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TRYING TO GET THIShate I felt for myself right now under control, we all just sat in silence after Brooke called Sloane’s parents and told the two most important people in her life the condition she was in,because of me.This was never how I saw meeting them for the first time going down, that's for sure.
Please God spare her, take me if you have-to replace her. She's fighting for her life because of me, I'm the one who deserves to die, not her. Please God, not her.
I said over and over in my head as we waited for any news on her condition.
“Archer!” I heard Dalton call out, bringing me out of my head. “Any news on Sloane yet?”
“No, not yet,” I shook my head. “If she dies man, I'll never forgive myself, never.”
Grabbing my shoulder, he pulled me aside “Look, I know you're feeling guilty here brother, but we found something that told us the whole story. Sloane and Janessa were targets the whole time.”
“Janessa?”
“Is she with you?” Brooke asked, walking up to us.
Getting a solemn look on his face he told us. “No. She was found dead in that basement as well. The sonofabitch’s tied her to a St. Andrew's Cross. Looks like she OD’d on whatever it was they injected her with.
“Shit! Is it the same thing Jared gave Sloane?” I asked in panic, ramming my hand through my hair.
“I don't know yet. They need to do an autopsy on Janessa to find out exactly what killed her.” Taking a deep breath, he kissed Brooke on the forehead and then led me further away from the girls. “We’ll be right back.” He told them before finally coming to a stop a few feet away. “This isn't easy to tell you, but we found a video camera in the basement. It recorded the whole thing. He was really sick in the head, man. He thought if he and Sloane died together that he was taking her away from you.”
“Where is it? I need to see it right now.” I demanded as flames of anger flooded my veins.
“Calm down. I don't think it's something you need to be seeing right now. Your only concern right now is that woman in there fighting for her life. You can deal with this kind of bullshit later. He's dead brother, you made sure of that. He can't hurt her or you anymore than he already has, so don't let him.”
Knowing that he was right, I let out a shaky breath. “You're right, man.” After Slade, Riker, McKenzie, and Sloane’s parents showed up, we all moved to the closest waiting room and waited and waited for what seemed like for fucking ever before the doctor finally walked in.
All of us gave our attention to the man, who not only held Sloane’s life in his hands, but mine now as well with what he had to say. Standing up, I made my way over to him with Sloane’s parents. “Mr. And Mrs. Peterson, I'm Dr. Sullivan,” he said, shaking their hands and then mine.
“How is she?” I blurted out, unable to breathe until I knew for sure that she was going to be okay.
“Let's all have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chairs, taking one himself. “I'm not going to lie to you. Sloane was in pretty bad shape when she came in. Not only were we dealing with severe lacerations to the Ulnar and Radial arteries in both wrists, but she was also given a high dose of the drug ecstasy which we found after a blood toxicology screening. She had extremely high levels of the toxins in her system. I was able to repair the damage to the Ulnar and Radial arteries in both of her wrists and we pumped her stomach. I then administered activated charcoal to keep her body from absorbing anymore of the drug into her system and doing any further damage.” By the look on the doctor’s face, I could tell that no matter how bad what we’d just heard was, we hadn't heard the worst of it yet. “She did flatline, and we were able to bring her back. But I’m afraid she's slipped into a coma, which is not surprising after all her body has been put through in the last 24 hours. So right now it's just a matter of waiting I'm afraid. We’ll keep her heavily monitored for any changes. I am optimistic, but it's all up to her right now.”
Watching Sloane’s parents both break down in front of me at the news of her condition was my final breaking point. “Can we see her?” Her mother questioned.
“As soon as she's in the ICU and we’re finished with the initial exams we need to do, you will be allowed to see her, but only two at a time, okay? I'll send a nurse out to get you as soon as we have her checked out and settled in.”
We all thanked him and then he was gone, and so was I. Heading down the hall without a word, I finally made my way through the maze of hallways and to a backdoor that led into a quiet alley. “Fuck!” I shouted out as I hit my fists against the wall, finally able to release all these bottled up emotions that had been strangling me for release. Crouching down against a wall, I dropped my head into my battered, and probably broken hands, and bawled like a fucking baby. Hearing a door slam shut, I looked up to see Dalton, Slade, and Riker, walking towards me. “None of that bullshit man, we’re here for you, however you need us, you know that,” Dalton said, pulling me up off of the ground and into a hug.
As all of them gave me words of encouragement, we were interpreted by the door slamming again a few minutes later. “Archer, you can go see her now.” Reyna informed me.
Like someone had just told me my life sentence in this jail of hell was over, I bolted past everyone and practically ran to her.
Walking into the ICU, I spotted her parents just coming out. “How is she?”
“She's resting comfortably. Talk to her, let her know you’re here for her, Archer.” Sloane’s mother said, wiping away her own tears as she patted my cheek before kissing it.
“I will.” I assured them as they walked away and I stood frozen, just staring at her fragile form lying in the bed. She looks so small and innocent.
“Let her hear your voice.” A nurse said, jolting me out of my stunned state. “It helps when they know the one’s they love are around them.”
“Thank you.” I walked into the glass room, kissing her on the forehead before I took the seat beside her. Taking her hand in mine, I kissed it as well. “Baby, you can't leave me here all alone. I can't live without you here with me, in my arms, and by my side where you belong.” I breathed in a heavy breath. “I'll never forgive myself for letting him come into your life and trying to steal it, never. If I had just pulled my head out of my ass and treated you like the heaven-sent woman you are, then none of this would have happened to you. I swear to you right here and right now that if God gives you a second chance in this life and you come back to me, I will never go a day without you knowing just how much I love and treasure you, never, not one day, I promise you, baby. Just come back to me. Give me the chance to show you how much I’ll love you for the rest of your life. Please, I'm begging you.” I bent down, putting my forehead in her hand, just to be able to feel her touch on my skin.
