Signs

Chapter 21

Things were looking up for both of them.

Their bruises slowly faded and scabs healed, and besides Camila's new pink scars and the dark shadows under Lauren's eyes, all signs of the accident had disappeared. All external signs anyway.

Lauren had been forced to start spending nights at her apartment, and she woke up screaming almost every night, her heart pounding as she shook away the bad dream. She would frantically search next to her for Camila, before realizing that she was at her apartment in her own bed, and Camila was still in hospital. Only then would she be able to calm herself down. Soon she stopped sleeping altogether though, spending her nights catching up on paperwork that she didn't have time for whilst she was at the hospital.

Camila worried about Lauren. She was stuck in hospital, surrounded by care and support. Anything she wanted she just had to ask for and Lauren would get it for her in an instant. She was at Camila's side from the moment visiting hours opened, a fresh bouquet of plumerias and a coffee with her every morning, to the moment they closed. The bags under her eyes worried Camila the most. Except for those, Lauren seemed fine. But this bags made it clear that she wasn't taking care of herself properly, devoting all of her time to Camila. Not that Camila didn't love spending every moment with Lauren, but she wished that she'd take some time for herself. Even when she went home, Camila knew that Lauren spent all of her time working. Lauren waved away all of Camila's concerns though, insisting that she was fine.

They let Camila out of the hospital two months later.

She traded in the hospital bed for a wheelchair, still incapable of even so much as wiggling one of her toes. Camila and Lauren both had their casts removed after six weeks, and a couple of weeks after that, Camila had the pins and braces removed. The biggest relief was when the wire was removed from her jaw. Just the thought of eating real, solid food was enough to get Camila excited as she packed everything up and got ready to go home.

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The next day she was allowed to go home.

Home was Lauren's apartment, as her own didn't have an elevator, and dragging her wheelchair up and down flights of stairs was going to be extremely difficult. Lauren had spent all week getting her apartment ready for Camila to stay there. She made sure everything Camila would need was within reach if she was sat in her wheelchair, and that she would be able to move around the apartment freely. She made multiple trips back and forth Camila's apartment, packing up small things that Camila might need, and other things that would make Camila feel more at home at her place. It made no difference where Camila stayed though, as long as she had Lauren. Anywhere was home with her. Either way, she couldn't wait to sleep in a proper bed, to finally be able to wrap her arms around Lauren as they fell asleep next to each other. It was everything she had been dreaming about for the past five months.

Dinah came to the hospital to help Lauren take her home. They wheeled her outside, and she cherished the feeling of fresh air and the wind on her face as they made their way towards the car. Ironically enough, jumping in front of a moving car to save the girl she loved had helped her get over not only the trauma causing her to be mute, but also her fear of getting in cars. Camila let Dinah lift her out of the chair and place her in the car, doing her seatbelt up for her before he got in the front seat.

Lauren drove them to her apartment, and they managed to get Camila back into her chair and upstairs without any issues.

"Okay, well I'll let you settle in," Dinah said, putting down Camila's bag and giving her a hug. "I'll see you later."

Lauren showed her out before she walked back in. She hesitated at the end of the hallway, watching Camila as she looked around the room. Her eyes found Lauren's and she smiled.