Chapter 8- I'm Lost Without You

Pete opened his eyes to a dark night. He ached all over. He soon
realized that his foot was broken… again. He let out a slight groan of
frustration and something shifted around his left side. He looked down
at the brown headed girl, her head resting against the mattress, fast
asleep. He smiled to see that she wasn't hurt. He lifted his left hand
and placed it gently on her head, rubbing her hair. Somewhere between
life and death, Pete had heard her voice calling to him. He was almost
ready to give up fighting when her voice came into his head. It was as
if he was awake and that they we're actually talking to each other.
Everything Leila said came clearly in his thoughts. She gave him a new
reason to fight to stay alive, because he could feel a powerful force
pulling on his soul; but Leila's words strengthened his will to live.
To fulfill his promises to her.

Leila moaned a little and shifted again in her chair. Pete moved his
hand to cover hers that was lying on top of the bedding. He squeezed it
gently. Leila's head lifted about two inches off the bed and stared at
her hand, covered by Pete's. Slowly, her head turned upwards towards
Pete's. When her green eyes met those brown ones that she hadn't seen
in what felt like forever, she shot up in her seat; all the sleep gone
from her body.

Upon seeing Leila fully, he frowned. She was hurt. One
of her hands had clung to her stomach when she sat up too fast and her
arm was broken and in a cast with stitches on her head. Leila was just
staring at him, in amazement.

"Hey there Lei," Pete said, using her family's nickname her. Leila
smiled at him, the first real smile since the accident. She could feel
the tears welling in the corners of her eyes, but refused to cry in
front of Pete.

"I-I thought that you were going… to…" Leila choked out, putting her
other hand on top of hers and Pete's. Pete could see the unshed tears
in her eyes. His heart ached for her, and he felt horrible for putting
her through all that pain.

"If it wasn't for you, Lei, I would have," Pete's raspy voice scratched
his throat. Leila looked at him in confusion. "I heard everything you said
to me," Pete said, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

Leila looked up at him in surprise. She had heard that people can hear
you in a coma, but never of them remembering it. If it wasn't for the
dark night, Pete would have been able to see Leila's face turn a bright
shade of pink.

"What you said meant a lot to me. I didn't think I had anything to live
for until I heard you. You gave me a will to live, Leila," Pete said,
growing more weary.

"Should I go and get the nurse?" Leila asked surveying him.

"No," Pete said, "I want to tell you this first." He closed his eyes
for a moment. Leila desperately wanted him to stay awake; she was
afraid if he went back to sleep he would slip back into a coma. Pete
took a big breathe and winced. "Leila, I love you too," he said
opening his eyes, watching her.

Leila breathed in a little too quickly and gasped with pain. He didn't
know whether the tears in her eyes were from joy or pain, but to make
himself feel better, he took them as joy. Leila brought his hand to her
face and pressed it against her cheek. Soon, Pete was back asleep and
Leila paced out of the room to alert the nurse that he was wake for just
a minute before going back to sleep. Patrick had fallen asleep on the
couch again, and Cara was sitting down at his feet. Casie and Parker
were snuggled on another couch across from them, both asleep.

"Guys!" Leila said a little too forcefully, hurting her chest. They all
jumped, startled.

"Leila, what are you doing up and out of bed?" Casie asked.

"Never mind that." Leila said, changing the subject. "Pete woke up, but fell back asleep," Leila breathed, clutching her side.

Patrick's head jerked up at the words "Pete woke up." He stood up slowly and walked to Leila. He surveyed her for sincerity. Once he saw the pure joy in her eyes he knew she was telling the truth. Patrick threw his arms around her and hugged her gently; relieved that his friend had come through. Leila was taken aback for a moment by his hug. She soon relaxed and fell into his embrace, crying on his shoulder.

Pete was going to be alright, it was a feeling they all had.

Since the night Pete woke up, Leila couldn't be told to stay in bed. She was found by his bed when he was awake and fast asleep, with her head lying on the bed, when Pete was resting. Patrick had brought in Pete's bass guitar, upon Pete's request (he said he was going to go insane if he didn't have something to do). Pete was attempting to teach Leila how to play, but it was very difficult seeing as Leila's left arm was in a cast. So Pete held the bass at the head and pressed down the strings and Leila strummed as he instructed; as difficult as it was, they just enjoyed spending the time together.

Many of Pete's friends came by to visit; such as the guys from Panic At The Disco and Gym Class Heroes. Leila thought it was very sweet that they had brought her some get well flowers; she also couldn't stop smiling when Pete had introduced her as "my Leila." A rumor started flying around the hospital that Ashlee had tried to come visit Pete, but Patrick told the security that she wasn't allowed on the floor of Pete's room. They were afraid that she might do something to upset him; and the fact that Leila now had a hard cast on her left hand that could cause more damage to her face was another reason to keep her away. Pete had gotten tons of fan mail, wishing him the best and a fast recovery. Some even asked who his "mysterious female companion" was and hoped that she got well fast. One day, close to Pete's twenty-ninth birthday, he turned to Leila.

"Hey Lei, I was thinking," Pete started. He was getting used to calling her that, and she didn't mind. She smiled at him, loving the sound of her short name coming from his lips.

"Yeah, Petey?" Leila answered.

"Since we're stuck in this hospital," Pete grimaced, gesturing around at the dismal surroundings, "we could try and have our first date here? I can understand if you would rather wait until we are out of here and could go someplace more… romantic, but…" Pete trailed off.

Leila just watched him. He looked so cute when he was being shy and boy-like.

"That's sounds like fun. When should we do it?" Leila asked him, still smiling.

They settled on that very evening. Leila left his room, grinning from ear to ear. As she was trying to tie her shoes, Pete rolled his wheelchair into her room. He still couldn't walk on his foot yet, and a wheelchair would make the evening a lot less complicated than crutches.

"Need help?" Pete laughed, watching Leila try and tie her shoes with a broken arm.

"Please," Leila said, putting her foot on his knee, and he tied her shoe. "So, are we ready?"

"Yeah, let's go," Pete said, turning his chair around. Leila walked to the door and held it open for him to wheel through. Pete started laughing. When Leila questioned him about it he just said "I guess tonight, you're going to be the gentleman… holding the door open for me and everything." Leila laughed and smacked his shoulder.

Together, they went down to the cafeteria. Pete picked out a table and Leila got them the special for that day, meatloaf and macaroni and cheese. Leila found Pete at a window table and joined him, handing out the food. They ate in silence for the most part. Finally, Leila spoke up.

"I was terrified that you would never wake up," Leila whispered into her ice tea. Pete looked up from his meatloaf, swallowing hard. She looked sadly into his caramel brown eyes. He didn't know what to say to make her feel better. He just sat there, letting her talk; her feelings pouring out on the table.

"I didn't care about my injuries; I was more worried about you. You quit breathing Pete, for I don't know how long. I saw them rushing you upstairs. It made me physically sick and they had to start a drip of some kind of sedative into my IV. And when I saw you lying there on the bed, not moving, I was more scared than I can ever remember being in my life," Leila said, her voice getting softer with every word. Pete had to strain to hear her. She stopped talking, and stared out of the window.

Pete had no idea that he had affected her this badly. He knew that she was still upset with the whole accident, but he didn't know it was this bad. He reached across the table and took her hand. Leila looked back at him, a tear rolling down her face.

"Leila, I'm sorry that I scared you so badly," Pete began, squeezing her hand gently. "I can't imagine the pain I caused you. And for that, I'll never be able to make it up to you. But I'm here now, alive and awake. It'll take more than a car accident to take me, because I know that I live for more than just myself. I live for you. Your voice saved me from throwing in the towel Leila, as cheesy as that sounds. I felt like I was being swallowed up by a black hole after Ashlee, but you took my hand and pulled me back; back from the pit of self despair that I made in my head. We can make it through anything, Leila, as long as we have each other," Pete finished, giving her a blazing look that made Leila speechless.

Leila stood up and walked around to Pete's chair and wrapped her arms around him. He enveloped her into a hug, closing his arms around her. Leila let go and looked into his eyes.

"I love you, Pete," she said in the same whisper. It was the first time he had heard those words awake. They were even sweeter than the ones in his head. He caressed her cheek with one hand, staring into her dark green eyes.

"I love you, Lei."

They finished eating and returned slowly to Pete's room. Leila helped him back on the bed as best she could; the date took all the energy Pete had. She went to sit down in the chair, when Pete grabbed her good hand, pulling her closer to him. Their faces were mere inches apart from each other. He wrapped an arm around her back and ran the other through her hair. He moved his hand from her back to her face, cupping her cheek.

She looked into his eyes. Pete slowly guided her closer, his lips grazing hers softly, leaving a tingling sensation behind. Leila closed her eyes and placed both hands on Pete's face. He moved his lips to hers again, but this time with more energy. Pete kissed Leila ever so lightly, leaving Leila with the feeling that could only be described as being short-circuited. Leila kissed him back, letting the emotions she had been feeling for that past week flow into the kiss. When they broke apart after what seemed like hours (or possibly several sunlit days), Leila rested her forehead against Pete's. They sat there for a while in silence, with the sounds of the bustling hospital outside the door.

"Pete was right," Leila thought. "As long as they had each other, everything would work out."

-note from the author-

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! I know this chapter was super cheese, but happy cheese comes from happy cows (paha Casie!)... Anyways... stay tuned for chapter 9!! Also I stole a line from Harry Potter 6... Can you spot it?!