problems. – P
She texts back instantly, Good. Keep my girl safe and let her recover. –V
I can feel her reading my phone over my shoulder and say, "What do you think, Nora? Should I let you recover? You seem to be doing extraordinarily well." I smirk at her over my shoulder as she runs her hands up and down my arms.
Her teeth graze my earlobe as she whispers, "I don't know, babe. I'm feeling pretty good."
Her words send a shiver down my spine. I sigh and say, "I'm sorry Angel, I shouldn't be leading you on like this. I really do need to let you rest. You might feel fine, but your mind needs some recovering. You might have some trauma that you're just suppressing."
Her pouted face and doe eyes tell me that she isn't too fond of getting excited and then being told she has to go back to bed.
She crosses her arms and lays back in the bed. "Okay, Patch. One condition." Oh, this can't be good.
"Anything," I say anyway.
"You'll stay with me. All day. If I can't move, neither can you." At her words, I'm the one busting into a smile like a lunatic. I lunge over her, putting me hands on either side of her face and holding my body above hers.
I put my face inches above hers and say, "There's nowhere I'd rather be, Angel."
A/N: Thanks for reading/reviewing. Love you guys :')