Aries: Book 2 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (3 page)

Chapter Three

The beeping drilled into my head. I wanted to reach out and punch whatever it was that made the constant noise. I heard murmurs as I came out of the blackness. I dreamt of fire and other lifetimes. I had seen Nick’s face in all of them, even though I didn’t know him that well in this lifetime.

‘Aries…?’

I recognised the voice but I couldn’t quite connect to who it was. I had lost who I was in the dreams. Was that voice talking to me? Was I Aries?

I opened my eyes. The brightness made me squint. I blinked away the discomfort.

‘Aries…how are you feeling?’

It was Pisces. A warm hand gripped mine. It was the first thing I felt.

‘Like crap,’ I managed to croak out.

I focused on the girl next to me. Her long brown hair was tied up in a ponytail. Her big soft brown eyes watered. I wanted to reach out to let her know that it was okay.

‘Here, have some water,’ she said, offering me a straw.

I sipped but couldn’t hold my head up. The beeping was coming from somewhere next to me. I glanced over to see that I was attached to a heart monitor.

‘What happened?’

I closed my eyes, trying to bring back the distant memory. Why was I in hospital?

‘Don’t you remember?’

The sound of other voices coming into the room made me open my eyes again. A doctor and nurse shuffled towards me. I was glad the room was small and private.

The nurse started to check me over. I let her do what she had to do.

‘How long have I been in here?’ I asked.

My head was groggy. I slapped my tongue against the roof of my mouth and stretched my eyelids wide.

‘A few days.’ Pisces grabbed my hand when I went to sit up.

What the hell had happened to me?

I fell back against the pillows as my energy drained away.

‘What happened?’ I whispered, looking into her eyes.

I could tell that she had been there the whole time. My brothers and sisters would have dropped in, all eleven of them, but Pisces would have stayed.

‘Do you remember the fire? In the factory…?’

I closed my eyes and tried to remember but I couldn’t. The last thing I remembered was leaving for a run, the morning after I had seen Natalie. My thoughts rushed to her and my chest pounded.

‘You rescued workers from the toilets of a burning factory.’ Her voice was quiet as she stroked my hand. I squeezed her fingers and tried to picture the memory. It was no good.

‘How are you feeling, Aries?’ the doctor asked me.

I shook my head against the pillow, not opening my eyes. ‘Not so great.’

‘We’ll give you some more painkillers,’ he said.

Pisces went to protest but something he did silenced her. I stayed quiet, not wanting to think too much. I still couldn’t get my mind to come round to what was going on.

‘You’ve had a tough time recently. You could do with a bit more rest.’

I nodded without opening my eyes. I could already feel the darkness trying to grab me back. When I woke up again, I would deal with life.

*

‘How is he going to cope?’

The voice encroached on my sleep and pulled me from the darkness. I allowed myself to come back this time. I needed to get back to work.

‘I don’t know,’ Pisces replied.

The first voice had been Taurus. I cringed at the thought of waking up to speak to him. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him but we weren’t best friends. I didn’t really want anyone to see me like this.

‘Are you awake, Aries?’ Pisces whispered, squeezing my hand.

I opened my eyes and smiled up at her. It was nice that they worried about me but what was the big deal? It was a minor setback. I would be fighting fit in no time.

‘I hope you haven’t stayed this whole time,’ I said.

She smiled tightly and glanced down my body. She quickly averted her eyes when she saw that I watched her. The flash of emotion that crossed over her face made me clench my muscles. I was sore from not moving much. The blisters on my back still hurt.

‘Aries, it’s good to see you awake,’ Taurus said.

He ran a hand over his shaved head, back and forth, twice. I watched the nervous twitch. He looked around the room but wouldn’t look at me.

‘I’ll go and tell the nurse he’s awake,’ he said, making a quick exit.

‘What’s the matter?’ I asked as I tried to sit up. Pisces put her hand on my chest to stop me.

‘Aries, there’s something I need to tell you.’ Her voice was quiet. A bolt of panic hit my chest. What was wrong with her? Was it Father?

‘Spit it out,’ I snapped when she didn’t say anymore. She flinched but I didn’t care. She was scaring me. I didn’t like it.

‘The explosion caused so much damage to your legs, they had to remove them.’

My heartbeat grew louder. It drowned out whatever Pisces went on to say. I couldn’t hear anything as a rushing sound echoed in my ears. I pushed myself up onto my elbows and looked down. That’s when I started to scream.

The doctor ran in with a nurse. Pisces held my hand. No matter how much I tried to disconnect her from me, she wouldn’t let go.

‘It’s okay, Aries. We need to sedate him!’ the doctor shouted.

Pisces nodded. I shook my head and closed my mouth, slumping back on the bed. ‘No, you don’t! Please, don’t!’

The image was still in my mind. My thighs were intact but the cover fell away to the bed just above the knee on both sides. My throat closed. The urge to cry didn’t last long.

‘Are you okay, Aries?’ The doctor put a hand on my arm. I didn’t shrug him off.

‘Why did you take them?’

My voice was quiet but my veins raged hot. They bubbled. I was ready to explode. I threw my arm over my eyes.

‘The damage was so bad, you would have died if we hadn’t made the decision to amputate.’

I lifted my arm to look at Pisces. ‘Did you let them?’

Tears poured down her pale cheeks. I felt nothing.

‘It was a joint decision. Your brothers and sisters wanted to save your life,’ the doctor said.

I shook my head and bit my tongue. The taste of metallic made me swallow. I had no legs. I could no longer walk.

‘You’re a fit and healthy young man. We have some wonderful options for you.’ The doctor spoke but I didn’t want to hear it.

‘I have no fucking legs!’ I screamed at him.

He nodded and stepped back. ‘I’d like to give you a sedative to calm you down.’

‘Go ahead, better being high than facing this,’ I muttered.

The nurse injected me. It wasn’t long until a dopey feeling enveloped what was left of my body. Pisces still held onto my hand. The touch was disconnected. I couldn’t look at her, although I could hear her sobs through the fog of the painkillers.

‘I think you should go home, Pisces.’

I heard Taurus and pulled my arm away from my eyes again.

‘I’m going to need a lot of your drugs, mate.’ I chuckled.

I didn’t know why I laughed, or even why I said what I did, but it was true. I needed to overdose and get the hell out of my body.

‘We’ll fix you up, don’t worry.’ He patted my arm awkwardly as he spoke.

‘No you won’t! Aries, you’re going to fight this! You can have new legs and learn to walk again.’ Pisces got in my face, her cheeks turning bright red as she gripped my fingers. A bubble of laughter climbed out of me and caught me unaware. The squeak made me jump, which made me chuckle harder.

‘There’s no point in talking to him right now, he’s high,’ Taurus said.

‘Now I know why you do it so much.’

‘Try to sleep.’ Pisces squeezed my hand, before releasing it.

The cold air rushed against my palm. The sensation made my attention focus on that one spot. I hadn’t realised how much I had needed Pisces in that moment.

‘Natalie…’ I blurted.

The others spoke between themselves as I struggled to stay awake but the drug pulled me under. I was thankful to leave the crap behind.

Chapter Four

‘No matter what happens, life goes on. People suffer endlessly, playing their private song.’

The lyrics sank into my bones as I came around. Leo strummed his guitar next to my head.

‘Shattered dreams, and loneliness, take a hold of me. Sensing love, and longing, is not meant for me.’

‘Shut up,’ I managed to rasp.

He stopped and looked at me. Dark circles framed his eyes. His dark blond hair was fluffy, which was unusual for him. The cause of the dishevelled look was revealed when he rubbed his hand over his hair vigorously. Why did my brothers do that?

‘I haven’t got anything to say to you,’ he said, leaning on the sunburst acoustic guitar.

I was tempted to try and sit up. I was stiff from so much lying around.

‘Good, it’s better that way.’

I tried to pull myself up but struggled. There was a nurse in the room. She came over and pressed a button to elevate me. As the bed settled into place, I came face to face with the empty part of the mattress that should have had my legs on it.

I grabbed the cover and pulled it up the bed. I glanced around the room. Pisces was asleep on a chair in the corner.

‘She’s been here every day since the accident,’ Leo said.

I nodded, knowing it was true. She was a rescuer. She would do anything for those she loved. I was grateful that she obviously loved me that much. I had no idea why. I didn’t deserve it.

The cover lifted to reveal my bandaged stumps. I swallowed hard. A part of me was grateful that I originally had long legs so my thighs were still a decent length.

‘It feels like they’re still there.’

My body was numb, my brain was calm. I had no idea how. Maybe it was the aftereffects of the sedation but the burning heat had left my veins. For now.

‘That’s quite normal,’ the nurse said.

She was a middle aged woman with greying hair. She was professional and efficient.

‘I’m a firefighter,’ I told her.

She nodded as a sad smile crossed her face. Pity.

I would no longer be a firefighter. I would no longer be able to help my brothers and sisters rescue our father. I would no longer be able to achieve my mission. Who would want a soulmate with no legs? My blood started to heat again so I threw the cover back over my stumps.

‘Father…?’ I asked Leo without looking at him.

‘We went back to the house and interrogated our love birds. They have no idea who we are, which is a bonus, but also puzzling. They can’t tell Nick that we interrogated them because their secret rendezvous would be revealed. It seems that Nick’s main house is just north of London. We even got an address.’

I nodded, proud of my siblings.

‘Have you been there yet?’ It was a lot better talking about something other than me.

‘We’ve had a look but we were waiting for you.’

My muscles clenched. ‘Why? I can’t bloody walk anymore. How am I going to help with the rescue?’

Leo flinched. Pisces woke up. I had raised my voice. I didn’t feel guilty. What a stupid thing to say to me.

‘You’re the mastermind leader. It’s you that charges ahead with everything. We can’t do that without you.’ Leo stood his ground.

Pisces rubbed her eyes and came to the other side of the bed. She took my hand. I squeezed it before letting it go. There was no point in pussyfooting around me anymore. I glanced down at the remainder of my legs. It was time to deal or die.

‘That’s stupid. Of course you can do it without me.’

‘We don’t want to do it without you,’ Leo murmured.

I glared at him. Why was he being so—

‘Aries needs to concentrate on getting fit again,’ Pisces said to Leo. ‘There are a few options. The doctor would like to discuss them with you.’ She looked at me.

My teeth almost fused together as I gritted them. I hated being treated like a child, even if she was just trying to help. I nodded stiffly as my neck muscles tried to disobey me.

‘The doctor is due round soon. In the meantime, I think you need to eat,’ the nurse said, leaving us to it.

‘What am I going to do?’ I looked into Pisces’ eyes. She didn’t look away.

‘You are going to fight! It’s what you do best, Aries. We will not let you give up.’

Her words sank into me. Leo grabbed my hand but didn’t say anything. When the first sob erupted from me Pisces took my other hand as they both averted their gaze. I couldn’t control myself. My chest shook and tears ran down my face. It was the end of my life. There was no point in me being there. I ripped my hand away from Leo and wiped my face on the bed covers. I threw my arm over my face, unable to stop the gut wrenching sobs that overtook me.

‘Aries…?’

The soft voice made me stop instantly. What the hell was she doing here?

‘Please go away,’ I muttered from behind my arm.

Pisces let go of me as my siblings moved away. A soft touch on my arm made me jump slightly but otherwise I didn’t react.

‘Taurus called me. He said that you asked for me.’

Taking my arm away, I looked into her dark eyes. Her hair flowed around her face and she wore a spring dress. She took my breath away. I usually only saw her in fitness clothes. She looked stunning now.

‘I don’t remember.’

She reached forward.

I flinched when she wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. I clenched the bed covers in my hands. I couldn’t believe Taurus had called Natalie. I didn’t want her to see me like this.

‘Why are you here?’ My tone was sharp. I wanted her gone.

‘Because I care about you. I’m not going to let you push me away anymore.’ She pinched the skin on my hand as hard as she could. A bolt of pain shot through me. A tiny spark made me glare at her. How dare she make me feel alive when I wanted to die?

‘I don’t want you here.’ I tried to disconnect from her but she held on and leant into my face.

‘You don’t have a choice,’ she hissed, refusing to let me look away from the heat in her eyes.

The corner of my lip betrayed me by quirking into my cheek. She was a fighter, too, just like me. She had given up before. Let me leave when I needed to. Backed off when I pushed her away.

‘You—’ I started.

‘I’m staying so you better get used to it. Don’t worry, I won’t be here all the time, but I’m not putting up with anymore of your crap.’

I heard Pisces giggle in the corner and turned my gaze on her. ‘Why are you laughing?’ I snapped.

She shrugged, the grin not leaving her face. It made me grip the covers even tighter.

‘Here we go, some food for you,’ the nurse announced coming back into the room. ‘There are too many people in here now. Someone is going to have to leave.’ The nurse put a covered plate on the table and wheeled it over my bed. I cringed when the top of my legs went out of sight and all I could see was the empty bed.

‘They can all go,’ I said, looking down at the food on my plate.

I wasn’t hungry but the change in routine helped. Pisces and Leo left. Natalie stayed. I didn’t look at her as I ate. I hadn’t eaten in front of her for years.

‘How are you feeling?’

The dreaded question entered the air. I wanted to grab it back and ram it down her throat. The thought was violent but I couldn’t handle her being there. I didn’t want her seeing me with no legs.

‘How do you think?’ I answered, talking with a mouthful of mashed potato.

‘Don’t be like that.’ She sat in the chair and leant her elbows on her knees. Her long legs were bare. My gaze travelled up them. She had a little headband over the front of her hair. It plumped it up and made her look girly.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t think,’ she muttered, pulling her dress as low over her legs as it would go.

‘Don’t worry,’ I said with my mouth full, spitting potato everywhere.

When she giggled, I lifted my fork and pretended to throw it at her. I stopped myself when she sat back and crossed her legs. They were toned, pale and very sexy.

‘I’ve lost my sexy legs.’

‘Do you think I’ve got sexy legs then?’ She tried to joke. Her pretend laughter fell flat. She was trying to lighten the mood. It wasn’t going to work.

‘Not as sexy as mine.’ I tried to bend my legs in reflex but nothing happened.

My fork clattered to the plate. Natalie’s face closed in on itself. I had to look away. I shoved the little table and the metal plate clattered to the floor. The nurse came in and started to clean it up without saying a word.

‘I want to be alone.’

I couldn’t look at Natalie. I hadn’t had a moment to myself since I had woken up. She stood and came to stand next to me. Our gaze met. She had a determined look to her expression. Why was she so desperate to be there?

‘I know it may seem—’

‘Save the pep talk, I—’

‘No! You listen to me.’ She grabbed my chin, getting in my face. ‘For six years you’ve been pushing me away. You want me, and then you don’t. There’s a reason for that and I want to find out why. I care for you much more than you realise. This is the worst thing you’ve ever had to go through, Aries, and I’m going to be there every step of the way…whether you like it, or not.’

I opened my mouth to respond. She pressed her lips to mine in a harsh kiss. When she pulled away, she spun and stormed out of the room. I had never seen her so passionate before.

‘The doctor will be here soon. If you need anything, just press the button.’ The nurse took out my mashed up leftovers.

Once the door had closed, I took in a breath right down to my stomach. I closed my eyes and saw Natalie’s fierce face. Why the hell had she come? And why did she want to be there for me? I was a cripple with no legs.

I sat stewing in my own pity, scowling when I was interrupted by the doctor coming in.

‘Aries, I’m here to talk to you about your options.’

I nodded as he stood by the bed.

‘Your wounds are healing nicely. We want to talk about getting you out of here. Life can go on as normal for you. You’re lucky. You have a lot of thigh left to work with.’

His words were professional but every one of them sent a bolt of anger up my arms. I was lucky? Did he know me?

‘I was a fireman,’ I said.

‘Yes, you were,’ he said, looking me directly in the eye. ‘Now, let’s talk about the options. You may have seen people in the Paralympics with prosthetic legs. They’re very flexible and make getting around a lot easier.’

‘You think I’ll be able to walk? With both my legs gone?’

The doctor smiled gently and patted my hand. ‘You’re a very fit young man. I have every faith that you will be walking in no time.’

I swallowed a couple of times. I looked away from the grey haired doctor and caught the sun shining out the window. I hadn’t noticed that the sky was bright blue. It was a lovely late spring day and the birds were singing loudly.

‘There is a fairly new clinical operation that has been quite successful. It’s called ITAP, which stands for Intraosseous Transcutaneous Amputation Prosthesis. I’ve checked your stumps. You’re a perfect candidate to have the procedure. It’s currently only available in the UK. We attach the ITAP directly to your femur, which helps to allow soft tissue to grow around the implant. We leave a small attachment point sticking out of your stump. You will then be able to attach any prosthetic you like. Other amputees have reported that because the bone is weight baring, they can stand all day long. They can also feel where to put their prosthesis through their skeleton.’

I glanced at the doctor. ‘Really?’

‘Yes. There are other options—’

‘I want that one!’ I blurted.

The doctor laughed. ‘Well, you’ll have some time to think. I’ll be back tomorrow. Talk it over with your loved ones. Then you can ask me any questions you like. Here’s some information on your options.’

He put the paperwork on the bedside cabinet.

‘If I went for the operation, when could I have it?’

‘ASAP. We would talk about that when you’ve made your decision.’ The doctor went to leave but I called him back.

‘I’ve made my decision. I’m determined to walk again. I want the operation.’