Page 2 of The Merciless

He tipped his chin, his hands flexing at his sides as he looked at the room number one more time. Saw that it was still the same and placed an unshaking hand on the cold, metal handle.

He’d seen people around her door, but none of them dared interrupt when he pushed the handle down and pulled the door open.

He didn’t really know what he was expecting walking into her room. Maybe it was her up in her bed with a small smile on her face as she explained that it was all a joke.

But it wasn’t the smell of the fruity candles and the sounds of an IV drip.

Wasn’t the pale,asleepface surrounded by waves of her blue-black hair.

Angel’s breath caught as he stepped into the room and the door shut automatically behind him. The sound of the heartbeat monitor was forgotten as he walked ahead silently and stared down at her.

He couldn’t see. Couldn’t hear. Could barelybreathe.

There were a few small red scratches on the side of her face and her head was wrapped in a clean white bandaged. Her hands were laid beside her, all pale and too small. Angel’s mind seemed to freeze when he saw her chest move up and down.

Silent.

The ball of dread, the lump in his throat only grew at the sight of a heartbeat monitor beeping rhythmically on the other side of her bed.

When had it all gone wrong?

Angel shut his eyes, the pain washing over him like a wave. He took a second, just a moment of heart thebeepof the monitors and then…

Then he opened his eyes and looked down at Raylene Walker.

“I can do this the corny way, or the torturous way.” He said and stared at her shut eyelids. Saw the wind hustle in softly and brush the strands of her hair. Angel let loose a breath and took a step closer,

“But since you’re not awake, let’s do it the obvious way.”

He didn’t know why, but he waited. It was foolish. Hoping.

But he did it anyway.

His hands shook terribly at his side, a sudden sense of nausea filling his chest as he turned in search of a chair. Found one right behind him, and pulled it ahead without making a single sound. Angel unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt and pushed the cloth apart as he sat close to her bed. Stopped his urge to take her hand in his and instead focused on her pale face. On the necklace that hung forward from his neck.

“The first day I met you, Raylene Walker,ohI can just see you squirming in your sleep…” a small dry chuckle. “You wouldn’t believe what I was thinking.”

He blinked at her, watching her unmoving, pale face. Unable to recognize her without her smile, without her words, “I’d come to kill you, but I hadn’t been expecting…wellyou.And don’t get me wrong here,” he blinked, “I really did hate your guts.”

The sounds of birds chirping echoed through the room as he continued softly, “And if you’d asked me that day if I gave a shit about Raylene Walker in a coma, I would’ve said–” his eyes crinkled, “You know what I would’ve said.”

So, what changed?He imagined her asking. Angel leaned forward and extended his hand in her direction. He grit his teeth once before continuing,

“I’m going to hold your hand now,” he whispered and laced her cold fingers with his. Shook violently at the lifelessness of her palm, “If you have a problem, wake up and fight me on it.”

His head turned to look at her, his elbows digging in the side of her bed as he leaned closer. He didn’t really mean to, but his head slumped forward of its own accord and rested carefully on the very edge of her pillow. He was all but a breath away from her, but this proximity. Thisnearness.It brought back the memories of that night back into his mind.

And a terrible part of himcursedhimself for not closing that distance that night.

Maybe if he had, they wouldn’t be here now.

“Your heart’s beating.” Angel rasped and heard thebeep, beep, beep,in response. Fought a deadly sound that dared to tear from his throat as he continued with his eyes shut, “What else do you need to be awake Ray?”

He could hear her breathing, could feel the bed shift with the way her chest moved up and down with the action.

Angel’s finger tightened on hers, forcing andfailingto get her to dosomething.

And suddenly he couldn’t take it anymore.

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