Page 43 of Breaking Matt

Mark was there, standing in a small waiting area. His worried look did nothing to ease the fear building up inside me.

"Where is she?" Matthew asked him.

"The doctor is examining her."

My focus was on the red stains on his shirt.

"Is that...?"

I reached out and nearly touched the red mark on his shirt. I couldn't finish the sentence.Oh. My. God.

It was blood. It was Courtney's blood.

The realization hit me in the chest and I stopped breathing. My heard started to spin and it felt like I was hearing voices echoing from down a tunnel. That was the moment I felt everything start to spin out of control, and the panicked voices in the background disappeared as I fainted.

When I startedto come around, I felt disoriented. I groaned as my hand touched my head.

"It's okay," someone said soothingly. It was Matthew, his voice strong and comforting.

I opened my eyes to see his concerned expression.

"You're awake," he said softly and he gave me a smile, showing his dimples as he looked down at me.I love those dimples, I thought absently.

I tried to remember what had happened. When I remembered that Courtney had been missing and the blood on Mark's shirt, I suddenly tried to move.

"Take it easy," Matthew instructed as he shifted me off his lap and slowly helped me upright. He stayed beside me as I tried to get my bearings.

A quick look around the room revealed that we were still in the waiting room. Mark had gone.

"Where's Mark?" I asked, feeling panicked.

"He went to find out if there is any news on Courtney," he explained, watching me carefully.

Courtney. The blood.

I felt a feeling of dread spread through my stomach. I put my face into my hands, unable to deal with the guilt that something had happened to her because of me. What if she didn't make it? I shook the thought from my mind. There would be no way for me to deal with that. Matthew's hand rested gently on my back. I looked at him.

"I can't..." I began to say, and then I felt the sting of tears and I was unable to complete the sentence. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. I rested my head against his strong chest, allowing myself to feel all the emotions that were swirling up inside of me.

"She'll be okay," he said, consoling me even though we hadn't heard from the doctors yet.

I took comfort in his words even though there was no possible way he could know that. It was easier to fixate on the positive possibility that she would be okay rather than try and process the fact she might not. I wasn't a coward by nature but this time I was taking the easier route.

Mark appeared in the waiting room and I pulled away. My eyes fixed on him, making sure not to focus on the bloodstains on his shirt. I was too scared to ask, so I waited for him to say something.

He looked serious as he came to stop in front of us.

"How is she?" Matt asked with his arm still around me.

"She has been beaten up pretty good, but the doctor reckons there aren't any serious injuries, only superficial wounds," he explained. I felt better immediately—never in my life had I felt so relieved.

"She'll have to spend a few days in the hospital just for observation," he added.

"Can I see her?" I asked, standing up. I needed to see her injuries with my own eyes.

"The nurses are just cleaning her up so you will have to wait to see her," he said.

I nodded. "Thank you," I said.