raising hope | s.m

♡Fourteen♡

Noah

We took Maya to the hospital and Shawn hasn't left her side. The doctors haven't come back with any news yet. She has to have a ventilator to help her breathe.

"You okay?" I ask him. He looks up at me. It's crazy to think how he's only nineteen and is way too mature for his age. He doesn't respond. "Look, you go home and go grab her daughter. I'll call you if I hear anything."

"I'm not leaving."

"What about her daughter? Shouldn't she be here?"

"No. She's fine at the sitter's house. Why the hell do you want me out of here so bad?"

"Why do you think he hurt her? Why not you?" His jaw clenches. He stands and walks out of the room. Baffled, I stand and follow him. "Where are you going?"

"To go find him." He's gone before I can respond. Sighing, I go back into the room and sit. Her heart rate is slow but there. She's alive.

"I don't know if you can hear me or not but, you mean the world to him. I've never seen him so angry about someone being hurt. He cares about you way too damn much. If you ask me, it's nice. He's happy. That's all that should matter." A few moments later the doctor walks in.

"Are you here with her?" she asks.

"Yes," I reply, standing up.

"Well, she does have frostbite but..." her voice trails off as there's movement behind us. Turning, I see Maya's blue eyes open slowly. The doctor rushes over to her. "How do you feel?"

Maya doesn't answer. She looks past the doctor and around the room. She's looking for him. Her eyebrows furrow.

"He stepped out for a minute," I comment. She looks at me and then at the doctor.

"I feel fine," she rasps. Her voice is dry from little use.

"What were you saying?" I question the doctor. She turns to me.

"Oh, yes. We found traces of DNA in her," the doctor resumes. Maya's eyes widen as memories flash before them. "She was rapped."

My eyes find her and I see the fear in her eyes. Her breaths become deep and ragged. The doctor rushes over and checks her monitors.

"You need to calm down, M'am." 

"You can't tell him, Noah. Please don't tell him," she begs. The hurt and fear in her voice are present. Tears stain her cheeks as she looks at me with pleading eyes. "Please, he'll hate me if he finds out."

"Okay, I won't tell him but he's going to find out eventually." Stepping out of the room I call Shawn. He answers on the third ring.

"What?" he questions.

"Nice to hear from you too," I joke. He's quiet. "She's awake."

"I'm on my way," is all he says before hanging up. When I walk back into the room, the nurse is gone and it's just Maya. She looks at me.

"You and I both know Shawn didn't just 'step out' where is he?" she questions. Sighing, I sit in a chair near her.

"He wouldn't leave you unless there was a reason. He went to go find Jake." Her eyes widen.

"He can't do that. Jake is dangerous like his father."

"Shawn doesn't think of what can hurt him. He thinks of the people he cares about. With his heart and not his head. If you ask me, that's his biggest weakness but his greatest strength."

"Did he win the fight?"

"No. I assume Jake told him to lose and he'd give him your location. Sadly, Shawn trusted him and got beat."

"How badly?" she questions, worried. As I'm about to answer, Shawn walks in. 

Shawn

Noah leaves allowing just us to talk. Walking over, I sit in the chair closest to her bed and grab her hand. There are bruises on her knuckles.

"You put up a fight."

"You didn't. Noah told me about the fight. Why would you trust him?"

"I wanted to find you. I needed to." She stares at me. Her eyes drink me in. "I'd kiss you right now if it wasn't for that damn ventilator."

She laughs and squeezes my hand. There's sadness in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I ask softly.

"It hurts, Shawn," she replies. Her voice breaks at the end.

"What hurts?"

"Everything. My head, my hands, my legs, my chest." My chest twists and her eyes fill with tears.

"Do you want me to get a doctor?" She shakes her head.

"No, it's only when you're not here." A stray tear falls down her cheek and I wipe it away.

"Then you'll never be alone again."

"When can we leave?" My lips meet her knuckles.

"When the doctors say it's okay too. So far, I haven't heard anything."

"They said I have frostbite and Noah told me you went to look for Jake. Why? He's dangerous Shawn."

"He's lucky I didn't find him. What did he do to you?"

"What were you going to do to him?" she questions, changing the topic.

"Don't change the topic on me. What did he do to you?" She purses her lips. "If you don't tell me I'm going to assume the worst."

"What's the worst?"

"That he raped you. I mean, your clothes were on the floor, what else could explain that?" She turns over to the other side, her back facing me. I was right. "He did, didn't he?"

"I'm sorry," she cries softly.

"Look at me," I whisper. "Please."

She doesn't roll over. Placing my hand on her arm, I rub small circles into her back. If it wasn't for all these damn wires, I'd get on the bed and hold her.

"You're going to leave me now, aren't you?" Standing, I walk over to the other side of her bed. Tears roll down her cheeks and onto the fabric of the bed.

"No. I made a promise not to add to that list and I'm going to keep it." She grabs my hand. 

"Thank you."

"It's nothing. I'd do anything for you."

"Clearly," she laughs. It's music to my ears. "I'd do anything for you though."

"I'm sure you would, Mama."