Chapter 27 - Saved

Clara

My entire body was in severe pain. Even in locations I never imagined I'd ache.

I scanned every nook and cranny of my body while keeping my eyes closed. It was a source of some relief to discover that I could still feel every part and section of my limbs.

I can still vividly recall being in the path of a road-raged truck and being shocked by how quickly it descended the parking ramp and headed straight for me.

When I think back to it, I can still hear the horrible sound of its tires scraping on the pavement as it skidded precisely where I was standing in front of my car at the time.

I am certain that a body was in front of me, obstructing my vision of that dreadful scene and forcing me to acknowledge that my end was near.

I can never forget the sensation of being lifted into the hood of my car and encircled by such powerful yet compassionate arms; it practically shielded me from what was inevitably going to happen.

I remember very clearly how I covered my ears with my hands as I waited for the crash to happen, but despite my best efforts, I was still able to hear the unmistakable crack and clang of metal hitting something, as well as the screech of metal hitting the pavement; the sound was extremely loud and disturbing.

Before everything went dark, I could still hear his voice assuring me that I would be okay and comforting me that he would always be there for me.

I made an effort to move both my hands and my legs. My left hand had the sensation of having been grasped by something that was both warm and rough at the same time.

Hardened skin. They are known as calluses. I explored by squeezing what most assuredly was a hand, and I used my thumb to explore the interior of the hand. To my pleasant surprise, I found that the texture of the hand's bumps, calluses, and lines appealed to me very much. I felt a hand squeeze mine, and there was a tiny but powerful electric charge that ran through our hands at the same time. My body was ready for a completely new experience, and I dare say that I even appreciated it, even though it did startle me a little bit.

I cautiously opened my eyes, and dread quickly took over when it dawned on me that I had no idea whose hand I was holding. Although I was feeling well, except for the fact that my entire body was aching, I did not feel anything else alarming in my body. Yet I do not have the liberty to think of myself any longer.

My little one.

I sprang awake in my bed and immediately felt the grip of someone pinning me down.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. I was clearly awake when he said that, and he made an effort to get me back into bed.

I was instantly aware of the smell that permeated the room. I'm lying on a bed in the hospital, and I can hear all the devices that are hooked to me beeping. I became aware of the needles that were attached to the back of my right hand and another one that was located right in the middle of my arm for the very first time since I regained consciousness.

My heartbeat slowed down, and I got an instant sense of relaxation as a result of his voice, which, like magic, had the effect of being so reassuring and soothing to my ears that I immediately felt peaceful.

I reached out my hand and touched my stomach before asking, "My baby?"

"They're fine," he said, and I felt another wave of serenity wash over my heart as a result of his words. He posed the question hesitantly while staring at me and then said, "Do you remember what happened?"

"A truck was coming straight at me. I gave him a wide-eyed look and remarked, "You came and rescued me. You...," For some reason, my brain was unable to process the images that I currently have in my head, and I am aware of the reason for this. It was the kind of scene that could only be portrayed in fiction, such as movies or comic books. " You shielded me from the truck, and I don’t understand. How is it that I’m on this hospital bed and you’re not? I was completely dumbfounded.

He gave a slight shake of the head and continued, "I believe you may be confused. I arrived just in time to save you from an unfortunate mishap. You became unresponsive, frozen where you were, and I was able to rescue you in the nick of time before the truck collided with your car."

This time, I gave a head shake in response. "No, I don't think that's what I remember at all. You lifted me onto the hood of my vehicle, where you protected me from the oncoming truck, and you prevented the truck from crushing both me and my child; for all of that, I am eternally thankful, but..."

As if on cue, I looked up to find Dana running up to the door, and upon noticing that I was awake, she burst into sobs. "Oh C! I'm so relieved that you're not sleeping. You have no idea how concerned I was!"

Dana is currently in full-on crying mode, and my mother and father rushed in right behind her, then Dr. Mathers and another woman I don't recognize. They were all crammed into the room, and everyone had something to say to one another.

It wasn't until I felt him squeeze back that I was finally able to concentrate on him, and at that point, I hadn't even realized that I was gripping his hand so firmly.

I am in the presence of none other than Alaric Moonblood, and I am holding his hand.

Upon realizing that, the atmosphere in the entire room became very still, and I made an effort to release his hand, but he did not move even the slightest bit and even held on more tightly. It made me anxious, but at the same time, his hand provided me with a level of calm and comfort that astonished me.

When I saw both of my parents looking at us as we were holding hands, they were both making faces that were completely different from one another. I felt like my entire body was going to split up into pieces and melt, and I prayed the ground would swallow me whole. My mother, Lidia, appeared pleased, and she simply could not hide the enormous teasing smile that was plastered across her face. On the other hand, my father, Joe, bless his heart, appeared to be on the verge of having a heart attack.

"Uhmm. It appears that we are making progress. Dana remarked while taking a glance at our hands.

"It's not what you think," I said. "Mr. Moonblood was kind enough to comfort me when I woke up, and he told me what happened."

I made an effort to remove my hand from his grasp, but he only grudgingly released it, much to my dismay. As soon as he did so, I had the unmistakable impression that something was missing.