In my dream, Luc and I are dancing under the stars-spinning and laughing like we're one person, sharing one body. I feel him everywhere, inside and out. His touch feels like Heaven, and I hear myself moan. I want to be this close to him forever-to die right here in his arms.
"Frannie?" Gabe's voice is soft in my ear. As I open my eyes and they adjust to the harsh lighting, it takes me a second to get my bearings. We're still in the waiting room at the hospital, and I'm cradled against Gabe's chest. "Hey, Frannie, wake up," he says, smoothing a hand over my burned and snarled hair.
It's the sting in my shoulder and the telltale smell of singed hair that confirms that it wasn't all just a really bad dream.
"Frannie?" he says again.
"Yeah, I'm awake. Can we just go home? Please?" I say into his chest as I feel tears sting my swollen eyes.
"Hey," Gabe says, and I feel his finger under my chin, lifting my face to look at him. When I look at his face, he's smiling, and the pain is gone from his sparkling blue eyes.
"What?" I ask. "What happened?" I look up at a smiling doctor in green hospital scrubs.
"Your friend is out of surgery," the doctor says. "I truly can't explain it, short of a miracle. They resuscitated him in the ambulance, but he was in bad shape when he got here. We lost him for a long time on the operating table, but we were able to get him back. He really shouldn't have survived…"
"So… what are you saying?" The desperation in my voice rings clear.
"It looks like he's going to be fine. We'll know for sure in the next few hours. Just keep praying."
My heart explodes into a million pieces and I start to hyperventilate. Tears course down my cheeks as I struggle to breathe, and I bury my face in my hands. "Oh my God. Luc."