The day I wrote a song about you

Chapter 51: Resilience

Every single member of her family was there. Her mom hugged me when I arrived to the hospital and Ash explained everything to me.

She fell, hit her head and broke her foot. She had a concussion, which added to a lot of previous undiagnosed concussions, would cause her some negative effects that they weren't still sure of. They had been performing a surgery for the past hour for her foot. They had to cut off a little piece of a bone in it.

I was getting dizzy just by listening to it.

I stayed in the waiting room for what felt like hours, until they finished. The kids shouldn't be there, I could feel the fear in Oli and Oscar as they sat quietly beside me, but no one wanted to leave.

I brought drinks for everyone, I couldn't stay still. Hospitals made me uneasy. I knew better than anyone how surgeries went and I knew how hard it was the aftermath. I just wanted to see her, check if she was okay and tell her not to worry. That everything would be okay.

But she wouldn't listen.

Because for her, nothing would ever be okay.

She couldn't skate anymore.

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She woke up after two hours. Apparently, her concussion would make her have painful headaches and dizziness, but it didn't affect her mind.

Thank god, that's the thing I was more worried about.

I was the last one to see her, they didn't want to overwhelm her. Doctor said kids shouldn't see her like that, so they went home with Ben and her grandpa after they saw her. Brandon also left with Sandro and Ash went back home with his family. Her mom stayed just because she worked there. She could check up on her whenever she liked.

When I turned the doorknob, I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect.

Cara was looking at the window, even though the blinds were closed and it was very late at night. She had a bandage around her head, and her leg was up in a cushion and had a short leg cast so that she didn't move her ankle.

"Bébé."

She turned her head around quickly, hissing in pain right after, her fingers coming to meet her temple.

"Hey, hey." I whispered, approaching her. "Don't move."

Her lips were pressed hard against one another, her eyes watery.

"How are you feeling?"

She swallowed, as if she was out of breath, her green eyes still locked on me. She then bit her lips and a tear fell down her cheek. Cara started sobbing, crying like I had never seen her before.

"I- I was trying so hard not to cry." She said, heart shrunken in anguish.

I quickly wrapped my arms around her body, which somehow seemed a lot smaller in that bed. It hurt me to see her like that. It hurt me not knowing what to do. Her hands rested softly in my back, as if she was out of energy.

"I'm so sorry, bébé." I said pulling away.

I wiped her cheek with my thumb. "I know I shouldn't- have trained so- so hard. That jump was the kind of jump you- just let go. You lea- leave it to destiny. I had to give my all in the competition, not at practice."

"It's not the time for regrets, Cara." I said softly. "Shit happens, you couldn't have known."

"I can't skate anymore, Nico." Her eyes were not regretful, though. Her eyes were scared as they stared deep into me. Scared of the unknown. Scared of having your future all planned up for your whole life and in a matter of seconds having it crashing down at your feet. "I-I don't know what t-to do. I don't know- a-anything else." She swallowed hard again, panting as her chest contracted. "Skating was my life, do you understand?" She said, her face scrunched up in pain as she hit her chest, right where her heart was.

I grabbed his hand and kissed it a few times. My eyes were tearing up to see her like that. "We'll find something else, Cara. You are persistent, you never give up. Life has something better for you, I can feel it."

She shook her head and looked down, still hiccuping. "Why me, Nico? I was- was good at it, I was going to go far."

"Cara, it's not why you. I know it's difficult but you have to be grateful for all you've lived. For all that world has given to you. And grateful that you're okay. I know I am. I thought I lost you for a moment there. You could have seriously injured your head. I was so fucking scared. But you're okay." I mumbled stroking her hair back with my palm. She nodded, her lips pouting. "And we're gonna figure it out together, okay?"

She nodded again, but I knew when I was being nodded at so I would not worry.

"I ruined your birthday gift." She mumbled, burying her head in my neck when I approached so I could hold her again. And yet, after all that happened, she was still thinking about others.

I squeezed her tighter. "You're my best gift."

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Cara was allowed to have one visitor in her room and since her mom worked there and could come visit from time to time, I was the one staying. It was surprising how everyone seemed to not know what to do now that Cara wasn't at home. I talked to her brothers when they came to see her and it was scary to discover how bad they depended on Cara.

She laughed and smiled when the twins and Justin came to visit, but her eyes didn't. She sobbed like a little girl right after they walked out of the room.

"My head hurts." I sat up on the bed beside her.

"Do you want me to call the doctor?" I asked concerned. She pulled me back down.

"No. I think it's the crying." She sighed. "I need to stop doing that."

"It's okay to be sad sometimes."

"I know. But I think it's my time to stop now. It's been a week and I'm gonna be recovering for six weeks. I don't plan on crying the whole time."

And she did. She was determined like that. She didn't cry anymore, not that I knew off. She obviously had some alone time. What happened while she was in the shower or when I was at home taking mine, was unknown to me. Her therapist also came to talk to her and I could see how she tried so hard to be okay. How determined she was to get better. She didn't want that to ruin her. She was a fighter and she gave us all a lesson of resilience and consistency.

Riley and Luca came to visit. They brought her flowers, which brought a smile to her face. Riley and her talked about her rehabilitation and how they would be working on that while I slept on the armchair. I was incredibly tired but even when everyone was telling me to leave for a few hours, I couldn't. I had even taken two weeks off work. It was the least I can do. She was there for me when I needed her. And I knew she needed me. She didn't say it but I saw it in the way she instantly got better when I talked to her. When I distracted her. When I played songs for her on my guitar. When I read for her. When we watched a movie, when I just let her talk. She told me all the anecdotes she could think of from all the years of skating.

And she would heal, I know she would. She just needed time.

And I felt weird and scared at the thought that somebody could somehow need me. But she did.

And I was there.

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Second chapter of the week! Just 'cause I received really good news today and I'm extremely happy and thankful. Hard work pays off ☺️

Guys it has nothing to do with this chapter, but I changed something. Justin doesn't have autism. I feel like I haven't been doing justice to the reality of it, his emotions and actions are not accurate. So yeah, he's just a shy little guy who doesn't talk much. I may or may not have decided to write a story about him and I wouldn't want to offend anyone.

Hope you liked it! Kind of a sad one, but I promise things will get better. Nico's POV is staying, btw.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to vote and let me know what you think in the comments ❤️🥰✨