Okay, so this is my first part of the first story that I have deemed good enough to be read by the extremely talented people here so...I hope you enjoy it.

All comments and critics are welcome and I hope that you tell me whats wrong because I know its a mess *hangs head in embarrassment*

Once again I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading the first part!

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The night was pitch black, the only light around were the beams that emitted from his head lights to through the smooth black pavement into relief. Leo started dully out the windshield as the trees went flicking past disappearing into the unusually velvet night. His gaze dropped to his dashboard where green numbers glared at him to say that it was two twenty-five am. His shift at the hospital started in five minutes and he was still a solid fifteen away. His foot pushed down harder on the gas pedal so that the trees outside the window turned into a green blur. The tan Sudan sped down the deserted highway trying to reach the pale lights of the city not yet close enough to provide any illuminations to the starless and moonless night. Leo cursed under his breath, cursing the gods for giving him the night shift, cursing the gods for not having a closer apartment. Leo’s Sudan executed a sharp u-turn at that moment his speeding car not able to slow in time for the pair of headlights that now came at him. Leo was aware of loud crunch, a grinding and a high screech that twined with metal grating that made his ears cry from the pain. The last thing Leo was conscious of thinking was that the gods really did not appreciate being cursed.

Leo’s head spun. His nose smarted from the smell of bleach that surrounded him. He could see red that filled his vision to tell him that bright light hid behind them. He was laying down in an uncomfortable bed, his head slightly raised by a pillow. He could feel the twisting of many plastic tubes around his arms all connected to the machines next to him that beeped and buzzed at a steady rhythm. His right side felt stiff and sore, along with his right leg, and arm, both in casts. He could only guess the bones were broken. Leo took a deep breath as he mentally assessed his condition, he was in the hospital, that much was obvious. He racked his mind trying to remember what had happened to him, it took only moments for the headlights to find him had make everything come back to him in pain staking clarity, his mind rioting against the memories, the agony ripping through him with the force of thousands of deadly knives. Leo felt his dark mahogany curly hair become matted to his forehead form the sweat that dewed there even though logic told Leo there was nothing more to fear. He felt a familiar wave of guilt wash over him that he was tormented by every time his cowardliness came to taunt him. He fought it off wishing that he could control his weaknesses, he sighed, he was nothing more then a mere human, one it appeared the gods did not favor. Leo chewed back the bile that now seared his throat, pulling his eyes tighter shut as he strained his ears waiting, he needed to be free from his own head. He did not have to wait long until he could hear the hum of human voices nearing his room, he still had not opened his eyes. He heard the door creek open gently, and feel many eyes on his still non-moving face. Leo gave a sigh, and then moaned when this action caused him pain. Leo allowed his eyelids to flutter open, in order to meet the now anxious gazes that now surely awaited him. He was expecting to see the faces of his family, a doctor or two among them, the faces of his friends. What he saw caught him off guard and erased all train of thought. In the doorway was the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life. Nothing could compare to her, of that he was quickly and absolutely sure. She was in her mid-twenties he quickly speculated, very tall, maybe five-eleven. She had golden hair, the color looked like it was liquefied metal. He would not have been at all surprised to be told that actual gold sprouted from her head, it came down to frame her impossibly small waist. If possible her face was even prettier then her hair. She had prominent cheek bones and a rounded chin, her nose was small and dead center on her perfect face. Rosy cheeks that put blushes to shame colored her, she had sculpted full lips that were twisted up into an angelic smile. Her eyes held him prisoner with their unearthly beauty and he never wanted to break free, her eyes were soft lavender, the color he had only seen in the early night sky. Around the irises were circles of deep electric blue. If he was not already laying down he was sure that his knees would have given him away. The gods were taunting him surely, never could he justify himself getting to obtain something so unearthly beautiful. He felt something sharp hit him in his side, only the needle sharp pain could have made him look away from the women’s eyes, he not even look for the pain, he looked out of pure shock. Leo looked out of his bemused hazel eyes up into a face he almost did not recognize even though it was a face he knew well.

“You gave me a scare for a while there, Leo. Mind you, I was about ready to knock you all the way out myself when they call me out and its you they loaded on the emergency stretcher.” Leo looked by into his friend’s face, his thoughts still muddled. His friend was bowed over him checking the tubes and monitors. He did not need to see his face to know the expression that would be on it. Patrick was Irish to his very core, in keeping with his heritage he had bright red hair, cropped short that exposed the back of his neck to very pale skin blemished by many tiny freckles that were a constant on his skin and cover every inch of his skin, including his face. His face held a straight pink line that this gentle giant used as mouth. Patrick had a big round nose, a rounder boyish face, and wide innocent green eyes.

Patrick chuckled, his eyes following Leos that had returned to the doorway that still held the breath-taking woman.

“Patrick, this is Melody, she has been helping around the hospital lately…since, well…” Patrick seemed reluctant to go on. Leo hatefully took his eyes off the woman again to transfer his gaze to his friends face, he raised his eyebrows, he understood.

“She has been helping since my accident.” Leo finished the sentence.

“And, um, how long has that been?” Leo asked, having to look down at the spotless gleaming tiled floor while he waited for an answer he did not want. Patrick cleared his throat before he said “We had to keep you heavily sedated Leo, you were in a lot of pain…and you had to have surgery. Leo?” Leo was glaring at the floor,

“How long?” Leo’s voice was harsh.

“Just under a month, Leo.” Patrick barely whispered. Leo leaned his head back, breathing hard. A month. It seemed an unimaginable time to be completely oblivious, and yet he did not know why he was having such a difficult time accepting it. He saw this kind of thing every day he did his job, people who went by weeks and months unknowing…then there were the people who never woke up from such trauma, people who stayed in the black abyss, the coma patients. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine as he turned over the thought that he might never have woken up. Keen to move on to other topics he met the stare of Melody more than willingly.

“How are you feeling?” Melody asked. Another shiver ran down his spine, this time from pleasure. Her voice was like wind chimes, a musical murmur in the wind, a warm wind that licked his ears on the beach. He realized that his mouth was gaping open, snapping it shut, a pink warmed Leo’s fair skin.

“I feel fine.” Leo lied quickly determined not to break eye contact, even though his every particle was screaming at him to rip out his wires and run from the room. She smiled again and walked over with such grace that it belonged on a stage, he was sure that angels themselves looked down with jealousy at her gait. Suddenly a loud annoying ring filled the small windowless room. Patrick scowled down at his belt wear his pager was demanding his attention, Patrick gave it one look of disgust before he said in a slow voice,

“I have to take this…will you be okay Leo?” Before Leo could even give a nod Melody’s voice was quicker, “Don’t worry Patrick, I’ll stay with him.” Leo could not deny that the warmth that started in his stomach and made its way to his fingertips was from her words and the knowledge that he got to be alone with her, even for just a brief time. Patrick nodded to himself and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Swallowing the butterflies that now danced the tango in his throat he gave his eyes what they screamed for, Melody’s face. Melody was looking down at him with polite interest, some deep emotion buried deep in her beyond gorgeous eyes. When she spoke her voice was controlled, “So, why were you speeding?” Leo cringed. He did not want this beautiful creature to feel the responsibility of forcing conversation with him.

“I’m sorry, I did not want to be rude.” Melody amended, her face clouded. Leo moaned in his head, he must be making a great first impression, not even able to answer a simple question.

“No, no, you weren’t being rude. I was late, for my shift. It was stupid, I have been late before. I was pushing my luck going that fast, thinking that no one else would be traveling that way.” Leo’s mind wandered back to that night in the car, no, he pulled his mind back to the present, he would not let himself miss one second of being with Melody, drinking in the vision, filling his nose with her floral sent, feeling the skin on his arm burn alive where her hand rested. He smiled up at her reassuringly, gliding over his stupidity was a skill he had learned well. Her answering smile was dazzling.

“Oh well,” Leo joked, “I’m sure if I am in this good of shape then my car must be fit enough to race in NASCAR.” Melody giggled, the sound of harp strings would have been a more appropriate description of the sound then a giggle. Before Leo could help himself he was laughing with her, soprano and base, in perfect harmony.