The Bartender and The Injured

Chapter Sixteen: Luke

Chapter Sixteen:

Luke

My head hurt. My side hurt. My chest hurt. Everything hurt, but it didn't matter.

Kaylee. The bar. A fire. Was she okay? Was she working? Is she even alive?

The panic made my heartbeat speed up. I could hear a machine beeping along to it and I realized that I must've been in the hospital. I hadn't seen that semi coming when I went past the light. Mother fucker couldn't stop at the red light, could he, now?

My truck. My truck was gone. And I was in the hospital with a rib injury, that much I could tell. But Kaylee? Where was she?

I heard rustling, but couldn't open my eyes. People touched my arms and inside my wrist. They called out my name. But I couldn't answer.

"Lucas? Lucas? Can you hear me?" the nurse asked. She sounded familiar and after a minute of hearing her say my name, it started to bother me that I couldn't identify her. "Lucas Winter Confalite!"

Ah. Mrs. Stevens, Jessie's mom. I wanted to laugh or something but I felt like I wouldn't have been able to find my voice.

"Luke, please wake up," she whispered. Her arms were around me, I could feel the weight of them. It suddenly made me sad that she was here, seeing me like this.

And then I heard that angelic voice I'd been waiting for for who knows how long.

"Mrs. Stevens? Mrs. Confalite said I could come in, now."

The weight of Mrs. S's arms came off me. I heard her walk out after assenting and felt relief. Kaylee was here.

I itched to move, to show her that I knew she was here.

I felt her warm hands reach for one of mine and almost died right there. My heartbeat sped up a little and she almost let go, but she heard the spike when she tried and gripped them tighter.

"Luke?" she whispered. "Luke, please be okay. Please wake up."

I'm trying! I wanted to yell. But I just couldn't.

"I heard that you knew about the fire," she started. "I can't believe you were stupid enough to go. I can't believe that you got hit."

Her voice was barely a whisper and she sounded like she was choking.

"I don't know what you did in your past life to piss off God but holy fuck, Luke," she joked. I wanted to smile, to laugh. "I don't what I'll do. What am I gonna do?"

I tried to move my hand. I wanted to reach for her face, knowing that there would be tears. I had to. But I couldn't.

"Your mom told me that the more you hear people talking, cuz they're certain that you can hear everything, the better and faster your recovery will be. So I think I'll stay today. I'll talk to you; let you in on some secrets."

I wanted to smile even more now. Some part of me felt happy that she would stay, but most of me was elated that she was alive and well.

"Jessie picked me up and told me about the accident today. The worst part is that I was sure if you hadn't realized I worked there, you would've avoided heading off in that direction anyway. It's my fault. In my head, in some weird twisted way, it makes sense that it would be my fault. And I'm scared you're gonna hate me when you wake up."

Oh shit. I really had to wake up now.

"So I don't know...what it is I'm trying to say...I just hope you're okay. You know how I feel about you," NO I DON'T! "And you know that I'll be here until you wake up. It's hopefully gonna be soon....Cuz I reaaaaaaaaaally gotta pee."

I laughed. She really was too funny.

She gasped. "Luke? LUKE?"

Oh shit, I'd laughed! I tried to move my hand and felt the sensation of another grasping it tightly.

"Luke, wake up! C'mon."

I tried to open my eyes and found that the force keeping them closed before was now weaker. Slowly, I managed to open my eyes to stare lovingly into hers. (A/N: Ok Noni, I know that's not the way you explained it to me, but it was all I could come up with. I'm gonna go read the next chapter now and if I can add it in again then I will.)

"Kay..lee," I whispered. My voice sounded off.

"Shh, Luke." Her smile almost blew my breath away.

"You're..." I didn't get to finish.

I blacked out.