Xavier manages to reach the hospital paying the taxi driver extra fare, not caring about the change because it was someone else who needed him more. He runs inside bumping, apologising and stumbling on his way to the ICU. He couldn’t believe that Stella met with an accident when Elijah called him, shaking and crying. He was a mess himself, utterly confused and heartbroken. It wasn’t until he saw Elijah standing outside the operating room with her blood soaked on his shirt, his lifeless, bloodshot red eyes. It’s real, it’s all so terrifyingly real.
His friend is in that room fighting for her life and there is nothing he can do. This is beyond his control, he realises as he takes a seat next to Elijah, in companionable silence. He was feeling helpless and hopeless. He closes his eyes remembering all the times, conversations he had with her and how he was always afraid of her getting hurt…and she did get hurt.
*******
Winter, 2015
Xavier’s point of view.
