Bad Timing - Jiara (JJ Maybank & Kiara Carrera)

Chapter 7

Toleration. Toleration is what Kiara Carrera demanded from her fragile body. They say that after you have a near-death experience, you see life in a new light, you feel like you can conquer the world after you survived death, but the light faded away into the dullness your life was before, that's if you don't take advantage of the sacred time where anything can be done, and that is exactly what Kiara Carrera was doing, tolerating.

"Kiara, can you tell me when exactly the accident happened?" Shauna, the doctor queried with a chart held in her hand. 

"uh, two days ago, right?" Kiara replies, moving her head to face Sarah who had visible worry glimmering in her eyes that just wanted to tear up.

"No, no, Kiara, the accident happened four days ago" JJ corrected, rather angrily than consoling, which earned her a death state from Shauna.
"Oh"

That was all she could say. 'oh'.

JJ was going mad, yet few words were coming out of his mouth. Not only may he go to jail in a couple weeks for a murder he didn't commit, and alas, can't prove his innocence, but the only girl he's ever 'dated' is now laying in a hospital bed with what JJ thought of as the fakest smile, instead of preparing for the bittersweet goodbye. 

"can you try walking up for me?" The doctor ordered, more so as a suggestion, followed by Kiara nodding her head and her parents jumping up from the couch in the corner of the room to help their daughter. Yet, the doctor shook her head dismissive of the idea, so her parents backed off, but still stood up, just in case.

Her toes were crammed together, jammed against each other, making Kiara's foot appear irregular instead of flat. The bruises scattered across her knees and legs were now on their last stage, a yellowish pigment coloring them. Multiple other bruises would've been seen, but nonetheless the humiliating hospital gown covered them. As Kiara, on her own, scoots on the bed to get to the edge, she clutches her ribcage, a thousand memories flashing back, and as much as she tried to hide her pain, her eyes squeezed shut as her shoulders rose upwards, causing a strain in her neck which was too painful to not let a slight groan out.

"We can try again later" 

"No, no, I'm fine, I can do this" Kiara cut off her doctor to say optimistically. She wasn't an optimistic person though. She was the type of person that would freak out a weak before an important event, followed by self-doubt and chronic anxiety, but she looked fine.

The cervical collar around her neck forced her face slightly upwards so she'd have to face JJ who was sitting on the couch parallel to the bed she was in. She hasn't spoken to him ever since he found out about the lie kiara fed him.

 He just comes into the room, sits on the sofa against one of the four walls and watches what he thinks would be the downfall of her, but nevertheless she didn't allow it, not once did self-doubt cross her mind, not once did anxiety influence her choices. She was in full control, of herself, of her body, of her thought. She was in the driver's seat, and she wasn't going to crash again.

Her legs took a few inches, a grin appearing on all the visitors' faces as the steps grew bigger. Her toes spread out, flattening her feet again instead of being crippled. But alas, a sharp sensation pinged in her chest as she inhaled a harmless breath, causing her knees to tremble simultaneously before giving up on her.

Her delicate arms were pressed against the floor to support what was the opposite of a graceful fall, saving her face from hitting the ground. The nurse rushed to her, only to be stopped by the doctor's glances that were given to not only the nurse but also Kie's family.

"I'm fine, I can get up" Kiara chuckles from the floor. It would've been better if almost all her family was not present in the room, for getting up on her own was the kind of fight she'd want to achieve with no one watching.