Part Three: Chapter One

   The sound of a coffee maker and peoples low voices reached my ears. I was supposed to be dead. Why am I not dead? My fingers were wrapped tightly around the thin, but warm, sheet covering my body. I opened my eyes, which had been squeezed tightly shut, and looked around to find Gerard and Frank sitting in the corner whispering, each hovered over a cup of coffee. They looked stressed out. Franks eyes were cold and unlively, his mouth set into a straight line as he shook his head, eyes closed. Gerard’s back was to me so I couldn’t see his face, but with as quiet as it was I could hear his low, strained, voice, too.

  I couldn’t believe I was awake. I could have sworn I was dead; never to breath again, gone, deceased, comatose, and lifeless. Maybe I was dreaming, yeah that’s it I was just dreaming. Despite what I told myself I could feel the confusion spread across my face and over come it. Suddenly remembering my ‘dream’, I checked my wrists, which were unscathed and unstained. I couldn’t find a hint of blood anywhere, but they were raw from the hand cuffs. The cuts on my arms and fingers looked as they had when I got them. Gerard looked over his shoulder and gasped when he saw me awake. He walked over, hurriedly, and sat on the edge of my bed.

“How are you?” I recognized his blood shot eyes from my dream. I guess that’s what I’m calling it now, just a dream.

“You’ve been crying.” I sat up and stroked, with one fingertip, underneath his hazel eyes.

“Well, I thought you were gone.” He gingerly took below my wrists and kissed the raw skin again and again, but I was still confused. It didn’t hurt anymore. He saw the look on my face and let go.
”I’m sorry. I forgot.” He frowned at my still confused expression. I was looking at the mirror on the wall placed at the end of the bed. He glanced at it and laughed softly.

“You’ll look different for awhile. You’re sick.” He patted my leg and looked back at my eyes.

“But it doesn’t hurt anymore.” I looked into his eyes to show him proof. He grabbed my hand and watched my eyes. From his expression I could tell they didn’t change. They looked human.

“I was bleeding. There was blood,” I swallowed, remembering the image and blinked twice, letting my eyes flutter. “Everywhere.” I exhaled and breathed in fresh air. Frank retrieved from his chair and came over to my bed.

“There was blood?” Frank looked up at Gerard with a confused expression.

“No, Ava, you just passed out.” He redirected his eyes to me and pleaded.

“No, it was everywhere and you were crying and yelling and then it all stopped.” My eyebrows bended together and I looked around, trying to avoid their eyes.

“Well, I thought you were gone.” He said again and rubbed his thumb against my hand, but I pulled it away, rubbing my wrist and looking away.

“Gerard, you have to listen.” I grabbed his shirt loosely, burning a hole in his eyes. “My. Heart. Stopped.” I let my hand fall to the bed again, grazing along his shirt.

“No, it didn’t. When the paramedics got there they said your heart was still beating. They took you to the hospital, you were in a coma for a week and they told us you were fine. They let us take you back.” Gerard desperately grabbed my face and pulled me into a hug. I could feel his tears seeping through my shirt.

“A week?” I asked Frank, who was just sitting there, looking in the window’s direction. He turned to me and nodded his head.