Seven

Fang POV

Maybe eating 4 burgers, 2 fries, and 2 shakes had been a bad idea. I was behind the wheel of Dr Martinez's car as she and Angel slept. It was late in the evening, and I could barely keep my eyes open. Eating such a huge meal coupled with being up for 24 hours wasn't a smart combination. Being full made me incredibly drowsy, I had forgotten the feeling. I had already caught myself drifting off several times. I shook my head, trying to bring some sense back into myself, but my body felt like a sack of wet concrete. I had already been driving for 6 hours, but it felt like a lifetime. How could I beat the Erasers to the school if I was sleeping?

"Damnit." I cursed under my breath, gripping the wheel tighter. I wouldn't let myself fall asleep here. I watched the road in front of me, how the lines went by in a set pattern, the red tail lights of the cars ahead of me never moving, and the sound of air rushing over the cars roof.

"Fang!" My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I saw the bright lights of a semi truck coming straight for us. I yanked the wheel hard, sending the car back into our own lane, but now out of control. The car fish tailed as I tried to maneuver back, but no matter where I turned the car went the opposite direction. The front of the car careened into the gaurd rail of the road and shot us back out into the oncoming traffic. Another car clipped our back end and spun us around in circles until we finally came to a stop backwards in our own lane again.

"Report!" I panted out of habit. The cars trunk was smashed in, the hood crumpled, and the windshield shattered. My head ached from hitting the window and I could feel the trickle of blood going down my eyebrow from the dash board. I twisted in my seat and looked into the back seat. Angel was sitting there dazed and afraid, but overall ok. Dr Martinez was starting to come around, a bruise forming on her forehead.

"Fang, your head!" Angel squeaks, reaching a hand out. My blood sang with adrenaline as I forced the door to the car open, it clattering onto the pavement. I helped Angel and Dr Martinez out of the mangled wreckage. This was my fault. How could I have let this happen? Especially when we had such little time to begin with?

"Do you need a hospital?" a female voice asked and a hand touched my shoulder. Instinctively, I whirled around and grabbed the hand of the frightened civilian. She eyes widened as she saw our injuries.

"No." I said through clenched teeth. I could hear the wail of police sirens and began to panic. But as I scanned over everyone again, I could see Dr Martinez was struggling to stand upright, favoring her left leg. My head was now killing me, blood really dripping down my face now. I wiped the blood from my eyes and glanced over at Angel, who stood by Dr Martinez. She was battered and beaten too, her arm tucked against her chest.

"Sir, please, are you alright?" a male voice now. I glanced over at the paramedics shuffling towards me. This night just couldn't get any worse now could it?

...

I sat in the back of the ambulance in silence. I felt cold and exhausted, my headache relentless. Angel was sitting next to me with a temporary splint on her arm. Dr Martinez lay on a gurnee in front of us unconscious, an IV taped to her hand, and a paramedic watching her closely. She had passed out shortly after the police arrived, with what the doctors suspected to be a subdural hematoma. Bleeding in the brain.

'Fang, it'll be ok.' Angel's voice crept into my head. Her small hand took mine and squeezed it reassuringly.

We arrived at the hospital and in a blur of flashing blue and red lights, the doctors wheeled Dr Martinez away. We were led to a small room in the meantime. I sat in the large couch and Angel plopped down next to me. She leaned against my shoulder, curling up against my body and closed her eyes. I stroked her hair as my mind kept repeating the nights events. Max would never forgive me if I killed her mother. I swallowed hard, trying to push the image from my throbbing mind.

Angel POV

I leaned against Fang on the couch and listened to his strong heartbeat. It was soothing and calming to know that he was right here, that he wouldn't let anything bad happen. He blamed himself for the car crash, for Dr Martinez's condition, and for the flocks capture. I felt him sigh deeply and I looked up at him.

"It'll be ok." I repeated. His tired eyes looked down at me. Blood was still dried in his hair and across his face.

"I know." was all he said. I nodded and closed my eyes. He leaned his head against the back of the couch and did the same. We wouldn't know Dr Martinez's condition until tomorrow, we might as well try to get some rest