Chapter Twenty One

'Guys, shut up. Don't wake him'

But it was already too late. Shane reluctantly opened his eyes that were heavy with restless sleep and lifted his head. Caitlin was leaning against the window with Nate, and she had obviously been crying as well. Nate walked over and placed his hand on Shane's shoulder.

'Sorry mate.'

Shane ignored the act of comfort and glanced over at a couch in the corner that he hadn't noticed before. Jason sat on one side, and Ella lay across it and had her head in Jason's lap. She was asleep but anyone could still tell that she had been crying. Shane averted his gaze up to Mitchie, who hadn't seemed to have changed since he had last seen her. He slowly reached up and stroked her face with his finger and gave Nate a determined look. "She's going to wake up, I know it. I just don't know when."

Shane walked into the hospital room a few days later, and sighed. Mitchie hadn't made any progress. Ella and Jason were talking quietly on the couch, Nate was staring out the window, and Caitlin was sitting by Mitchie. Caitlin looked up as Shane entered and gave him a weak smile. Shane sighed as he sat down on the other side of the bed. He was slowly beginning to give up hope of Mitchie ever waking up. Caitlin studied Shane's face from where she was siting. There was dullness in his eyes that had replaced his usual brightness. His face was pale from lack of sleep. Caitlin got up out of her seat and moved over to the window next to Nate. He gave her a look which showed that they were both thinking the same thing. This is killing him.

Mitchie slowly opened her eyes. All she could see was darkness. As her eyes began to adjust, the rest of her body started to ache as the pain kicked in. Where was she? On her right, Jason and Ella were asleep on a couch. Nate and Caitlin were also asleep on a spare bed next to her. Mitchie looked down at her left hand, and saw a mop of messy black hair next to it. Shane. Suddenly everything came flooding back to her. Camilla and Shane kissing. Running away. The car. Shane holding her in his arms and begging for her to stay conscious, to not close her eyes. And then nothing. Darkness.

"Don't leave me again."

"When you moved to England, you took a piece of me with you."

"I don't think i'd be able to take another heartbreak if you left me for good."

"I've always loved you as more than a best friend."

"I knew that I still loved you after all these years."

"And now I can't imagine life without you by my side."

Mitchie smiled as Shane's voice filled her ears and automatically winced. It even hurt to move her mouth slightly. She reached out with her hand to try and touch him and gasped in pain. All Mitchie desperately wanted was for Shane to wake up at that moment, for him to tell her that everything would be okay. But her weakness washed over her and she was eventually asleep again after a few minutes.

The next morning, Shane woke up as soon as the sun was rising in the sky and automatically looked up at Mitchie. Any ray of hope vanished from Shane's mind as Mitchie lay motionless in the bed, still unconscious. Shane sighed as he pushed himself up and trudged out of the room.