Possible trigger warnings- Violence and mentions of self-harm.
Chapter Thirteen: Never gonna let you go
"Y-you can't be h-here!"
Jackal gave a wicked grin at her distress, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. She felt the urge to puke, her heart sinking into her stomach as he took a step closer to her, but she remained still, frozen in fear.
In a malicious tone, Jackal laughed, "but I just want to talk to my wife."
"Lucy, go inside," Natsu said, stepping in front of her.
Jackal groused, "go away Dragneel, this doesn't concern you."
"I think it does," he wouldn't let this man anywhere near Lucy again, not after what he saw and heard. He'd die before he let something like that happen again.
Jackal took another step closer, earning a growl from the pink haired man. "Stay away from her! Lucy, get inside!"
"You can't tell her what to do!" Jackal sneered.
"That's real funny coming from you!"
"She's my wife! I'm allowed to-"
"No! You're not!" Natsu bared his teeth, ready to defend Lucy if Jackal got any closer. "You're not even supposed to be here."
"A piece of paper isn't going to stop me from seeing her. Come on Lucy, let's go."
Natsu's resolve didn't break. "She's not going anywhere with you."
"Oh yeah?" Jackal crossed his arms over his chest. "And who's gonna stop me?"
There was no hesitation in Natsu's voice. "I will."
Jackal raised a brow. "Is that a threat?"
"It's whatever you need it to be. Just get the hell outta here before this gets ugly," Natsu stole a glance back, wondering why Lucy just stood there with a frightened face. He was about to tell her to go inside again, but Jackal's voice rang through the air first.
"I think you are threatening me. My lawyer would love to hear about this."
Natsu glared. "Tell him whatever you want, as long as it's away from here. Now leave!"
"I don't think so," Jackal said, taking a step closer to the two.
Natsu stepped off the porch and away from Lucy. He stopped less than a foot away from the other man, "Look, as much as I want to beat the shit out of you, I'd rather not do something we'll both regret."
Jackal gave a feral grin before calmly saying, "too late."
Lucy was still frozen, her mind drawing a blank. She hadn't expected to see Jackal so soon, her heartbeat doubled as she waited for her mind to clear. She vaguely heard Natsu yell something, but it went through one ear and right out the other. Only when she heard the sound of skin smacking skin did her mind start to focus on the present.
Natsu stumbled back, trying to keep himself steady. Lucy blinked, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings. She looked up, seeing Jackal drawing his fist back. "Get away from her!"
Jackal went to punch Natsu again, but he blocked it this time, then delivered a punch to the other male's stomach. Lucy panicked, not sure what to do. Her first instinct was to stop them, but she knew better than to get between them right now.
Realizing she had one option, she quickly pulled out her phone to call the police. Her shaky fingers fumbled with the buttons, messing up a few times before she finally got the right number. As she brought the phone up to her ear, she saw Jackal punch Natsu low in the gut, causing him to groan in pain.
Lucy closed her eyes, not wanting to see the violence. She heard the line ring once before someone answered the phone. "911, what's your emergency?"
When she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out. She struggled, her throat strained as she tried to get the words out. "H-he's b-back!"
"Ma'am? Who's back?"
Lucy clenched her jaw, her voice gone for the moment. Once she heard the operator say, "hello?" the doors to the estate flung open.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Jude's voice boomed as he took in the sight of the two men fighting on his property. "Jackal!"
Said man looked up to see his father-in-law on the porch. It wasn't enough to keep his attention as he went to jab Natsu in the side.
Jude felt a vein on his forehead throb. "Just because her name is spelled wrong doesn't mean the protective order isn't valid! Get the hell off my property before I call the police."
Jackal stopped his punch halfway through. "Her name's spelled wrong?"
Before he could get an answer, a fist connected with his nose, sending him falling back on his butt. "Damn! That fucking hurt, you dick!"
Natsu said something in response, but Lucy barely heard it over the voice on the phone. "Ma'am, I need you to tell me what your emergency is."
Lucy turned back to see her father and Virgo behind her. She tore the phone away from her ear and shoved it in her father's hands, trusting him to know what to do since she was in no condition to be talking. Her brain was shattering, a darkness leaking in the longer she was around Jackal's hateful presence.
Jude acted fast, telling the operator the details surrounding the call. Lucy watched her father speak, then felt something wrapping around her torso. She glanced over, seeing Virgo trying to get her to go inside. Lucy's feet remained planted on the ground, not able to move on her own accord yet.
She heard a yell, drawing her attention towards the two fighting men to see Jackals foot kicking Natsu's knee. He fell to the ground, his knee throbbing in pain even as he clutched it. Jackal used this to his advantage, kicking Natsu hard in the chest to get him on his back.
Natsu brought his arms up to protect his face as Jackal got on top of him, delivering punch after punch. The only clear thought running through his mind in the heat of the fight was, 'his fists hit Lucy.' Natsu struck back, hitting Jackal straight in the nose. He vaguely heard a crunch sound, but it was drowned out by Jackal's screams.
Jackal rose to his feet, then swiftly kicked Natsu in the gut as punishment. His nose dripped with blood, sweat covering both males from their fight. Natsu tried to get up, but Jackal kicked him again, this time in the side.
Natsu yelled, the pain already getting to him, but he couldn't give up now. He grabbed Jackal's foot just as he was about to kick him again, keeping it firmly planted on the ground, thinking he got the upper hand.
He was very wrong.
In the blink of an eye, Natsu felt the worst pain he'd ever experienced in his entire life. He screamed, but it barely came out as a whisper as he felt his insides burn.
Lucy jerked in Virgo's arms, trying to get to Natsu. She saw the way Jackal stomped his foot on the left side of Natsu's torso, seeing the look of sheer happiness in that monster's eyes as Natsu tried to shout out in pain. Virgo wouldn't let her go, fearing the same fate would fall on Lucy if she did.
Natsu's hands let go of Jackal's foot. He grabbed where Jackal stomped him, but that only made the pain intensify. He tried to breathe, but it was becoming difficult. He wheezed, feeling the air slip away from him, just out of his grasp.
"That seemed to put you down," Jackal laughed, though his voice sounded odd with his nose injury. His nose was crooked, clearly broken from the punch Natsu delivered. "Now, Lucy..."
Said girl stopped struggling against Virgo's hold when she heard her name called. Fear took over again when those dark eyes landed on her.
"Let's talk," Jackal said, his voice strained as he tried to keep his anger at bay. "Please just come with me. I just need you to drop these silly charges, and then you can go free."
The blonde woman gulped, seeing he was being serious. Her heart felt like it would explode in her chest, her breathing quickening to keep up with the pace. She didn't say anything. She couldn't, not with his gaze trained on her.
Jackal grew impatient. "Just... Just come with me! I promise I won't hurt you if you just cooperate."
Jude was still on the phone with the emergency line, but he didn't utter a single word. He didn't want to set Jackal off, because his daughter would be the one to pay the price. He knew for a fact he wouldn't be able to take Jackal on in a fight. If Natsu couldn't... Then he didn't see very much hope. He just hoped the lady was being truthful when she said police would be there shortly to break it up.
"Well?" Jackal took a step closer to the porch, sending a cold chill down Lucy's spine.
Natsu desperately wanted to do something to stop Jackal, but he could barely move without feeling more pain. It felt like something was ripping away at his body from the inside, his breathing become nothing more than pathetic, shallow gasps for air. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He'd been kicked many times before, but nothing like this had ever happened.
Natsu tried once more to move, but it was fruitless. The only thing he managed to do was piss off Jackal again. The pink haired man flinched when he felt pressure on his throat. He looked up to see what was wrong, though his vision was blurry. He barely made out Jackal's face looking down at him as the pressure increased.
It was the last thing he saw before he passed out.
"Natsu!" Lucy finally found her voice when she saw Jackal step on Natsu's neck. It didn't take a genius to know that was dangerous. "Please! Let him go!"
"Will you come with me then?"
"Yes!" She said without blinking an eye. She would do anything if it meant Jackal stopped hurting Natsu.
"Lucy, don't go with him," Jude pleaded, the phone still pressed against his ear. "Please reconsider."
"I can't," Lucy said, her heart hammering as her body sweat from her nerves. She didn't want to go with Jackal. Every bone in her body screamed at her, trying to keep her still, but her feet moved anyway. She couldn't bear to see Natsu go through this anymore.
What was worse was he had stopped making noises, and that frightened her far more than Jackal ever could.
Jackal watched with sadistic satisfaction as his wife slowly moved towards him. He still kept his foot on Natsu's neck, feeling joyful that he was able to defeat the man who tried to steal his woman.
Lucy looked down, seeing Natsu's eyes closed, his chest no longer rising or falling. She didn't want to, but her mind assumed the worst. 'Is he...' She stopped, tears flooding her eyes as she realized Natsu was probably gone...
...Forever this time.
Just as Jackal was about to reach out and grab Lucy's arm, he heard the sound of a voice shouting behind him. "Crocus PD!" One moment Jackal was standing, the next he was tackled to the ground, his body held down as someone above started shouting.
"Jackal Tartaros, you are under arrest for violating a protective order. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say-" Officer Eucliffe read him his rights while Officer Agria ran over to the man laying on the ground. She started shouting orders for someone to call an ambulance as she kneeled beside him.
Jude was still on the phone, telling the operator what was going on while Lucy dropped to her knees on the other side of Natsu. She watched as the officer placed her fingers on his neck. "Is-" She couldn't finish the sentence, too terrified of the answer. 'No... He can't be-'
"He's alive," she said, taking her hand away from his throat. "But his heart rate is too fast." Officer Agria looked at his face, seeing he was more pale than before. "What happened to him?"
"Th-they were fighting," Lucy said, her voice trembling. "Jackal kicked and stomped on him, and he stopped moving."
The officer glanced down at his torso. Without hesitating, she pulled out a pocket knife, cutting a hole into his shirt before ripping it apart. Lucy gasped when she saw the nasty bruise already forming on Natsu's body, right where Jackal's foot landed on him. It looked far worst than a simple punch or kick hit him.
Officer Agria cursed under her breath. "I think he fractured his rib," she leaned in, her ear hovering over Natsu's opened mouth. She heard nothing, which wasn't a good sign.
As if by miracle, the ambulance's siren rang in the background. The female officer stood up, grabbing Lucy to get her away from Natsu's body. Lucy protested, screaming and struggling to get back to Natsu. The officer's hold was stronger, keeping the frantic girl away from the injured man.
Once the ambulance pulled up, people came out, all gathering around Natsu to check his condition. A male paramedic immediately looked down at the bruise on Natsu's body, then up at the officer. "What happened?"
Officer Agria responded calmly, years of training helping to keep her cool under the pressure. "He was in a fight. When we came up he was already down. She says he was kicked. I think he might have a rib fracture."
The paramedic nodded, then looked back down at the man on the ground. "Sir!" He yelled at Natsu, trying to see if he was responsive. When he didn't get an answer back, the man grabbed Natsu's hand, then pressed hard on his fingernails.
Once again Natsu didn't respond. "He's unconscious!" The man yelled. As he began checking to see if Natsu was breathing, other paramedics started bringing out a stretcher. Lucy stopped trying to get away from the female officer, realizing they were only trying to help Natsu. She had no medical experience herself, so she felt useless in that moment, only able to watch on the sidelines as they tried to fix whatever was wrong with him.
Lucy turned her head when she heard shouting. She saw Officer Eucliffe and another officer bringing Jackal to a police car. They roughly threw him in, then slammed the door behind him. Jackal yelled, though his voice sounded muffled since he was in the car.
Her eyes were ripped away from the scene when she heard a loud scream. Lucy looked back at Natsu, seeing he was awake again, but in bad shape. The paramedics were lifting him up onto a stretcher as he tried to struggle away.
Natsu's eyes slammed shut as he tried to breathe. The paramedics asked him questions, but he couldn't hear anything, only the roaring of his blood in his ears. He'd never been in this much pain in his life. It felt like something tore through everything in his side, leaving behind a burning sensation that kept spreading.
He opened his eyes, but is vision was already starting to dim around the edges again as the pain set in. He looked up, eyes somehow finding Lucy through all the chaos. He saw her shout something, but he couldn't hear her. His eyes slowly started to close, the pain vanishing as he lost consciousness. He opened his mouth, trying to tell her not to worry, but nothing escaped his lips as he passed out.
"NATSU!" Lucy shrieked when the man's eyes closed. If it weren't for the officer holding her back, she would have tried to shake him awake despite the paramedics being there. She barely heard the sound of more sirens in the distance because all her focus was on Natsu's face. Even in sleep, his expression looked pained.
Everything after Natsu closing his eyes was a blur to her.
She watched as people who loaded Natsu onto the stretcher brought him to the back of an ambulance. Officer Agria made the mistake of loosening her grip, giving Lucy a chance to escape. She ran towards Natsu's body, jumping into the ambulance before they could close the doors.
Seeing as time was precious, they allowed her to stay as the vehicle took off.
There were no jokes about his motion sickness... No groans of protests as the vehicle hit a bump down the road... Only the sound of the paramedics working to keep Natsu alive for the travel was heard.
When the vehicle stopped, the doors flew open. Lucy hopped out, then more people came to help get Natsu out of the ambulance and into the hospital. She followed them, not knowing what else to do. They brought Natsu down a hall, wheeled him through some double doors, then stepped in Lucy's way to stop her from entering.
She shouted against them, hoping it would change their minds, but they stayed firm, telling her she couldn't go through. It took two security officers to come over to finally get her to stop yelling. Two men escorted her to the waiting room, telling her to sit.
Lucy defiantly stood next to a chair in the corner of the room. She didn't notice the looks people gave her, or the murmuring around the area about the crying girl. She didn't even know she was crying. Her mind was almost blank, with only one thing passing through her mind.
'I can't lose him...'
Back at Jude's estate, the police were investigating what happened. Officer Eucliffe had Jackal in cuffs, once again sitting in the back of a cop car. Once secure, he went up to the owner of the mansion to ask what happened as the ambulance rushed Natsu's body away to the hospital.
"Virgo and I were eating dinner, then we heard yelling from outside," Jude pinched his brow, trying to sort out everything. "It all happened so fast. My daughter handed me her phone so I could tell the lady what was going on, then the next thing I know Jackal has Natsu on the ground and then you guys showed up."
The officer took notes as Jude spoke. "Are there any other witnesses besides your maid and daughter?"
Jude was about to shake his head before he realized something. "Security tapes!"
"Excuse me?"
"Follow me," Jude started, quickly walking back into the house. The officer followed, motioning for another officer to come with him. They walked to Jude's study where he had his computer hooked up.
"I have security cameras set up. One of them had to have seen something."
"We'll take it from here," Officer Eucliffe said, taking a seat at the desk.
Jude instructed him on how to get to the security program, then the officer shuffled through the cameras until they found one of the porch. The current image showed the porch, but nothing else. "Is there another angle?"
Jude shook his head. "That's the last camera. It has audio though. Will that work?"
"That might help," Officer Eucliffe told the other policeman to take the files for evidence. It may be enough to convict Jackal, but it all depends on what was recorded.
Jude allowed the police to seize his computer, even though it contained sensitive information about his business. He didn't care at the moment, only hoping it was enough to put Jackal away. He hurt his daughter, and that was unacceptable.
As Jude walked back to the porch, he sighed. He did feel bad that Natsu got hurt trying to help Lucy. He felt conflicted, wanting to think Natsu wasn't good enough for Lucy, but also wanting to thank him for what he did. Even if he lost the fight, he stalled Jackal long enough for the police to get there, saving Lucy from going away with that abusive man.
Jude mulled over his thoughts as the police continued their investigation. Officer Agria came up to Jude, handed him a piece of paper, though he barely heard what she said. "This is the corrected protective order. We came by to give it to Lucy, but then we got a flat tire down the road, so we-" Jude tuned her out, wondering what would have happened if the officers hadn't shown up when they did.
Would Lucy be injured as well?
Would she be taken away?
Would he have ever seen her again?
Jude didn't want to think about it. He nodded to the officer, then went back inside to finish off his glass of wine from dinner. He glanced over, seeing the two plates of untouched food. 'Why couldn't he just leave Lucy alone?' He wanted to put all the blame on Jackal, but he knew he was partially to blame too. He should have checked in on his daughter more often, seen how she was doing...
He didn't want to admit that he hadn't really cared all that much. Ever since Layla fell sick, all he did was throw himself into his business. Then after the merger with Jackal's company, things just got tougher. He didn't have time to- No, that was a lie. He could have made time to see his daughter.
The truth was it was just too hard to see Lucy, because she looked just like Layla. She was a painful reminder of his wife, slowly dying at the hospital. He visited his wife more often than he saw his daughter, always going to visit her when he knew Lucy wouldn't be there.
So many wasted years...
All because he couldn't handle seeing Lucy's face...
Jude threw the wine glass across the room, letting the glass shatter against the wall. An officer ran in to see what the commotion was about, but quickly dismissed it as an old man succumbing to his anger. Jude was left alone to wallow in his misery and self-doubts.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me?" Officer Eucliffe shook his head, "there's no way he's getting another emergency arraignment."
"I'm not kidding," Officer Agria said. She tried to keep her voice calm so she didn't upset her partner. "It starts in twenty minutes."
It had been over an hour since they arrested Jackal and brought him into custody. One of the best lawyers in Fiore, Mard Geer, had managed to get another arraignment for his client, on a Saturday no less!
"I know it's not fair, but there's not much we can do," she had already accepted that the law wasn't perfect, no matter how much she wished it was.
"Hey Yukino..." Sting couldn't meet her eyes as he asked, "how's that guy doing?" He felt guilt settle in the pit of his stomach. If he'd only gotten there sooner, that man wouldn't have been hurt.
Yukino's face fell. "Last I heard he was in the hospital. That's all anyone knows right now."
Sting knew it was risky to feel hope, but a little spark of it bubbled up anyway. "At least he's away from harm now."
"That's true," she nodded, hoping he would make it out well.
If he died then Jackal would be charged with murder, and his chances of getting away with everything would be slim to none, but no life was worth that. She'd rather have a difficult case than see an innocent person killed.
"Can you believe that asshole was throwing a bitch fit about his nose?" Sting sighed. "He's just lucky a paramedic took care of him. I woulda let him sit like that all day if I had the choice."
She looked at her partner, seeing the officer's blue eyes duller than usual. He was always cheerful, a little arrogant, but it was amusing. She hated seeing him like this. Yukino walked up, placing a hand on the male's arm. "Sting..." Said man glanced over, meeting her gaze. "Go home. There's nothing else you can do today anyways."
Sting ground his teeth together, knowing she was right. He was just so angry. None of this should have happened. It was supposed to be a simple domestic case, now it was assault that put someone in the hospital. If the suspect was anyone else, it'd be a piece of cake, but Jackal had Mard Geer for a lawyer. That man was known for his silver tongue and his flawless record.
Honestly Sting didn't think that Lucy girl had a chance.
With a deep sigh, he nodded. "You're right... Do you have to transport Jackal?"
"No," she shook her head, taking her arm off her partner. "But I am going to go see what happens."
"Text me the details?"
"I will."
"Thanks," Sting gathered his things, waving at her once more before making his way to the exit. He saw Detective Rogue Cheney in a room going through the evidence found at the Heartfilia' estate.
He peeked in, softly knocking on the wall to catch the black haired man's attention. "Find anything useful?"
"There's one thing, but I'm not sure if it will be enough," Rogue transferred a file from Jude's computer to a laptop for easier delivery. "I'm heading to the arraignment now."
"Do you think you can keep him from getting bond?"
Rogue looked up, his red eyes absent of enthusiasm over his findings. "I sure hope so..."
It was dark in Lucy's mind. She forbid herself from thinking, knowing it would only lead to worrying, which would lead to panicking, and now wasn't the ideal time to panic. However, even though she forbid it, her mind still produced horrible thoughts and scenarios.
She picked at her wrists, wishing she had a sharp blade to drag across the thin skin. She hadn't felt an urge this powerful in a long time, but it was keeping her thoughts away from Natsu for the moment, so she allowed them to stay.
Lucy's fingernails weren't enough to break her skin, but it did cause the pale flesh to turn a dark pink. She wanted to punish herself for being so stupid, so reckless, so useless.
'If I didn't go back to Magnolia... Natsu would be fine...' She grimaced, already hearing herself think that many more times before. She felt sick, her stomach twisting as the seconds slowly ticked by. She had no idea how much time had passed since she arrived at the hospital.
'He didn't deserve this... I'm not worth it...' Her fingernail dug into her skin, worrying the flesh as she gnawed on her bottom lip. 'It's all my fault...'
Lucy could feel herself spiraling down, but she didn't attempt to stop it. 'I deserve this, not him... Why did he have to try to protect me? Why does he always try to protect me?'
"Who was trying to protect you?"
Lucy's eyes snapped over a few chairs down, seeing a small boy looking at her. She guessed she said that last part out loud, catching the attention of the nearest person to her. Lucy opened her mouth, fully prepared to tell the boy it was nothing, and that he should pay her no mind, but no words came from her mouth.
She swallowed hard, feeling a lump forming in her throat. Her red cheeks were coated in wet and dried tears, her body shaking as she became more grounded to reality.
Luckily for her, she didn't have to answer the little boy's question. A woman who appeared to be his mother told him to stop bothering strangers, then offered Lucy an apology.
She could only nod, letting a few more tears spring loose to tumble down her face. She was a wreck, but she didn't care. No amount of embarrassment was enough to take her mind off her problems.
She hated being in this hospital. The last time she was here was when her mother passed away. It felt like yesterday she was saying goodbye to her mom, wishing upon every star in the sky that she could have just a little more time. It was a useless wish, just like herself.
Lucy was about to start scratching at her wrists again when she heard a voice ask, "is anyone here for Natsu Dragneel?"
Lucy stood up so fast she got lightheaded. "M-me!" She stumbled, walking up to a young woman in a white coat.
She met Lucy's eyes, then said, "I'm Dr. Vanderwood. Are you the woman who rode in with him?"
Lucy nodded quickly. "Yes!"
"Are you family?"
Lucy cringed, unsure what would happen if she said no. The doctor seemed to sense her reason for hesitating. "You can still see him, even if you're not family."
"He's alive!" Lucy bypassed what she said, only holding onto the knowledge she needed.
"He is," Dr. Vanderwood allowed herself a small smile. "He's recovering now. He had pneumothorax." When she saw Lucy's blank face, she said, "his lung was punctured by a broken rib."
"His rib broke?" Lucy asked, her body still shaking and her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
The doctor nodded. "Two ribs on his left side are broken, while one is fractured. One of the broken ones punctured his lung."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Is he okay?!"
"He's fine," Dr. Vanderwood assured. "Without giving too many details, I can say everything went routine. We used a needle to take out the excess air building up around his lung. We want to keep him for at least the night to make sure he's doing well. With rest he should heal up nicely without needing surgery, but we're prepared for if that happens."
"Surgery?" The word seemed to stun Lucy.
"That's only if we need to, but it doesn't look like that will be an issue. The lung is a powerful organ that usually heals up on its own."
Lucy could feel some weight lifted from her shoulders. Natsu was fine! He was going to live! Her happiness ended when she realized something. "Why did he pass out then?"
The woman seemed to understand Lucy's confusion. "It could be from a number of reasons. The paramedics reported that he wasn't breathing correctly when they arrived, so it might have been from that. It could also be from dehydration or exhaustion. That alone can lead to fainting. When was the last time he had a good amount of water or rest?"
Lucy's brows furrowed as she tried to think. She hadn't seen him drink anything since... The road trip, but even then he only drank energy drinks... Those couldn't be good for him. They were mainly made of sugar and supplements! And rest... Well technically he slept in the car, but she couldn't really count that as 'rest'.
"Friday morning..." Lucy said, feeling horrible for admitting that. "We were on the road all day yesterday..."
"I see. Well that would explain why he passed out. The human body can only withstand so much. Especially after fighting," Dr. Vanderwood was already briefed on why the man was admitted to the hospital.
"Can I see him?" Lucy asked, her voice pleading as she looked past the woman in front of her to the double doors she wasn't allowed to go through earlier.
The doctor paused, debating it for a moment. "He's asleep right now, but I don't see why not. Come with me."
Lucy thanked her, then followed her through the doors and down some halls. Her heart felt heavier with every step, hoping what Dr. Vanderwood said was true. 'She said he's fine, so he's fine...' Still, she had her doubts. How often had she been lied to in her life? How often had life been a cruel and heartless bitch?
The internal debate carried on until the doctor stopped in front of a closed door. "He's in there," she said, then knocked softly. When there was no response, she stepped out of the way. "He'll probably sleep for a while."
Dr. Vanderwood opened the door, pushing it a few inches for Lucy. "If you need anything just ask a nurse."
Lucy nodded, then watched as she walked away. She glanced back at the door, feeling nervous to see him, but she had to! She had to find out if he was alright. Slowly, Lucy moved forward, opening the door more with every passing second.
The first thing she saw was the edge of the hospital bed. Memories of her last time with her mom flooded to the front of her mind, but she pushed them back, not allowing herself to drown in them right now. She had to be strong for Natsu, no matter how much it hurt her inside.
Lucy stepped into the room and closed the door before she could talk herself out of it. Her eyes were shut, terrified of seeing the damage done to Natsu. Minutes passed by before she gathered the courage to finally look at him.
When she did, she gasped.
Bruises littered his face and neck. His right eye was swollen, turning a darker color that would likely result in a black eye. His bottom lip was split and his sweaty bangs were pinned back to keep them away from his eyes.
Lucy took a hesitant step closer, seeing that he was in fact asleep. The steady rise and fall of his chest showed he was breathing, letting Lucy relax a little. 'She said he was fine...' She reminded herself as she walked to the right side of bed since she knew he was hurt on his other side.
She pulled up a seat, but waited a minute before finally sitting down. She didn't feel like she deserved to be in the same room as Natsu, let alone sit at his bedside! She felt sick to her stomach, knowing she caused this. 'Why Natsu? Why did you have to get hurt for me? I'm not worth it...'
Lucy swallowed thickly, her shaky hand slowly moving to grab his limp one resting on the bed. His skin felt warm on her hand, giving her a sense of comfort. She didn't think anything could take away his warmth.
She looked at his battered face, remembering all the times her own reflection looked like that. Jackal could strike hard. In all her years, he never pulled his punches. She wasn't surprised he didn't hold back for his fight with Natsu either.
"I'm sorry," Lucy whispered, wondering if he could even hear her. She read that coma patients can hear when people talk to them, but she didn't know if that applied to sleeping people as well. It was worth a shot, seeing as she had nothing else to do but beg for his forgiveness.
"I promise I never meant to get you hurt..." Her thumb rubbed over the top of his hand, wishing desperately that he'd give her some type of response. Even though she knew he wouldn't, it still hurt when he didn't move.
"I thought he was really going to kill you," she admitted, more to herself than him. She had thought he was going to crush Natsu's throat which would have killed him for sure. She remembered being so scared, so she could only imagine how he felt actually experiencing it.
"I'm never gonna let you go," Lucy vowed, squeezing his hand. She rested her forehead on the bed, tears slipping down her face as she took shaky breaths. She wasn't used to being the strong one, but she would adapt to the new role if it meant being there for Natsu. Lucy felt like he deserved better than her, but he wanted to be with her, so she would stay despite knowing he'd be better off without her.
She wasn't sure how long she cried, but the room remaining silent aside from her random sniffles the entire time. Her head throbbed as a headache set in. She felt the exhaustion from the past few days weigh down on her, lulling her to rest. She closed her watery eyes, feeling her body grow heavier as she drifted to sleep.
Lucy had no idea how long she was asleep, but she slowly woke up when she felt an odd sensation on her hand. She barely opened her stinging eyes, allowing the light to seep in as she tried to figure out what that feeling was.
A few seconds went by with no sensations, so she closed her eyes again, trying to go back to sleep. Just before she finally slipped away, she felt the hand she was holding squeeze hers back.
Lucy jolted up, eyes searching until they found those emerald orbs. A gasp passed through her lips as she fought back new tears of joy. Natsu was awake! He stared back at her with hooded eyes. His skin was still pale with bruises decorating his face, but his small grin was genuine. "Hey Luce," he whispered, his voice rough from sleep.
Lucy smiled, her heart leaping in her chest at the sight of Natsu up. She couldn't say anything, too shocked to speak. Natsu didn't mind, his head still cloudy and his vision a little hazy. His eyes flitted over to the window, seeing the sun starting to set. "Man..." He started, feeling like he'd been hit by a train. "I think I'm gonna miss my AA meeting..."
Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the sheepish smile gracing his lips. She stood up to move closer to him, then pressed a soft kiss to his lips, savoring the feeling of his warm skin on hers despite the cut on his lip. When she pulled away, she whispered back, "I think you're right."
I did a ton of research for this chapter. I have never personally been through something like this (broken rib, punctured lung, arrests, court arraignments, etc), so I don't have first hand experience.
Thank you for everyone who is reading this story. It means a lot to me. If you'd like to tell me what you thought of the chapter, I'd appreciate it. This is the toughest fanfiction I've written so far.
Thank you for all the favorites and follows! Shout out to those who reviewed: FairyTailLover04, katiekat2001, Grizzly98, sidjr100, sthokatrina, Snavej, kittykate2016(x2), FlameDragonHime, Unova03, Yomi14, MarSofTheGalaxies, Crimsonlink310, Abdltf, Tenma360Warrior, Argo0, Kmb1216, Ashnmarley, HolyChihuahua, Monika, LucyMarieHeartfilia, xTernel, Soul-of-glass, Demonleonhart, LadyValkyrie94, MangaLover03, & Ayano the Daydreamer!
Up next, Chapter Fourteen: Recovery