Ch. 9 Tobias' Pov
I wake with a pounding headache to the annoying sound of sirens. I slowly open my eyes and take in the scene in front of me. I'm on the pavement facedown. My truck is about 15 feet away from me flipped upside down and the tractor trailer truck has skidded off the road. I see a stiff hand out the window of the passenger side. Fuck.
"Tris!" I yell and try to get up, but am forcibly shoved back down.
"Sir you need to stay put while we assess your injuries."
"Get the hell off me, I'm fine, I just need my girlfriend." I scream and shove the guy off me, but two more come by and hold me down. I see three emts go over to the truck and pull Tris out of the crushed truck and put her on a stretcher. She looks so lifeless and small. I feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. And it's weird because I feel like I'm watching a horror movie, where you really want to yell "don't go in there!" but you know they won't listen. I really want to call for her, to tell her to wake up, but my voice is lost. No no no she can't leave, I just fucking found her. She can't, she cannot leave me. So I go to stand up to be close to her, but I feel another shove and a pinch in my arm.
"This will help you calm down." the girl says and I suddenly feel very drowsy, but try and fight it to make sure Tris is okay. I stare at the ambulance as they put Tris in and people are talking a yelling all around me, but it sounds like I'm underwater and I can't breathe. I'm so fucking tired and all I want is to wrap myself up in Tris and go to sleep.
"Tris," I try to call out, but it comes out more as a mumble and I close my eyes and darkness consumes me.
I wake up in a white room with an irritating constant beeping noise. There's a doctor or nurse or something checking some papers when he sees me wake up. There's this really annoying tube down my throat making me choke so I take it and pull it out which hurts like a bitch, but I don't really give a shit. Where the fuck is Tris?
"Well, I've never seen that before. I'm Dr. Oliver and have been the one taking care of you. Do you remember what happened to you?" The guy says and I just nod because my throat hurts way too much to try and talk.
"That's good, would you like to know what injuries you sustained?" He asks. What a stupid fucking question, but I nod anyway.
"You have 12 broken ribs that punctured both your lungs so you were coughing up massive amounts of blood so we went in and patched your lungs. The tube was to help your lungs fully inflate and deflate. You cracked your orbit, dislocated both your shoulders and snapped your left wrist so we had to go in and put screws in it. You also have a mild concussion. We didn't find the person who was in the tractor trailer truck that hit you so he or she must've took off at the scene which is quite odd, but the authorities are taking care of it. Right now its 2 am Monday morning and there have are quite a few people here that have been waiting for you to wake up, but they will have to wait till visiting hours."
"Tris." I croak really feeling the sore throat.
"Ah yes, she has still not woken up from her surgeries and that is all I'm allowed to say. Your personal items are in the bag on the chair. I suggest lots of rest. Your body is still recovering from a very extensive surgery and you will not get better if you push yourself. If you are in pain please press the nurse button so they can give you painkillers. Do you need anything or do you have any questions?" Why the fuck isn't Tris up yet? Surgeries? As in plural?
"Water?" I croak again.
"Of course." He leaves the room and comes back with a water bottle and a straw.
"When can I see Tris?" I ask after downing the whole water bottle, but my voice still sounds hoarse and scratchy.
"You can leave the room and walk around after you wake up, but we will have to keep you an extra day to make sure your lungs don't collapse." I nod my head and he leaves the room. I need her to wake up to know she's okay. She has to be okay. Shit, it's all my fault. We shouldn't have had that conversation in a car. I should've waited till we were at her apartment, but no, stupid me just had to fucking push. I cannot lose her. I won't be able to survive if she doesn't come out of this. Fuck this medication the doctor gave me is wicked strong. Darkness falls once again.
When I wake up I see Zeke Uriah and Hana and Artie all in the room silent.
"Why are you guys so quiet?" I squeak out and they all snap their heads up.
"Oh my baby." Hana says grabbing my right hand with tears in her eyes.
"I'm fine mom." I say quietly not wanting to see her cry. She wipes the tears from her eyes and pulls a chair so she can sit and hold my hand at the same time.
"You look and sound like shit son." Artie says and I chuckle a little which was a bad idea because I go into an awful coughing fit which hurts like a bitch on my dumb ass ribs. Uriah comes over and hands me a water which I greedily drink. He doesn't say anything, but Zeke hasn't even gotten up from his spot let alone looked at me.
"How's Tris?" God, I do sound like shit.
"The doctor said she was still unconscious about 30 minutes ago, but I can check again." And I just nod my head and Uriah takes off.
"Are you hungry, I can probably get you some jello or yogurt or something that won't hurt when you swallow?" And I nod my head and Hana kisses my forehead and heads out with Artie. Zeke stays quiet in the corner looking at the floor with his elbows on his knees.
"Are you.. Are you okay?" He says after a while and I just nod my head. The hospital bed is extremely uncomfortable so I try to move, but every slight movement hurts like a bitch and even though I try real hard to hide my wince, Zeke knows me real fuckin well so he catches it.
"I can get a nurse to give you pain stuff." He says standing up, but I stop him.
"Four the guy said you should take your medication if you're in pain and clearly you are. You aren't going to get better if you don't take.."
"I know, I just want to stay up for a little longer." I say and he nods and sits back down.
"You were on the news." he says and I must look confused.
"Yep, they're looking for the person who smashed into you guys."
"They still haven't found him?"
"Nope." He says and looks down at his entwined hands. After a moment he finally pipes up.
"How did it happen?"
"One minute we were fine and the next a truck was skidding head on towards us. It just... it just happened so fast I couldn't.. I couldn't.. Fuck what if Tris doesn't wake up? It's all my fucking fault Zeke, I can't.."
"Hey, this isn't your fault so will you shut the fuck up? Tris will be fine, you are fine, and everything will be fine. Fuck, you almost died brother, I can't... What the fuck?! You cannot blame yourself for this, it was all that fucking truck driver's fault. What the fuck was he even doing driving in the wrong lane? If they ever find the guy that did this I'm going to kill him." He says in a deadly voice that I have never heard come from him before. He wipes his eyes and heads out the door. I close my eyes trying to get rid of this headache from all the fucking thinking and find myself drifting off to sleep again.
It's now Thursday and Tris isn't up still. I've been in her room as much as I can be and I still haven't left the hospital which happens to be the one that Tris will be interning at. Her parents have been here almost all the time except for at night when they go to her apartment to sleep because you technically aren't allowed to sleep in the same room as a patient, but now they know not to mess with me on that subject. I sleep in a chair next to her bed, holding her hand. I'm supposed to sit up as much as possible because of my ribs anyway. The nurses finally gave in Tuesday and told me the extent of her injuries. Nothing of hers is broken except her nose because apparently I prevented that from happening because I basically covered her with my body until I got thrown out the windshield from what the investigators and doctors have told me. That makes me feel slightly better, but I won't be okay until she wakes up. She did have a brain bleed which is the reason why she hasn't woken up yet and apparently she has had one before which makes the extent of her injury putting her more at risk for memory loss which I really hope is not the case. That would be really shitty if she woke up and didn't know who I was. A huge shard of glass also stabbed her in one of the kidneys so now she only has one because it wasn't salvageable. She also almost bled out which takes a huge toll on someone who is only now 105 pounds. I spend most of the time looking at her, willing her to wake up. She looks so fragile and pale on the bed with various tubes attached to her. She's so beautiful with her blonde, shiny hair fanned out on the pillow and her eyelashes laying lazily on her cheeks. Even with a bruise splattered across her nose she is the most beautiful human being I have ever laid my eyes on. What I would do to see those big baby blues right now. I don't even give a shit if that sounds soft, if I'm turning soft all I want is Tris. I hate this waiting thing. Why doesn't she just wake up?
I feel circles being drawn on the palm of my hand and slowly open my eyes to see the pale blue ones I've grown to love staring right back.
"Tris? Baby? You're up?! Oh my god how do you feel? I'm so so sorry, you have no idea.."
"Shh Tobias its okay, I'm okay. It was not your fault, if anything it was mine. You have a beard." She says reaching out and I lean into her touch. Leave it to Tris to mention my beard as soon as she wakes up from a fucking coma. I've missed her. I smile at her.
"I haven't had a chance to shave. I can shave if you want. I haven't been home, but I did shower in your bathroom and Zeke brought me clothes."
"Yeah the nurse told me, Tobias you didn't have to stay the whole time."
"I wouldn't be able to just stay home and risk the chance of you waking up. I was so worried you wouldn't wake up I couldn't.. Oh my god you remember me!?" I say and kiss her hand.
"I don't think I would be able to forget you." She whispers and I smile.
"How do you feel?" I say softly.
"I'm sore, my head hurts, but I'm okay. I'm really okay so stop acting like I'm going to break at any moment." She whispers.
"I don't want to hurt you again." I whisper back looking away from her.
"You have done everything but hurt me." she says holding both my cheeks so I can look at her. I kiss her lips gently.
"So many people were here to see you. Everyone was so worried about you baby. Did someone call your parents and brother? Or do you want me to?" She looks at me sleepily.
"Can you call them please?" She yawns.
"Of course get some rest baby."
"After you're done calling them can you sleep on the bed with me? I need you." She needs me.
"Of course." I kiss her forehead and dial her mom's number. After calling her family and saying they can visit in the morning, I slip in the bed with her and she immediately molds to me even in her sleep.
"Goodnight beautiful."
Tris' Pov
I woke up 15 minutes ago, but the whole time I've been staring at Tobias. I'm so glad he's okay, that we're both okay. I found out that the head nurse on my case was Eric who was going to show me around on Monday and be my boss if I decided to be a nurse. He already came in saying I could be discharged in the afternoon if everything looked fine. He told me how little Tobias has been sleeping and I feel absolutely awful. He has more injuries than me, he should be the one sleeping for 5 days straight. It's all my fault we got in the stupid accident, I shouldn't have told him in the truck, but he was being so persistent and I really want to open up to him. Eric knocks on the door before coming in. He sees Tobias sleeping so he starts to whisper.
"I'm sorry this happened to you." I give him a small smile and nod.
"Have you decided on the nursing or surgeon internship yet?" He says pulling up a chair and sitting next to the bed.
"Yes. I'm going to choose the surgeon internship." I say and he raises his eyebrows.
"That's pretty badass. I'm impressed."
"What you don't think I can do it?"
"That's not what I meant. I have faith in you. I'm sure I'll see you around here anyway. You should really rest up some more and take it easy. We will probably keep you one more night for observation so you should be able to leave Saturday. How do you feel?"
"Fuzzy and sore. I have a headache as well."
"All normal. Like I said, rest up some more and no activities that will cause strain."
"Thank you Eric." He just nods and smiles, but stays in the room so I wait for him to continue. He looks like he was going to say something, but shakes his head and walks out the door. Okay?...
"A surgeon huh?" A raspy voice says from beside me. I turn over and see Tobias' tired eyes looking at me. I smile at him.
"Yeah I decided when I was in my coma."
"You're going to be an amazing surgeon."
"You think?"
"I know."
I wrap an arm around his stomach making sure I don't touch his broken ribs and snuggle into his arm. I feel him kiss the top of my head.
"When does that internship start?"
"Not for another month so I still have time to heal and stuff."
"Good, you're not going back to that bar are you? Tris I swear to God.." He says getting all protective, but I interrupt him so he doesn't have to get too upset.
"No, I think I'm going to take my parents advice and give myself a little break."
"You have no idea how happy that makes me." He whispers and I look up at him.
"Do you want to take a shower first or should I?"
"We could shower together, waste less water." He says with a sly grin across his face.
"Tobias Eaton, my parents are going to be here any minute so that is not an option." He just looks at me for a while with an unnamed look in his eye.
"What?"
"I'm sorry."
"I thought we already went through this, it's not your fault."
"It's not your fault either."
"I shouldn't have told you that in the truck."
"I shouldn't have pushed you to tell me. That was an asshole move of me."
"I was going to have to tell you anyway. It's hard for me to open up, it's like I'm reliving the moments, reopening the wounds or whatever, when all I want to do is move on. It's just hard so you have to bear with me."
"I know what you mean." He looks away and I take the chance to really examine him. His right cheek has cuts and scrapes all over it and his eye is all black and swollen. He doesn't have a shirt on but his chest is wrapped because of his broken ribs. His left arm is in a sling with a cast around his wrist. He's too good at hiding his pain so you can't really tell if he's in pain or not, but with the extent of his injuries, I'm guessing he is. He really should be the one taking the time off, not me. I wish I could take all of the pain away from this adonis laying next to me.
"I'm going to take a shower." He says sitting up and throwing his legs over the side and walking into the bathroom. I look after him and sigh. I wish I knew what was going on through his mind.
"Oh sweetheart." My mom gasps coming into the room.
"Mom, I'm fine." I say sitting up too quickly and a shoot of pain goes to my incision spot at my lower back. She shakes her head with tears in her eyes and sits on the uncomfortable bed and envelops me in a hug.
"How are you feeling? And how do you really feel? How is your head? What's going through your head? Do you want some water? Are you hungry? If you are I can go and get you some.."
"Mom, your shrink side is coming out."
"I'm sorry. I was so worried about you.. You almost died." She whispers.
"But I didn't and I'm fine." She gives me a small smile with tears in her eyes.
"I'm going to talk to the doctor." She says and hurries out the door. My dad pushes off the wall he was leaning on and takes my mom's spot.
"Where's Four?" He says not looking at me.
"He's in the shower." He nods and we stay silent for a while.
"You scared me." He says with a voice crack and finally turning his head to look at me and I can see the tears in his eyes. I was expecting my mom, but definitely not my dad who I've never seen cry in my entire life. I really didn't want to cry, but I can't help myself. He holds me for a couple minutes slowly rocking back and forth and I feel him kiss the top of my head a couple times.
"There's a lot of people here to see you if you are up for it." He says when he pulls back.
"That's fine, I just need to shower and change."
"You don't have to see them, I don't want you to wear yourself out sweetie. Plus the doctor said you should rest.."
"It's really okay, they came all this way to see me. I have to at least see them. Has Caleb been here?"
"Of course he has, he's waiting with the others. Now go take your shower. Your mother brought you a bag from home." Tobias must've slipped out of the room at some point because the bathroom is open. So I go and take a refreshing, head-clearing shower.
"Christina you're choking me." I squeak out from her death grip on me. This is probably the ten millionth time she's hugged me today. Tobias kicked everyone out a couple hours ago because it was getting way too crowded and loud and my head was killing me. All that's left is my parents, my brother, Christina and Tobias.
"I'm sorry, it's just, I thought I lost you." She says with tears in her eyes. Oh no I can't take anymore crying.
"Hey, I'm good, really good, so no crying please. It would have been a lot worse if Four wasn't there." I say and look at him with such adoration. I really owe him my life.
"Babe, don't say things like that. It shouldn't have even happened in the first place." He chirps up from his chair in the corner. I continue to look at him, but he won't even so much as give me a peek. My eyelids suddenly feel like lead so I close them, falling asleep instantly.
I feel someone playing with my hair and slowly open my eyes. Its dark out, but the glow of the moonlight casting through the window blinds allow me to see Tobias deep in thought next to me on the shitty bed.
"Penny for your thoughts?" He lowers his gaze to me and lets out a sigh.
"I'm sorry I woke you up."
"Hey, stop with the "sorry" shit. I have slept enough in the past couple days. You need the rest more than I do so what are you doing up?"
"I couldn't fall asleep." I know it's more than that, but I won't push him. I just stare at him some more and kiss him on the cheek which is very rough, but very sexy.
"Are you okay?" I whisper.
"The moment you woke up I was okay. I'm just thinking about you, how you are so fucking strong. I really can't believe you're mine, that you're here. That you would choose me out of all the guys that trip over themselves just to look at you. And the crazy thing is you don't even realize it. You don't even see how beautiful and personable you are which makes you 20 times more beautiful. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can't believe you chose a guy with the type of baggage that I have." He finally looks at me and I can see some emotion in his eyes even in the dark that I can't quite grasp. I'm speechless for a minute, really quite taken back by his rant.
"You know what it felt like after Peter? Imagine waking up one morning and feeling like you aren't yourself. That everything you've built up to be your whole life just got tossed out the window like it was nothing. I was damn proud of my hard work and who I became and all that pride was gone. Every day for two straight years I woke up, but I didn't feel like me. I felt empty. But when I looked in your eyes I felt something shift. It was like I was drowning and you were like taking a fresh breath of air and I could feel again. I could feel like me. And sure you have a past, but what I've learned is that your past does not define you. Who you are is what you do in the present, right here, right now,and in the future. Tobias Eaton you are the kindest, sweetest man I know and you are worthy of me just as much as I am worthy of you. You are my hero." He shuts me up with a very passionate kiss, but this time it's a different kind of passion. It starts off like an ember. One of those embers that will continue to grow until it reaches a blazing fire which is exactly what I feel in the pit of my stomach. He's hovering over me and with two shoulders that have recently been dislocated, I snap out of my desire induced phase thinking about how much that has got to hurt for him. He needs no more pain.
"Tobias your shoulders." I murmur against his lips.
"Fuck my shoulders." He breathily says and continues to kiss me, but I won't have it so he lets out a frustrated sigh and gives me a quick peck before lying back on his side. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and I wrap my arms around his rock hard stomach and I can tell you right now, his stomach is not the only thing that's rock hard.
"I never thought I was worthy of anyone. My mom left me and my dad beat me so if I wasn't worthy of my own parents then who would I be worthy for?"
"You are so much more than you see yourself as." I feel him kiss my head a couple times, but he continues to stay silent. I find myself in a dreamlike state when I hear a faint "I love you Tris Prior." But convince myself it was just in my head.
A/N: Hope y'all like it! Leave a review if you have any questions/comments/advise or whatever just let me know! Check my pinterest too kenziepatt16