Never Too Soon

Wounded

POV: Harper

"Be quiet. She's sleeping." I heard a voice snap at someone after a loud noise rang out in the small room that was the culprit in waking me up.

"I'm sorry!" Another voice whisper yelled back.

I wasn't awake enough to register the voices. I was pretty sure I was doped up, but I couldn't tell for sure.

I fought hard enough to open my eyes and look down at my side to see bandages wrapped around it multiple times. That doesn't look good.

"Hey hey hey, don't lift your head right now. Just relax." A familiar voice calmed me down. I knew it was familiar, but I didn't know who quite yet.

"What hap...pened?" I managed to ask after a few seconds of wincing and whimpering.

"You had to get your spleen repaired. It ruptured, but it was repairable. Your diaphragm, lungs, and some of your ribs were bruised, but nothing that won't heal with time. Are you in pain?" A deep male voice asked me and I opened my eyes again to see my dad hovering over me.

"Some. Need drink." I didn't try to make complete sentences. When I needed more air it hurt. I assumed my lungs filling too much would press against everything on top of them being bruised.

"I'll get her something. Stay with her." My dad looked at someone on the other side of my bed.

"Hey Harper."

I managed to roll my head over to the opposite side to see Lauren weakly smiling at me. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes had bags upon bags under them. She had taken her makeup off sometime between then and now.

"Don't worry about talking. You're going to be okay." Lauren's smile remained the same: forced. Not because she was mad at me, but it was something bothering her.

"You okay?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I know damn well that you are not trying to worry about me while you are literally recovering from major surgery and multiple injuries. You need to be selfish and think about yourself for a bit, mija."
Lauren teased me with a real smile that time.

A smile rested on my lips. I may be weaker than a twig, but she still managed to make me smile.

"There's that smile." Lauren whispered to herself and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"How long out?" I knew my words made little sense, but she was smart enough to put two and two together.

"We got here and they did a quick CT scan. From there you went into a two hour surgery, and you've been out for a day and a half since. They said you needed your rest." Lauren took my hand that didn't have wires and IVs galore on it and held it to her chest. "The car was going close to seventy-five miles a hour before crashing into a wall two blocks away. I was so, so scared Harper."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why?"

"Harper, I-" Lauren went to say something, but my dad walked in with a cup of water and a nurse in tow.

"Here's some water, Harp." My dad rushed over to my side, set the water down, lifted up my headrest enough for me to not choke on the water, and held the straw to my lips.

My body thanked me as the water ran down my throat and soothed the dryness.

Lauren looked at me with a wounded expression. She looked like a stray puppy that got kicked. Eventually she sat down in the chair right beside my bed, but she still held onto my hand despite my dad being right across from her.