Her head felt like it had been run over by a truck, and that persistent ringing in her ears had forced her to stir fully awake. Which was a very painful thing indeed, for she could now feel very clearly her entire body throb with a sore numbness. She wanted to open her eyes, but found that she could not. She started to panic, but just then, she felt a reassuring warmth envelope her left hand.
“Gab?” Emily said, her voice sounded horribly raspy.
“Emily, you’re awake!” came the familiar voice, which calmed her nerves down, “How do you feel?” Gabriel asked, the concern thick in his voice. Emily felt his large hand brush across her cheek.
“I can’t see.” Emily said helplessly, feeling the panic return.
“Of course you can’t,” Gabriel chuckled, “your eyes aren’t open. Try opening them slowly.” He stroked her closed eyelids gently.
Emily slowly blinked her eyes open; the sight that greeted her made her giggle slightly. Gabriel’s hair was standing in every direction possible, and he had this huge reddish press mark on his temple. She wanted to get up from the bed to do something about that ridiculous hairdo of his. But Gabriel gently, yet firmly, pressed down on her shoulders.
“You shouldn’t get up yet,” he admonished, but bent towards Emily when she waved for him to get closer. Emily reached up and weaved her fingers through his hair, taming the haphazard strands. Once she was satisfied with the more presentable look, she smiled and turned to look at Gabriel. She was slightly taken aback when she saw an unreadable emotion in his eyes. And the way he was fixedly looking at her now made her suddenly aware of his closeness. Funny, she thought, that has never made her this nervous before.
A sudden stinging pain elicited a moan from her, as she shut her eyes and tried to block out the pain.
“What’s wrong?” Gabriel’s anxious voice drifted to her ears.
“My head hurts. What happened to me?”
“You don’t remember? You fell down the stairs at Kevin’s,” Gabriel frowned most deeply, “thank God you’re alright!” he said and leaned down to hug Emily against the bed, and whispered into her ear, “I swear I’ll never let you get hurt again.”
Emily gasped silently when Gabriel’s lip brushed against her ear. She remained as still as possible, expecting Gabriel to end the embrace any moment now. But he didn’t move away. Instead, he pressed himself closer.
What is he doing? Emily thought, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. The warm weight of his body on top of hers was, for the first time, making her extremely aware that Gabriel is a full grown man. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words felt choked up at her larynx. She found that she couldn’t move, but her eyes widened when she felt his chest expand in a deep intake of air.
Did he just smell my hair? Emily felt her heart make a loud thump against her chest.
Just then, the door squeaked open. Angel and Andrew strolled in just in time to see Gabriel pull away from Emily hastily, his face colored with embarrassment. But the two intruders pretended not to have seen anything, and moved casually towards the bed.
Angel was most relieved to see that Emily has woken up, but that wide-eyed shock on her face seemed highly suspicious. She took a concealed glance at Gabriel, who was rubbing his neck and determinedly looking away from the bed.
“Hey Emily, I’m so glad you’re awake,” Angel returned her attention to Emily, making no effort whatsoever to hide the amused smile spreading across her face. It seems like something has changed between those two.
Her voice jolted Emily out of her trance. What was she thinking? There was no way Gabriel would do something like that. She tried to get up but the dizziness made her world spin. Gabriel rushed forward to stop her from falling off the bed, and helped her get into a comfortable sitting position. Then he stepped back, looking resolutely away again.
“Hi, Angel. I’m fine now,” Emily smiled warmly at her friend, and then looked at Gabriel, confused and slightly hurt. Sure, that closeness just now scared her a little, but anything is better than this intangible distance he has shoved between them.
“The doctor says you probably have to stay in the hospital for another couple of days, just in case. You never know what you’ll get with head injuries,” Angel said, not missing the slight gleam of longing in Emily’s eyes. She turned and pulled Gabriel into the chair next to Emily’s bed, “will you peel this apple for Emily? I’m calling Grace to let her know Emily is awake.” she said, handing him an apple and a small fruit knife.
Gabriel looked uncertainly at Emily, and then dropped his gaze quickly to the apple he held, suddenly obsessed with its peeling.
Emily blinked in surprise. Was that a blush on Gabriel’s cheeks? So, he was just as uncomfortable with that inexplicable embrace as she was. She smiled as she admired the adorable attention Gabriel was paying to the apple.
Angel quietly hooked her arm around Andrew’s, and together, they slinked out of the ward unnoticed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Gab?” Emily said, her voice sounded horribly raspy.
“Emily, you’re awake!” came the familiar voice, which calmed her nerves down, “How do you feel?” Gabriel asked, the concern thick in his voice. Emily felt his large hand brush across her cheek.
“I can’t see.” Emily said helplessly, feeling the panic return.
“Of course you can’t,” Gabriel chuckled, “your eyes aren’t open. Try opening them slowly.” He stroked her closed eyelids gently.
Emily slowly blinked her eyes open; the sight that greeted her made her giggle slightly. Gabriel’s hair was standing in every direction possible, and he had this huge reddish press mark on his temple. She wanted to get up from the bed to do something about that ridiculous hairdo of his. But Gabriel gently, yet firmly, pressed down on her shoulders.
“You shouldn’t get up yet,” he admonished, but bent towards Emily when she waved for him to get closer. Emily reached up and weaved her fingers through his hair, taming the haphazard strands. Once she was satisfied with the more presentable look, she smiled and turned to look at Gabriel. She was slightly taken aback when she saw an unreadable emotion in his eyes. And the way he was fixedly looking at her now made her suddenly aware of his closeness. Funny, she thought, that has never made her this nervous before.
A sudden stinging pain elicited a moan from her, as she shut her eyes and tried to block out the pain.
“What’s wrong?” Gabriel’s anxious voice drifted to her ears.
“My head hurts. What happened to me?”
“You don’t remember? You fell down the stairs at Kevin’s,” Gabriel frowned most deeply, “thank God you’re alright!” he said and leaned down to hug Emily against the bed, and whispered into her ear, “I swear I’ll never let you get hurt again.”
Emily gasped silently when Gabriel’s lip brushed against her ear. She remained as still as possible, expecting Gabriel to end the embrace any moment now. But he didn’t move away. Instead, he pressed himself closer.
What is he doing? Emily thought, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. The warm weight of his body on top of hers was, for the first time, making her extremely aware that Gabriel is a full grown man. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words felt choked up at her larynx. She found that she couldn’t move, but her eyes widened when she felt his chest expand in a deep intake of air.
Did he just smell my hair? Emily felt her heart make a loud thump against her chest.
Just then, the door squeaked open. Angel and Andrew strolled in just in time to see Gabriel pull away from Emily hastily, his face colored with embarrassment. But the two intruders pretended not to have seen anything, and moved casually towards the bed.
Angel was most relieved to see that Emily has woken up, but that wide-eyed shock on her face seemed highly suspicious. She took a concealed glance at Gabriel, who was rubbing his neck and determinedly looking away from the bed.
“Hey Emily, I’m so glad you’re awake,” Angel returned her attention to Emily, making no effort whatsoever to hide the amused smile spreading across her face. It seems like something has changed between those two.
Her voice jolted Emily out of her trance. What was she thinking? There was no way Gabriel would do something like that. She tried to get up but the dizziness made her world spin. Gabriel rushed forward to stop her from falling off the bed, and helped her get into a comfortable sitting position. Then he stepped back, looking resolutely away again.
“Hi, Angel. I’m fine now,” Emily smiled warmly at her friend, and then looked at Gabriel, confused and slightly hurt. Sure, that closeness just now scared her a little, but anything is better than this intangible distance he has shoved between them.
“The doctor says you probably have to stay in the hospital for another couple of days, just in case. You never know what you’ll get with head injuries,” Angel said, not missing the slight gleam of longing in Emily’s eyes. She turned and pulled Gabriel into the chair next to Emily’s bed, “will you peel this apple for Emily? I’m calling Grace to let her know Emily is awake.” she said, handing him an apple and a small fruit knife.
Gabriel looked uncertainly at Emily, and then dropped his gaze quickly to the apple he held, suddenly obsessed with its peeling.
Emily blinked in surprise. Was that a blush on Gabriel’s cheeks? So, he was just as uncomfortable with that inexplicable embrace as she was. She smiled as she admired the adorable attention Gabriel was paying to the apple.
Angel quietly hooked her arm around Andrew’s, and together, they slinked out of the ward unnoticed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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