Song: True Love by Dove Cameron and Jordan Fisher from the series; Liv and Maddie

Chapter Seventy-six: Next time catch a grenade instead

I told the Officer James about my metal anklet on my leg and that we needed to sort that out before any questions and he said we could do it here. I had to heat it in a small, enclosed vessel that was heated from below. So that was probably gonna hurt a lot. I mean I would get burns.

I wasn't used to pain, but the amount I had felt these past few days in my wrist, my ankle, and today, throughout my body, was a lot. Wasn't that the best way to spend my eighteenth birthday?

Birthdays are overrated.

Are they?

That is just me trying to make you feel better.

Horrible job you're doing.

I was on a hospital bed and the nurse just finished applying an ice pack to my ankle for the burns. 

"We are going to wrap it with a bandage now." She stated as she took the bandage from a walking table beside her. She wrapped around my ankle.

"Your burns are going to heal in 14 days leaving minimal scarring. You should probably wait in the bed. Your ankles were already weak and bruised before, but adding the heat to it has made it so much worse. The officer said your parents were almost here."

"Thank you." I nodded to her.

She just nodded and started heading out. Then she stopped and turned around. "I am sorry for what happened to you."

"Does everybody know?"

"Everyone that watches the news. Your face has been on for the past week during their search for you."

I just nodded at her as she left the room. 

Once she was out, I stood up from the bed and limped to the door. 

Ouch.

My ankle hurt badly so I was on my tiptoes. And my whole body ached from being shot with a lot of pain in the past hour and a half. But I'm sure Zane felt worse. 

He can't feel anything, he's unconscious.

I needed to see him.

I opened the door to hospital room only to be met with Jay on the other side.

"What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you." He looked down at my leg. "Do you plan to walk around the hospital without shoes and with a bandage around one ankle?"

"Yes. Shouldn't you be checking on your brother? What even happened to him?"

He pocketed his hands and rolled his lips inward. "He was coming after you so I shot him in the leg."

"You shot your brother?"

He bit his lip. "Does that make me a bad person?"

I engulfed him in a hug. "To be able to do that to protect someone else, to protect me, makes you a great person. And I am very grateful to you for that. I am very grateful to you for everything. If not for you, I'd still be in there."

He hugged me back. "You're welcome."

I released him and gave him a small smile. "Not very awkward anymore."

He shook his head and chuckled.

"I need to find Zane." A frown was on my lips when I remembered where he was.

"Even if you did, they wouldn't let you see him. He's probably still in the operating room."

I was about to demand to know where that was when I heard my name, "Nova!!"

I turned around to see my Dad rushing to me. He engulfed me in a hug without my permission and I was fine with it because he was the first family I had seen in a week.

We pulled apart and he held my face to scrutinize it. "Are you okay? You have bags under your eyes." His eyes shot to my leg. "What happened?"

I pulled his hands away. "Dad I'm fine."

"But-"

"Charvi!!" I looked behind Dad to see Rev. She was running at full speed to me. She pulled me into a hug and I hugged her tight. "God, Rev. I've missed you so much."

She cried into my shoulder. "I was so scared Char. Never leave me again please."

I chuckled. Shane and Shay soon joined the hug.

"Little sis. I'm so glad you're okay. Who am I killing?"

"Oh God. Char, I missed you. I was so scared. Mum wasn't eating, she wasn't sleeping. None of us were. We were so glad when they called to say you were here."

We all released each other. I looked up and saw my mum, looking at me from afar. I started limping towards her. She looked completely awful. She started towards me too, and we met in the middle with a hug. "Sweetie," she cried out, "I was so scared. I'm so glad you're okay."

"Me too, mum." I patted her hair. "Me too."

A nurse approached me when my mum and I released each other. "I'm sorry. Miss Brooks. May I speak to you for a moment?"

"Okay. I'm coming."

I turned to Mum, she shrugged and said, "I'm going to speak with the officer anyway. They want you to come down to the station, but I'm going to tell them you're not ready." 

I nodded before limping after the nurse. We didn't really go far. "You came in with Mr. Rivers, right?"

Fear gripped me, but I just nodded.

"He doesn't have his phone on him, we need you to give us his parents' numbers."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. No. Nothing's wrong. It was a minor gunshot wound to his abdomen. None of his organs were hit, luckily. He's having an operation to have the bullet removed. All he needs is stitches. But..."

Does there really have to be a but?

"The location he was picked up from was far from a nearby hospital or ambulance so he has lost a lot of blood and we're not certain he'll wake up after the operation."

I stumbled back. "What?"

"We just need his parent's number."

I turned back and called my Dad. He was over to me fast. "Please give the nurse, Zion and Shayan Rivers' numbers so she can call them and tell them he's here."

He didn't argue and did what I said. I went back into the hospital room I was in and sat down. I knew my siblings were talking to me, but I had pretty much blocked out all words.

They're not certain he'll wake up?

This cannot be happening right now.

I just lay on the bed and stared into space.

*********************

"Honey, we better go home." Someone was shaking me awake.

Wait, when did I fall asleep?

I sat up on the bed and faced my mum, "What time is it?"

"It's about 8pm. We're sorry you had to spend your birthday like this."

"That doesn't matter now. Are Zane's parents here? They're my only way in to see him."

"He's out of operation and his parents are with him." I turned to Dad who had said that. He was sitting behind a sleeping Reveka.

"Is he awake yet?"

Dad just shook his head.

My heart sunk.

I turned to Shane and Shayna who were also sitting on chairs in the room.

"The police still want to see you," Shane started, "but mum said they should let you rest first so they're outside. They already spoke to Jayden and he turned his brother in so there are officers in front of his hospital room."

"He also told them where they kept you and they've arrested everyone they saw there. The job was pretty easy for them because they said the people there were all unconscious." Shay added.

"How do you know?"

"It's all over the news."

"Already?"

"The cops have been looking for you for days so you being found is a big deal."

I jumped off the bed. "I'm going to his room. Tell the officers I'll be able to see them in a while."

"But-" Mum started.

I cut her off. "Mum please. Zane is unconscious. I have to see him."

She just nodded. I turned to Dad who instantly knew what I was asking. "Room 44."

I limped out of my room and looked at the number on my door. Room 10. That means he was upstairs. I started towards the elevator. No one seemed to be bothered by the limping missing girl hopping across the floor barefooted. 

I stopped when I saw someone I hadn't seen in a while. But then again, I hadn't seen a lot of people in a while. It was Wren. He was coming out of the elevator. He stopped when he saw me. "Charvi." He muttered.

I sent him a small smile. "Can you look at me now?"

He took long strides towards me and engulfed me in a hug. "I am so sorry for everything that happened to you. I am so sorry about all the things I said to you. I was being a jerk."

"I deserved it."

He released me and kept me at arms' length. "No you didn't. I took it too far. I tried my best to erase you, and that was wrong of me because Charvi was my friend, and she should have been more important to me than Avery."

I smiled at him. "Thanks."

"Go see him."

I already knew who he was talking about, as I waved him goodbye and entered the elevator.

When I got up, I passed different rooms in search of Room 44, but I came to stop at a room with guards in front of it.

Jaxon's room.

"Let me in." I told the guards.

"Sorry ma'am. We can't do that."

"Jayden!!" I called out knowing fully well he was in there. The door opened to reveal him. He looked at me and then turned to the guards. "She can come in." They moved out of the way for me to enter. 

I walked into the room and my eyes flashed to the bed. Jaxon was lying on it. His eyes were closed and his leg was suspended in air.

I turned to Jay. "He's awake." Jay confirmed.

I nodded and started my angry ranting. "You're a bastard, you know that?"

His eyes flashed open and they landed on me, "Luna." he said softly.

"I am no Luna. You can't call me that anymore. You have nothing hanging over my head. I am no longer at your mercy. You can't do anything to me anymore."

His eyes flashed to my neck then to my wrist. "I see you're still wearing the necklace and bracelet."

It was just then I remembered. I removed the bracelet and threw it at him. It landed smack on his face and fell to his chest. He took it and squeezed it in the hand.

"I suppose you're not going to tell me where the key to the necklace is."

I needed the key. I couldn't pick this kind of lock. The key was very tiny, even hairpins were bigger than it.

"The cops have it. They took everything that was on me so it's probably with them."

I was actually surprised he had told me, but I didn't mention it.

His eyes flashed to my tiptoeing feet. "You melted it off."

I gritted my teeth, "And it gave me burns!"

"I'm sorry."

"You can keep your stupid sorry! You shot him!" I yelled at him.

He pointed at his brother, "And he shot me, big deal."

"At least, you're awake. He could die!"

The painful reality of that slapped my face.

"Then, he goes to heaven. After I'm discharged, I'm going to that hell called prison."

I took an aggressive step towards him and poked his chest. "I just stopped here to tell you I would have killed you if I had the chance."

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "What is your problem?"

"My problem? What is my problem?" I scoffed. "What is your problem? You kidnapped me. You put me at your mercy."

"I was the one at your mercy. My love for you made me weak. It made me do a lot of crazy things."

I yanked my hand out of his grip and took a step back. "You were going to let me rot in that dungeon. I hope you rot in jail because you deserve it. 

I started out the room, but his voice stopped me when I got to the door. "All I wanted was for you to love me." I heard him mutter. 

I continued out the room without a backward glance, and headed straight for Room 44.

I knocked on the door. "Enter." A firm voice called from the other side.

I walked into the room. Zion was sitting on the chair staring at his son. Shayan was by Zane's bed, crying. Her eyes raised to me and she came to engulf me in a hug. "Oh sweetie."

I cried into her shoulder. "I'm so sorry this happened to your son. This is all my fault."

"No sweetie, it's not. It's not your fault at all."

She released me and I walked over to Zane's bed. He still looked as lifeless and pale as he did before, but he didn't have blood staining him anymore.

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. It felt so heavy in mine and it didn't squeeze back. I bent down and cried into his shoulder.

Please wake up.

********************

The officers had come to get me from Zane's room to answer their questions. They gave me the key- which they had put in the evidence paper bag- to unlock the necklace, but I kept it. I don't know why, but I did. I gave them all the information they wanted for about an hour before they sent me home with my family. I didn't want to go home. I wanted to be with Zane. To hold his hand. To rest on his chest and feel his beating heart, but my Mum said it had been a week since they had seen me and I needed to be well rested.

I got down from the car and faced my house. I was so happy and sad. Happy because I thought was never going to see it again and here I was. Sad because Zane might never see it again. Once I stepped into my house, I was engulfed by my friends. Yup, all of them at once.

"We've been waiting for you."

"You got us so scared Char."

"When we saw on the news that you'd been found, we rushed right over here."

"Which was pretty stupid because she was at the hospital, and we've been here for hours." Zahra rolled her eyes.

I sent them smiles. "Thanks guys."

"We should go out, and celebrate your return and your birthday. I mean, the night is still young."

I swallowed. "Zane was shot."

They're jubilation was cut short. "Oh my goodness." 

"It's fine. He'll wake up. I'm sure of it. I just need some rest. I'll see you guys later."

"We can't just go."

"Please. For me. I just need to be alone."

But you've been alone for the past week.

They all gave each other knowing looks. "Okay, we understand. Well, we'll see you tomorrow then."

They hugged me goodbye and walked out. Xander stayed and just stared at me like he couldn't recognize me anymore. I almost couldn't recognize him. He looked awful, and I hated I was the cause of that. 

A tear dropped from my eye. He seemed to notice because he came closer to me and wiped the tear off. "Oh Char." And as he said those words, I broke down into tears. I couldn't say it was all the tears I was holding in because I've been crying a lot these past days. He hugged me without any words. I released myself in his arms as I let it all out. 

After I had regained my composure, I told him that everything would be alright and that he should head home. After a lot of persuasion, he did.

I didn't eat dinner. I didn't come out for anyone. I just lay on my bed and balled my eyes out.

*********************

It's been almost a week. About 4 days of torture wondering whether he'd make it to the next day or not. I hadn't gone to school. It seemed so unimportant at the time. I still had a bandage around my ankle, but the purple bruises that had formed around my wrists from the cruelty of the handcuffs had gone. It was the 9th of December and the bandage wouldn't be off till the 19th of December. 

I've slept on the chair in the hospital the past two days and I'd leave in the morning to get a change of clothes. That is what I was doing.

I entered the hospital and after answering a few questions headed straight for Zane's room. The staff here should already be used to me by now. When I got to the door I knew too well, Shayan and Zion were standing there with the doctor talking about something. When Shayan turned to me, she smiled and muttered two words I have been waiting to hear for the past miserable days.

"He's awake."

And with just that, my heart started picking it's pieces up again and gluing them back together.

I walked into the room, and there he was, just lying there staring at the ceiling. Alive. 

My eyes flooded with tears of joy.

His eyes flashed to mine and his eyes lit up. "I missed you."

I was unaware of what to say and how to react so I just stood there, staring intensely at him as the tears were dropping.

"Come here." He gestured to me with his hand as he sat a little higher. My legs started moving at their own accord. They came to a stop beside him as I sat on the bed. He wrapped his hand around my waist.

"Remind me next time to wear something bullet proof." He joked.

All I could mutter was, "You took a bullet for me."

Not exactly. It was more like he took a bullet because of you.

"I know." He smiled.

Fine, let's just pretend he did.

I had a huge urge to ask 'Why?' but that would be stupid because I already knew the reason, so I stuck with good ol' plain teasing. It had brought me this far anyway.

I rolled my eyes, blinking the tears away, a small smile playing on my lips. "Weak! Next time catch a grenade instead."

His jaw dropped before he started laughing hysterically.

"Stop or you'll hurt yourself." I raised my hand from his to place it on his chest.

"You stop."

"I'm not doing anything." I feigned pretence as I kissed him lightly on the lips. It had been long, and that small contact felt good. "Never do that again."

"I thought you said next time it should be a grenade." He teased.

"I'm serious. I was very scared."

He tried to look like he took me seriously, but he clearly didn't

"I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you." I smiled weakly at him.

"You're welcome and I'd definitely do it again."

I smiled and rested my head on his chest. "What did I do to deserve you?"

He chuckled. "I think it's the other way around."

I smiled, "But I got you shot."

He just laughed lightly as he squeezed my hand.

I blurted out. "Promise me we'll be together forever."

I think I just proposed.

Are you insane?

No. I'm not and I meant what I said, but I was just scared of how he'd react. I know he said he loves me, but did it run that deep? Did he plan to spend his life with me?

What he said next made my heart melt. I think there were tears in my eyes at his next words. We made a promise and intended to keep it. What could be more beautiful than that?

He raised my head and held my chin, making me stare into his beautiful emerald eyes. I saw a boy who hadn't been given enough love in his life from those he cared about because they'd been too busy for him. A boy who promised he'd do anything for me. I saw a boy who took a bullet for me. I didn't see The Zane Rivers, son of Zion and Shayan Rivers, future heir to Z-Tech Industries. I just saw my Zane Rivers. The love of my life. I wonder what he saw when he looked into my plain blue-green eyes.

He smiled as if reading my thoughts and said the words I knew would be the death of me.

"Cherry, you are my forever."

******THE END******

***************

Cheesy title reference: Check.

Ticked the only thing on my list: Check

Roll the credits baby!!!!!

Yup, it's the end. Not exactly because a bonus chapter and epilogue are coming up, but you know what I mean. This has been quite a long journey for me, but don't let me bore you with an author's note here when I already have a whole part just for what I want to say.

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