Gabriel's POV:

I was beyond frightened watching her struggling to breathe.

Doctors were yelling command at each other, discussing what to do.

I was in a trance, noticing her breath getting ragged. Her body was jerking uncontrollably, she gripped my hand and then released it.

The beeping noise went flat.

"Code blue!" Nina yelled opening her gown. "She has stopped breathing!"

"Gabriel, you need to leave," Nick told me, pushing me back.

I took several steps away from her bed as nurses rushed in with machines.

Nina began to perform CPR. The doctor was guiding them while keeping on a monitor.

I didn't know how long Nina pressed on her chest, but Bella didn't start breathing.

"We are losing her!" Nina yelled.

"Switch to the defibrillator!" The doctor instructed.

Nick grabbed the paddles and pressed on her chest and side.

"All clear?" The doctor asked.

"Clear!" They answered.

"And shock, get back to the chest."

Nina began the compression again.

"In forty seconds we're going to deliver another shock." The doctor instructed.

They keep performing the CPR.

Finally, Nina announced, "I feel a pulse."

The doctor checked Bella and said, "Excellent. She is back with us,"

The monitor started displaying the rhythm of her heart.

Nina and Nick sighed then looked at me. I didn't know I was holding my breath.

"She is okay," Nick told me.

I slumped down on the couch with tears falling down from my eyes. I was cursing myself for her state, knowing she didn't deserve any of this. If she hadn't stepped in front of me she wouldn't be in so much pain right now.

Nina and Nick discussed the stability of her condition with the doctor while I just stared at her in misery.

Nick and the doctor left the room. Nina looked at me and made her way to me. She sat down beside me and placed her hand on my knee.

"She was hearing everything. She heard what her dad said to her and she literally stopped breathing. It's painful when the person who is supposed to love you and care for you wishes death upon you, "Nina said sniffing.

"How can she hear him? You told me she was given anesthesia," I asked confusion laced in my voice.

"Her senses are still active," Nina informed me.

"Will she listen to me?" I asked her.

"She will listen to you. Talk to her and tell her how much you want her to come back to you. I would tell Nick to bring your clothes from home, you can shower in his cubicle," Nina suggested. "Don't leave her side, not tonight at least."

"Thank you so much, Nina. I'm glad we are going to become family," I told her with a grateful smile.

She looked at me shocked.

"Did...did Nick said something to you?" She asked.

"Fûçk. I wasn't supposed to tell you this," I sighed grabbing my hair.

"I can understand," she said with a shy smile.

"He loves you a lot," I told her.

She smiled getting up from the couch. "I know and I love him a lot too."

She left the room and I got up from the couch. I nervously made way to her bed and sat down on the chair.

I took her delicate hand in mine and kissed it.

I stared at her face that was hidden behind an oxygen mask. Taking the risk, I leaned closer to her face and whispered into her ear. "I won't be able to live with this guilt that you lost your life to protect me. I will die with you, my love. If you want to ensure that I live then don't abandon me here."

I felt her squeezing my hand and I looked at her face in shock. Her eyes were slightly open and stared at me with fondness.

"Bella, you're awake," I whispered in joy.

Then she closed her eyes again. I was confused and worried. I texted my brother and he came to the room.

"What happened?" He asked in concern.

"Nina told me that Bella might be listening to me, so I talked to her and then she opened her eyes," I informed him.

"That's a good sign. It means she didn't fall into a coma," he told.

"But she closed her eyes after a few seconds."

"She will be up soon. Her body needs a lot of rest, don't worry," Nick said.

*****

I felt someone stroking my hair and woke up. I looked straight at her to find her asleep.

"Gabriel."

I looked behind to find my biological mom standing, stroking my head.

"Good morning," she said with a pleasant smile.

I didn't think it was a good morning for me because Bella was still unconscious and unresponsive.

"Morning," I replied, staring at Bella.

"How is she now?" She asked me glancing at Bella.

"I really don't know. She opened her eyes for a few seconds last night. I am desperately waiting for her to wake up," I told her, removing my hand from her.

"I have brought your clothes. Why don't you go and take a shower while I sit here?" She said.

I nodded my head, taking my bag from her hand. "Thank you, mother," I said.

She affectionately placed a hand on my cheek. "No problem. Your dad and your brothers are also coming to meet you and her."

I glanced at Bella one last time before making my way towards Nick's cubicle. I went to the washroom and got undressed then stepped into the shower. I washed my hair and body quickly then pulled my things out from my bag. I brushed my teeth and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes looked hollow and swollen. My cheeks were sunken and my jaw was sharper as I had lost some weight in the past few months. Dark stubble was growing on my jaw as I hadn't shaved in weeks.

I got changed into fresh clothes and stuffed my things in Nick's locker then went back to her room.

*****
Bella's POV:

I was locked in some dark room with chains weighing me down, preventing me from moving. I attempted to open my eyes but they remained closed.

I heard Gabriel's voice, again and again, telling me to come back and how much he loves me. I felt his tears dropping on my hand but I couldn't move.

Then I heard the voice of my dad that jolted my body. I felt terrified that he was here to murder me and finally end the misery I had been in for hours.

I heard Gabriel fighting for me and I wanted to stop him but my body refused to listen to any of my commands.

But when my dad's words fell into my ear I lost the tiny will in me that was forcing me to fight for my life.

The memories of my father hitting me and my mother crying got stuck in my head. Everything that happened in the past was vividly playing in my mind. The pain was creeping from my body towards my heart. I wanted to cry out for help but no sound came out of my mouth. I was sobbing mentally, thrashing like a fish out of water.

The beeping sound was constant in the background.

Unfortunately, when everything was shutting down something pulled me back to life. I was angry and wanted to yell at them for making me stay in this freaking world but I couldn't voice out my pain.

Everything became calm and fell into darkness once again.

Then I heard his deep voice.

"I won't be able to live with this guilt that you lost your life to protect me. I will die with you, my love. If you want to ensure that I live then don't abandon me here," he told me.

I fought with myself to just see his face and opened my eyes. My blurry eyes focused on him. His face looked exhausted, his eyes were swollen and red from crying. His hands were cold and he looked like death himself.

At that moment, I knew he would die with men and if I wanted him to live then I had to keep fighting for my life.

After I heard my dad, I thought I had lost everything, my mother, my siblings, and my home. I wanted this miserable life to end but now someone really wanted me to stay in this world a little longer.

My tired eyes went shut, taking me back to the darkness.

                                      ****

I heard the sound of humming and attempted to open my eyes preparing myself to get fail once again but surprisingly this time my eyes snapped open. A bright light in the room stabbed my eyes and I shut them back, groaning in pain.

"Mom, I think she is waking up!"

I heard a male voice.

"We are not blind, Harry. We can see," someone said.

"Can you both stay silent?" The female voice said.

Slowly, I opened my eyes to find two young men staring at me closely. I panicked and tried to move back when the woman came into my view.

"Relax, dear." She told me, giving me a pleasing smile then glaring at two men. "You scared her. If Nick finds out about this he would be so disappointed with you both."

"Mom, we were just watching her. We wanted to know her reaction after waking up from death," one of the boys said.

"Harry, why don't we ask her those questions that we prepared?" One guy said to the younger one.

He looked at me pulled out his cellphone.

"Did you see an angel? Did you go to heaven or hell?" He asked me.

I stared at him in shock. I didn't know how to answer them.

I shook my head lightly in a silent which they didn't get it.

"Yes or no?"

I attempted to answer them but ended up coughing.

The woman facepalmed herself.

"How stupid of me? I didn't even ask you for water," she said picking the glass and handing it to me.

With her help, I drank some water and managed to speak.

"T...thank you," I mumbled.

I looked around and realized that I was in the hospital. The hospital room was rather large with two couches on both corners with lots of space in the center.

My eyes connected with those two men again and they raised their eyebrows like they were waiting for my answer.

"No," I mumbled.

"Shit, man! That article was stupid," one exclaimed.

The other man agreed with him and made a disappointing face.

"Matt and Harry, stop this nonsense," their mother said with the glare.

"I...I don't know you guys," I stammered.

One guy grabbed my hand and said, "Oh, my love, you don't remember me? I'm Harry."

His mom smacked him on the head and I snatched my hand back feeling utterly confused.

"Harry, you touched his girl. Now, he is going to kill you," the told in a sing-song voice.

"I was just joking with her, Matt," he defended himself.

The woman extended her hand with a bright smile.

"I'm Pamela Emerson, Gabriel's mother and these two are his brothers," she told me.

I shook her hand feeling shy.

"W...where is Gabriel?" I asked her.

"He just went to the washroom to take shower," She told me.

"Oh," I said nervously.

"Harry, can you call Nick?" Pamela said.

"Okay," he said pulling out his phone from his jeans and texting.

The door opened and two doctors entered the room. The guy was handsome and looked a lot like Gabriel. The girl with him was tall and pretty.

"When did she wake up?" Both of them asked.

"Five minutes ago," Harry answered.

The girl looked at Pamela and smiled, walking to her while the man walked to me.

"Hello, I am Nick," he told me.

"You're Nick? Gabriel's elder brother?" I asked him in shock.

"Yes," he replied looking surprised as well.

"Is she Nina?" I asked him.

Nina came to me with a smile.

"Yes, I am Nina. It's nice to finally see you awake, Bella," she said.

"Thanks. It's just Gabriel talked about you both and I remember it," I told them.

"Well, you're memory is good then. Do you you remember the last thing that happened?" Nick asked.

I looked at my arm and belly then flinched.

"Unfortunately, I remember everything vividly," I told them.

Suddenly the door opened and he entered. My breath hitched as he stared at me in surprise.

His mother, his brothers, and Nina stepped away from the bed.

"Ga...Gabriel," I whispered.

My heart was jumping inside my chest in happiness that he was perfectly fine, standing in front of me.

Finally, in a few long strides, he made his way to me and wrapped his arms around my torsos, pulling me in a warm hug.

I managed to lift my hand up and stroked the nape of his neck.

"You're the stupidest girl I have ever met," He said and I chuckled.

He pulled away from the hug and wiped my tears off. I didn't even know I was crying.

"You're safe, Bella. Please don't cry," He said then placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.

I nodded my head, finding it difficult to speak.

Suddenly Nick cleared his throat.

"We need to do a scan of her skull to make sure that it's working okay," Nick said.

"What happened to my skull?" I asked him in panic, touching my head.

"Yeah...sure. The brain transplant went well it looks like," Gabriel said staring at me.

My eyes widened in shock. My body was numb and I was feeling pain in every inch of my body.

"Brain transplant? Why would you guys do brain Transplant?" I asked them in bewilderment.

"The brain you had was stupid, so we decided to change it," Gabriel said with a goofy smile.

I sighed, glaring at Gabriel.

"You are a Jerk," I said, grabbing my pillow and hitting him.

Everyone laughed while Gabriel attempted to snatch the pillow from me.
____________________________________

Hello, lovelies,

I know I know it's been so long. But at least I'm updating it. Hardly, two or three chapters are left. Let's hope that will complete them soon.

Don't forget to vote and tell me how much you like this book.

Please excuse any mistakes and errors.

Thanks for reading and supporting 😘😘😘

Published: 17-Mar-2017