Saving Grace

Chapter 17

At the sound of my pain they stopped. I was barely conscious of what was happening around me. I remember being in Colt's arms, my safe haven. I remember Emma mumbling, "911, 911". I remember being taken out of my happy place, and into an ambulance.

I started waking up, but everything was fuzzy.

"How is she?" Colt.
"What happened?" Mom.
"Who did this?" Dad.

And then I fell back into darkness.
-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-
I started to regain slightly more consciousness with every hour I think, but not fully. By what felt like my fifth hour, I woke up with full consciousness.

"Grace!" I was enveloped in a whir of my family. "Are you okay? What's wrong? Is anything hurting?"

"Mom, Dad, I'm fine. Just a little headache. Can I see Colt?"

"I'm right here. Haven't left since you got hurt. Sorry by the way."

"Hi Colt. What did exactly happen, by the way?"

"Mrs. Tacker, would you like to tell the story?"

"Go ahead sweetheart."

"Well Grace, just tell me do you remember anything?"

I racked my brain for any memory of what could've put me in a hospital. Nothing. "Nope."

"Well while we were walking down the beach for your birthday dinner, Tanner came up behind us. He wanted you to take him back, but you refused. Then he got mad, like really mad. And blamed me for your happiness here at California. He threw the first punch. And it all happened from there."

"That still doesn't explain my injury. Whatever my injury is."

"You have a concussion. And it's all because of me. I'm so sorry. You tried to stop us, but along the way, you kind of got in my range and I hit you in the head. Emma called 911. A day and a half later, here you are."

"A day and a half?! That's how long I was out?!"

"Don't freak. You only missed saying goodbye to Emma and Tanner and a day of school. You'll be missing more though. Doctor says this is a pretty serious head injury and you need to be monitored."

"Colt. You shouldn't have skipped school because of me."

"I got him an excuse note. You too for a few days." My mom thinks of everything.

"Okay. Thanks. Colt, I'm fine. You can go home."

"Are you sure? I don't mind."

"Yes, I'm sure. And I mind. I'm fine. Promise."

"Okay." He kissed my forehead, grabbed his jacket and left.

"You know he's madly in love with you." Layla said after a while.

"I'm 16. He can't be madly in love."

"He's 17! It's possible. And Tanner don't get me started. He loves you insanely too. I still hate him though."

"You're tellin' me. I'm starting to remember a little bit. Tanner kissed me. I remember that."

"In front of Colt?! That kid has some sick nerve."

I was starting to feel a little tired again. I was supposed to talk to a doctor so I held up a little longer.

It was late, 10:30, so my family had to go back home. My nurse, Jana, gave me some medicine to help me sleep.

When I woke up, the doctors were all around me. Asking me questions, getting me plans for an X-Ray, and giving me more medicine for my headaches.

"Good news Miss Tacker. Your concussion has reduced extremely and you should be able to leave tomorrow."

"Awesome."

"Miss Tacker? There is a Colt Hanson here to a see you. He's not family, but he's on your visiting list. Would you like me to send him in?"

"Of course."

Colt walked in with a bouquet of flowers. He's so sweet. "Hey."

"Hi." I didn't know what to think, what to say, I was at a loss for words and thoughts and anything in between.

He sat on the edge of my bed, held my hand, and told me he loved me.

Say something!

"I-I... I love you too."

He handed me papers, work I missed all in one day. After that he left. And I fell from Cloud 9.

I was 16, I was in love. I knew I shouldn't get as attached as I already was. Things like this don't usually end good. Reality is anything but a fairytale.

My head told me to leave. Yet my heart told me stay and never let go.