The Devil's 5'5

Chapter 50 - Don't Leave

April 5th, 8:15 AM - Chicago General Hospital  - Chicago, IL Preston's POV

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She was standing there, smiling at him. Her usual sleek silver hair was slick with sweat and was plastered to her face. She had bruises on her left cheek and her eyelid was starting to get purple. But even then, to Preston, she looked like her usual stunning and bold self.

He didn't notice the pain. He would have never guessed when he saw her that she was badly hurt because the spark in her eyes never left. When she entered through that door, she remained just as vibrant from the last time he had seen her. 

But it all disappeared in an instant and she was on the floor. As she lay there unmoving everything became background noise.

He watched as Amir and Noble went to her side and performed a quick assessment. Faint voices reached his ears.

"Shit, so much blood lost..."

"Her breathing is shallow..."

"Get the car...faster..."

He felt trapped in his body because he was yelling, screaming to go to her side and to make sure she was alive.

But he didn't move. He didn't move a finger.

Amir was the one to carry her out of the house and only until Noble's firm clap on his back did Preston jolt back to his senses.

"Come one, Preston. You need to stay calm, she's going to be fine."

Nodding mutely, he stumbled after Noble and like a mindless robot followed along.

True to their words, their car ride was much quicker and soon they were at the emergency entrance of a hospital.

Again he only watched as Amir and Noble calmly but quickly got Azura into a stretcher. As they pushed her away, he took one step. Chanting to himself he put the next foot in front of the other. And the next. And soon he was running after the stretcher.

Please be alright, please be alright, please be alright.

Doctors and nurses crowded by the sides of the stretch, throwing random medical jargon that meant very little to him. His focus was solely on the girl who remained unmoving and finally, he called out her name.

"Azura...Azura!"

It was as though his mind couldn't make sense of what was happening because he continued to call out to her with an agitated tone, expecting her to wake up and send him her signature wink. But she didn't.

A firm hold around either of his arms held him back as the health personnel continued to push the stretcher away and through double doors, leaving him behind.

"Let go of me. We...we need to help her," he reasoned with his captors. But neither let go.

"We can help by waiting for her here. They're going to do an assessment and treat her injuries. She's going to be okay."

That fucking sentence. That fucking word!

His momentary rage boosted his strength long enough for him to rip himself out of Amir and Noble's hold. "Stop! Just stop with the fucking false reassurance. We don't know if she's going to be okay at all! Did you see her? Huh, did you not see her? She dropped to the floor unconscious! How the hell do you know she's going to be okay?"

Noble was the one to approach him again and firmly held on to either side of his shoulder. "Breathe Preston."

"You said she was the best!" He yelled desperately. His voice cracked, surprising himself at the extent he was straining his voice and the emotions that had sent him on an override. "Y-you, said I didn't have to worry. She would be okay but, but s-she's not okay."