Untouchable face

6.

It was very foggy. Not outside because Derek wasn't outside, even if that was the last thing he fully remembered. Being outside, at Stacey's unfinished house...and it hadn't been foggy. But now it was. Everything was foggy and...painful. He couldn't remember the last time he had been in this much pain. It had probably been when he had crashed his bike. Although right now he couldn't for the life of him tell anyone how long ago that had been, his head was too foggy to pull that kind of information up. It was probably the drugs. The drugs or the brain injury. He was pretty sure the doctor had said something about a brain injury. There had been a lot of injuries. The doctor had talked about a lot of injuries and he was pretty sure one of them had been a brain injury. He could only assume that was why it was so hard to open his eyes and talk. Combined with the pain and the drugs, he wasn't sure he was actually capable of talking. Or listening. Or looking at the doctor.

He remembered blonde hair but right now that was pretty much it. Blonde hair and a soft voice but everything else was too foggy. He hated the fog. He was...he was in charge and bossy and in control but right now everything was a really thick fog. Except for the pain. The pain was the only thing that made the fog break. They kept giving him drugs, but he was pretty sure they weren't working. Everything in him seemed to be on fire and he just...he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure what he just or something and he just wanted to feel better. He wanted the pain to stop. He wasn't allowed to move. Not that he could because of the brace around his back but even if he could, he wouldn't want to, moving made it sound like he'd possibly start crying. He was quite certain he hadn't cried yet. Crying would be stupid.

But he wanted to. He wanted to cry and scream and...cry. He wanted there to be a lot of crying. But instead, he was just trying to force his eyes open. "Derek, sweetheart?" He heard his mom's voice from somewhere in the fog. "Are you all right?"

"Hmmmm..." he groaned.

"Open your eyes and look at me, sweetheart."

"Hmmmm...Ma..." he breathed, forcing his eyes open.

"You keep moaning, dear," Mom's face came into focus and then went back out again. "Are you all right?"

"Sore..."

"How bad is the pain?" Mom asked softly as her hand moved over his forehead.

"Hmmmm...I don't know...it's...bad."

"Do you want me to page Dr. Grey?"

"Maybe," he breathed. "Let...let me wake up a bit."

"If you're sure..."

"Hmmmm..."

"Oh, Derek,' Mom whispered, rubbing his arm lightly.

"Hmmm..."

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Fell off a roof."

"You did."

"Yeah," he breathed. "Stacey's fault."

"You should have said no, dear."

"You don't know Stacey."

"I don't," she whispered.

"She...doesn't listen."

"Okay, sweetheart."

"Tried."

"I know you did. I know," Mom breathed.

"Hmmm..."

"Sleep, sweetheart."

"I will."

"Okay," his mom pressed a kiss to his forehead.