She kissed the scars on his skin.

Chapter 8

I miss her. I know she's not here today but I wish she was. I try for the other nurses and when the guys come to visit I show them my new party trick of smiling on demand. Mike is messing around and pulling faces at me according to Jaime so I try and manage to wrinkle up my nose at them. With the way they cheer, you'd think we were at a soccer match. I do it again and hear Vic say if I could open my eyes I'd see Jaime and Mike making faces back at me. So I open my eyes. It seemed like no effort so why couldn't I do it before? I hear them shouting for the nurse and I look towards the door when it opens. I know this nurse isn't my saviour. I don't know how but I just know. Everything is slightly blurry and it takes me a moment or two to focus properly but I look at my friends and see subtle differences. Jaime and Vic both have their hair shorter than I remember and Mike seems somehow skinnier? I look at myself and see I'm thinner. My tattoos seem so vivid against my pale skin and I see the scars from the long healed wounds mixed in with the ink. I feel pain. Well, more of an ache actually in my arms and legs.
"How long?" I manage to croak.
"5 months buddy" says Vic. I nod slightly then an incredible urge to sob overcomes me. I can't stop the tears and within seconds my whole body is shaking from crying so hard. Mike is the first to my side. He pulls me gently upright into his arms and let's me cry it out.
"I'm so sorry" I whisper. He shakes his head.
"You're back. I think we've all shed more than a few tears this last few months. They wanted to send you to a hospice as they thought you weren't coming back but one nurse here got you going. She got you responding and they had to change their mind."
"Lauren" I whisper. I've overheard the other nurses talking to her. Mike looks at me in shock.
"How did you know?"
"I heard her. Her voice made me feel happy." I realise my words sound very slurred, as if I'm drunk. But I managed to get myself heard. The guys are told I need tests to see how I'm doing so they leave and I'm helped into a wheelchair and taken for the tests. I realise I just want Lauren by my side.
"Lauren" I manage to say to the nurse.
"It's her day off. She will be back tomorrow evening and boy is she in for a shock" she says, laughing. I manage a small smile.