Dying To Be Alive

[Symphony]

Oh my goodness, just caught up with this and very glad I did!

The chapter between Nicole & Belle [not hte most recent, the one before that] was awesome; i loved the way you brought in the actual scene from the diner too - very nicely done!

Cant wait for the next bit

[jenlee]

Apologies for the crappiness. I managed to start and finish the next chapter tonight and do not have the energy to go over this one before posting. I also apologise for the complete fluffiness of the flashback lol, I needed something sweet and mushy.

Comments rock, they make me write more Oh, and just wondering how everone is feeling about the pacing of this? I know it's kind of slow, being that this is chapter seven and it's only been about three and a half hours since the prologue but the whole fic is happening all in one day so I hope it's not too slow. Plus I don't want to give away too much too quickly. Anyway, enough from me, let me know what you think about the chapter and the pacing

WARNING: Sex implied ... kinda

PART SEVEN

9.34am

Geoff was scared.

He and Nicole were not together anymore. She had broken his heart. They had even fought just that morning. But he was scared.

He didn’t know what had happened to her. All Belle had told Roman was that she had found Nicole passed out on the beach and they were at the hospital. That could mean anything.

As he sat in the back seat of Irene’s car, Irene having given Roman her keys and stayed at the diner asking for word about both Nicole and Belle, Geoff desperately wished he could take back what he had said that morning. Always putting yourself first, right Nic? The words themselves hadn’t been to hurtful but he knew, as she had known at the time, that the words would have hurt Nicole something terrible.

She would have taken them to heart. She would have thought that he really did think the worst of her, like most people had when she had first arrived in Summer Bay. He didn’t of course. She may have hurt him by breaking up with him, he may have wanted to hurt her back enough to say those words that had plenty of meaning to her, but he still thought she was the most amazing girl he had ever met.

“Are you sure she didn’t say anything else?” He asked Roman sitting forward in his seat and effectively breaking the silence in the car.

“I’m sure,” Roman said.

Geoff just nodded and watched the two men he was in the car with. He had been fidgeting in the back seat during the duration of the trip to the hospital so far, not knowing how to keep himself calm. Roman however, who was driving and going a fair bit over the speed limit simply had his hands clenched around the wheel tightly and his lips pressed into a thin line. Aden was even worse. Geoff supposed Roman had to keep himself somewhat calm, driving the car and all. However Aden was sitting in the passenger seat, hands clasped tightly in his lap, slight frown on his face, not moving an inch.

Geoff didn’t know how they could do it. It was all he could do not to jump out of the car and run to the hospital.

He remembered the last time he had been this scared for Nicole and shivered slightly. Stranded on an island, no way to get off and Nicole had damn pneumonia. Pneumonia! And now, well now she was in hospital and Geoff didn’t know what was wrong.

His thoughts were cut short as Roman skidded the car into a park in the hospital car park. All three of them were out of the car as soon as the engine shut off and together they made their way into the hospital at a run.

Two minutes later, after pushing their way through the busy hospital and an elevator ride that had seemed to take forever, Geoff found himself in front of Nurse Julie who had quickly stopped them from going any further.

“Where is she?” Roman asked, his voice edgy.

“She’s in with Rachel now, we’ve done some tests and the results shouldn‘t be far off,” Julie said slowly. “She is awake and responding perfectly well but you will have till Rachel is finished before you can see her.”

“Right,” Roman said as they took in the information, both Geoff and Aden breathing a sigh of relief. “Can you let her know that we are here?”

“Of course,” Julie said and walked towards a door further down the corridor.

“Where’s Belle?” Roman asked suddenly.

“Right here,” a small voice said from behind them.

Geoff turned and saw Belle. She looked terrible and he immediately went to her side, noticing that her eyes stayed focused on him and knowing it was because he was furthers away from Aden.

Geoff had a brief thought as to how Aden was doing, being back in this hospital for the first time since he had left town, but pushed it out of his head. He needed to keep his mind on Belle and Nicole. Plus, right then, he couldn’t care less how Aden was doing.

“You o.k.?” He asked Belle softly as he reached her.

“Fine,” she replied and Geoff knew she was lying. She really did look terrible. She was paler than usual, her eyes were wide yet somewhat unfocused and her hair looked as though she had run her fingers through ten times too many.

Anyone who didn’t know that being this close to Aden was making her uncomfortable, would be able to see just from looking at her that she was not fine.

Geoff wanted to take her away. Take her somewhere away from Aden, away from this damned hospital, away from her memories. But he had to see Nicole.

“What happened?” Roman asked softly.

Geoff watched Belle’s eyes leave his and lock with Roman’s for a moment before flying to the floor and staying put.

“I don’t know,” she said slowly, voice hoarse. “She had only just left me, not five minutes earlier, then I was walking along the beach and found her lying there unconscious.”

So Nicole had found Belle after all. Geoff didn’t know whether to be relieved that someone had found Belle or worried at what had taken place between the two of them.

“Anyway,” Belle continued, “I just called the ambulance and waited with her. She started to wake up as the ambulance arrived but I haven’t heard anything since they took her into one of the rooms … have you?” She asked, her eyes quickly glancing up at Roman again.

“Nothing,” Roman said and stepped forward. “Belle, thanks.”

Geoff saw a flash of something close to anger in Belle’s eyes before she nodded once and turned to sit in one of the chairs set up in the waiting room, eyes fixed to the floor. Geoff was about to take a step towards her when Julie came out of the room she had entered minutes before, Rachel walking behind her.

“Rachel,” he said and everyone but Belle took a step towards her.

“She’ is doing fine,” Rachel said holding her hands up to stop them. “I’m just heading off to get her test results now. I’m fairly certain she simply fainted but once we have the test results we should know for sure.”

“Can we see her?” Roman asked.

“Actually,” Rachel said, glancing past them towards where Belle was sitting, “she only wants to see Belle for the moment.”

Geoff and Roman turned to Belle and Geoff saw her flush under their gaze. At lease Aden had the decency to keep his eyes away, he though sourly to himself. “Why?” she asked.

“I don’t know. She just asked me send you in,” Rachel said before excusing herself.

Geoff frowned as Belle got up and made her way towards the room Rachel vacated, scratching her brow in confusion. Geoff was hardly surprised that he wasn’t the one Nicole had asked to see. Not after the fight they had just had. He was, however, shocked that her choice had been Belle.

Maybe things went well when Nicole found Belle after all, Geoff thought to himself but not quite able to breath the sigh of relief he had been hoping for.

* * * * *

9.55am

Belle had been in Nicole’s room for more than ten minutes now and not a word had been uttered by either of them yet. The silence was more uncomfortable than it had been that morning but Belle wasn’t sure she could trust herself to speak.

Her mini breakdown in the bathroom earlier had not been pretty. Of course it was hardly worth mentioning compared to some of her past ones but Belle was still slightly shaky from it. There had been no tears, no sobs, no sound at all. But the amount of trembling she had done had left her already tired body exhausted.

Glancing at the clock again, Belle cursed silently. Rachel should have been back ages ago. Really, how long does it take to pick up a couple of measly test results.

Nicole coughed weakly in the bed next to the seat Belle was sitting stiffly in. She turned her head to look at her, wondering, again, why exactly she was the one to be asked to come in. Sure she had found Nicole, called the ambulance and stayed with her until she had been told to wait outside. That did not mean they were friends again.

Admittedly she would much rather be in this room with Nicole, sitting in yet another awkward silence, than sitting in the waiting room with Aden. Her stomach was still clenched at how close she had been to him when she’d had to walk past him to Nicole’s room. She had even faked scratching her brow, simply to keep him out of her vision as she walked past.

Mentally preparing to open the box and physically seeing Aden again were two very different things. And both apparently very unavoidable, Belle realised as her mind began drifting back to another memory of Aden as she sat in her seat.

Flashback

Belle sighed as Aden lifted his weight off of her and lay next to her. They had only been back together for a month and she had never been happier. Everything had been perfect since their reunion. No fights, no interferences, no nothing.

Just their happiness at being with each other.

“Love you,” Aden said, lazily pulling her body against his.

Belle smiled and turned her back to Aden so he was spooning her. “I love you too,” she said happily.

Aden kissed her shoulders softly, trailing his fingers up and down her arm and Belle felt a shiver run through her body, despite what they had just been doing. She rolled her eyes at herself. Aden always had that effect on her.

Closing her eyes, she let her body relax under Aden’s lazy touch, and felt sleep coming quickly. It had been a long day. They had both had the day off , and had decided to head into the city to do some Christmas shopping.

After hours of shopping, playful banter, then more shopping, they had finally made it back to Summer Bay, tired, hungry and happy. After dinner at the diner they had come back to the beach house and taken advantage of no one else being home.

Now, as Belle felt herself slowly drift off to sleep, she felt that her and Aden finally had it right. After the trouble they’d had getting together, and the trouble they’d had after with the kidnapping, things had finally fallen into place.

“Belle, are you awake?” Aden asked in a low voice. She was, but not quite enough to answer. Instead she simply continued to breath softly and think about how happy she was.

She felt Aden kiss her neck and brush her hair away from her face before continuing with words that made her smile in her half asleep state.

“I’m going to marry you one day, Belle Taylor.”

End Flashback

Belle noticed Nicole turn and nervously glanced at her, pulling her out of her memory. This confused Belle. Even earlier that morning, when she had apologised and confronted an obviously upset Belle, Nicole hadn’t been nervous. Slightly uneasy, yes. But not nervous. Nervousness generally wasn’t something that went with Nicole.

Belle wanted to ask what Nicole’s problem was but decided against it. She also wanted to ask why on earth she was in here and Roman or Aden or Geoff but wasn’t sure she really wanted to know the answer to that one.

More than anything, she wanted to leave. Nicole didn’t need her there. Her father, best friend and ex-boyfriend who still loved her, were all sitting outside waiting to hear how she was.

It wasn’t as if Belle was the only one Nicole thought was here. Nurse Julie had said she would let Nicole know that everyone was there, and Belle was certain she would have done it too.

Plus, Rachel’s words, she only wants to see Belle for the moment, made it obvious that Nicole knew everyone was here.

Belle saw Nicole glance at her again and, against her better judgement, found herself opening her mouth to ask her what the hell she was doing in there with her. She obviously wasn’t meant to ask anything though, for at that moment the door opened and Rachel walked in, a frown on her face and a piece of paper in her hands.

[LAURZY!]

That was brilliant!!

There's nothing wrong with fluffyness!! Very sweet flash back

Great writing once again!

Loved it, cant wait to read more

[KaiyaBlake]

I wonder what's wrong with Nicole? I'm glad she asked Belle to come in though, she probably wanted Belle with her for whatever it was?

Hope Aden and Belle talk soon! Loved the flashback I want an Aden , he's so sweeeet.

Greattt Chapter. Update sooon pleaseee?

[jenlee]

Thanks guys. Lol, I'm glad the flashback wasn't too much

[Taniya_K]

I just saw the update now!

Great as always! Loved that flashback! Gosh, Aden's so sweet

I think that Nicole's maybe

pregnant

? I'm probably really wrong, though.

Cannot wait for more.

xoxo

[rfran]

Well I'm not sure what Nicole has in mind just wanting to be with Belle but think Taniya might be right about what is up with Nicole

Well written update soon can't wait to find out more

[Lise]

I liked that chapter. There was nothing wrong with the flashback. It was good.

I like the pace of this. It's not to slow, for me anyway.

[BeforeItsTooLate]

The flashback was so sweet and I'm thinking the same thing as Taniya and rfran...pregnancy??

Can't wait for the next chapter...and for any form of Aden and Belle talking for the first time

[murchkins]

update soon? xx