Puzzles and Pieces ✔

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

This might have been a mistake after all.

I had been to the hospital more often than I would like in one lifetime. Each time I visited I always had to wonder if it was the hospital causing my discomfort or the situations itself. Maybe it was a combination of both.

Mr. Matthews was laying there on the hospital bed. He wasn't awake. He was... sleeping. I couldn't help but stare at him for a few moments. I could see that his face was fully relaxed, free from the usual scowling or disappointment that he usually expressed. He looked calm for once.

Kyle decided to sit on the chair next to the bed the moment the nurse left us alone while I awkwardly stood near the door, unsure on what to do next.

"Should we wake him up?" Kyle looked up at me with a confused expression.

"He probably needs his rest." I shifted my weight from one foot to another.

"What do we do when we wait?" His wide eyes only became wider with curiosity.

"Ah, um–"

"Would you shut your yap?" A loud groan came from Mr. Matthew's direction. "You two are too loud."

Mr. Matthews eyes glared at us from the hospital bed and spoke from the side of his mouth. His neck bent towards us in an almost uncomfortable looking position. It looked like it was painful to even talk.

"Are you okay?" My eyes scanned his body to see the bandages wrapped tightly around his legs.

He scoffed. "I'm not that old yet."

"How did you end up in the hospital?" The volume of Kyle's voice made Mr. Matthews wince slightly.

The was a gap of silence. He looked at Kyle with his tired eyes. It took me a minute to realize that this must have been the first time he got a good look at Kyle. He was always focused on me and judging me instead of Kyle. Mr. Matthews averted his gaze from Kyle before giving an awkward cough.

"...I fell." He finally managed to croak out his explanation.

"Are you still living in that big house?" The question came out naturally but my body quickly stiffened as his eyes locked with mine.

"Sort of." He sighed as his body slumped into the hospital bed. It almost seemed like he was too tired to be apprehensive towards me. "I can't keep up with the mortgage. I was given two months to find a new place but that was a month and a half ago."

"Hey, what's this?" Kyle's face perked up as he looked at the array of buttons next to the old man.

"Hey now, don't go touching things you don't know." He chastised before going on a tangent to distract Kyle. They talked to each other while I was able to have a moment to myself to think.

After a few seconds, I realized I felt pity. He was an old man that was losing his home and the only person he could contact after an accident was his deceased son. I looked towards Kyle and thought about Caleb. Caleb had a strained relationship with his father but looking at these two interact made me wonder if maybe there's room for a second chance. Kyle did use to be Caleb but he doesn't seem to know much about Mr. Matthews. There was a chance that Mr. Matthews would be just as cold towards Kyle as he was to Caleb.

I could feel my forehead crinkle slightly as I was left in thought.

"Dad?" Kyle looked towards me and had a hopeful look in his eyes. Mr. Matthews also seemed to have a happier expression on his face after conversing with Kyle. "Can grandpa stay with us?"

My mouth hung agape for a second. "Grandpa?"

Mr. Matthews frowned before turning his stony gaze back to me. "No, I'll be okay. I'm an adult and can take care of myself."

"But you're hurt." Kyle argued. Mr. Matthews hesitated. It seemed like he was having trouble finding a reply.

I thought over Kyle's question. He did make Caleb who he was and Kyle seems fond of him for now. Maybe Kyle could have a familial relationship with Mr. Matthews that Caleb couldn't.

"Yeah," I said and their heads turned towards me in confusion. "Grandpa can stay with us until he gets better."

"Yes!" Kyle exclaimed. "I'll get to show you around too!"

Mr. Matthews stared at me the whole time as Kyle babbled excitedly about how he'll finally have a friend to hang out with.

If coming here was a mistake, I couldn't imagine what the next few months would be categorized as.