Dana needs me, she called a few minutes ago and as I speed through red lights I can’t get the sound of her voice out of my head.

Fear screams at me making me drive even faster, what could be wrong, Alice told me about last night, Lara knows the truth. Could the two of them be fighting, did Lara leave her?

No she wouldn’t do that, would she? She wouldn’t blame Dana for what Conrad tried to do to her.

I stop out front, mind racing as I walk to her door. I don’t need to knock she said to just come inside.

“Dana, where are you?”

No one answers, fear screams louder, something cold crawls it’s way up my spine.

“Dana, answer me damn it, where are you?”

Still I get nothing, so I scream out for her again.

This time Dana answers, I follow the sound of her voice.

She’s standing at the top of the stair, she’s covered in blood.

I take the steps two at a time, grab her, begin to look for the wound so that I can stop the bleeding.

What happened, did you cut yourself? Are you ok, Dana do you want me to take you to the hospital?

She just stands here, not responding as my hands try to find where shes hurt but some things wrong, there’s no wound, Dana’s not hurt. Then who’s blood is this?

“Shane..please..you have to make her wake up..I tried but she won’t wake up…I know that you can make this better…please help me…please.”

What is she talking about, who won’t wake up?

I ask her that and she turns and goes into the bedroom, I follow behind her, trying to get her to answer me, but when I see Lara I stop talking.

“Oh my god Dana, what happened?”

I ask as I cross the room trying to wrap my mind around the sight before me. Shock already working its way through my blood.

Lara is lying on the bed, eyes closed, lips are already blue, her shirt is stained a deep copper color, a huge hole in her chest stares up at me.

“Did you call 911?”

She doesn’t answer me, just pulls Lara close to her and begins to rock her back and forth. I take that as a no, so I make the call myself.

“Dana, baby I need to check for a pulse.”

She looks at me with blank eyes, then slowly lays the brunette down.

“Lara, Shane will make you better, I know that she can.”

I reach out a shaking hand, place my fingers on her neck, close my eyes because I don’t want Dana to see, there’s no pulse.

I leave my fingers there for countless minutes, but I know the awful truth, she’s already cold, Lara’s gone.

“Dana…how did this happen?”

She shakes her head “I don’t know…I went down to make her break fast, when I came back I found……her like this….but she’s going to be ok, you know she still loves me, even after all Conrad did, she still loves me. I know that’s she’s going to be ok. God wouldn’t take her away after all I’ve been through.”

Wouldn’t he, didn’t he? Didn’t he just take the one thing that gave her any hope at all?

I can’t do this to her, I can’t tell her that Lara is gone.

“Dana…I…”

“Shane why are you crying?”

Damn I didn’t realize that I was, I don’t know what to do. I can’t help Lara but I can’t tell Dana that.

What am I gonna do, god what am I gonna do?

Why wont she wake up Shane?

I…dont….Laras…..shes….

I cant get the words out, I wont do this to her. I will not tell her that Lara is dead.

I dont want to believe this myself, I know that Dana wont. What am I supposed to do?