The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 61

"Happy Canada Day!" Briya chirped when my friends walked through the door of my hospital room holding a bouquet of balloons with Canadian flags on them.

"We brought Timbits but the lady at the desk said you can't eat them yet," Fallon added. "We left them with her, and I bet that was her plan all along."

I'd woken up feeling physically better but mentally more confused. "I could really go for some coffee," I said.

My dad, who'd spent the night by my side, stood up. "Let me check with your nurse. Maybe you can have some. If so, I'll go down to the cafeteria. Do you want any?" he asked the girls.

"No, thank you," they replied in unison.

Once he was gone, I started on the questions that were swimming through my head. "How did I get hurt?"

"You still don't know?" Fallon asked.

"No! I asked my dad but he said he wants to wait until the doctor says I can handle it. I didn't push it because he's been through a lot. I can't remember whatever put me here, but everything else is vivid. I can literally taste the scrambled eggs Shawn and I made for dinner before whatever happened."

Briya looked worried and Fallon looked uncomfortable. They sat down in chairs on either side of my bed. "Lucy, we think you were dreaming while you were in the coma," Bri said gently.

"Maybe. That happens, right? But I don't see your point."

Fallon patted my hand. "You don't know Shawn that well. You've definitely never eaten eggs together. You said last night you were dating, but that's impossible. You met him the night of the cruise. We talked about this after our visit with you, and we think that he's in your mind because he was there when it happened and he played such a big role in your rescue. Somehow your brain is fixated on him."

The machine next to me started beating faster as my heart sped up with anxiety. "No! That's not true. I can tell you the entire story of my relationship with him from flying to Brooklyn for his birthday to our Vegas trip to breaking up because I thought he didn't love me- all of it. I remember every minute of my time with him!"

"The only time you had together was the night you met and his visits to the hospital afterwards," Fallon said as her voice broke.

"Why are you lying to me?" I asked as I started to cry. My time with Shawn was so much more real than how I felt in the hospital bed. Being here felt like a nightmare.

"We're not. Maybe if we explain what happened, it'll become clear," she said before looking at Briya for confirmation that this was the best plan of action.

"Do you remember the night you met Shawn on the cruise?" Briya asked.

"Of course."

"How about what happened after?"

I nodded. "I went home and felt some regrets for not taking Shawn up on his offer."

"You never went home. As you were leaving, you were approached by one of the frat guys, the one that latched on to you early in the night. We think he tried to convince you to hook up with him or something and you said no. He grabbed your arm and you slapped him, and that's when he pushed you," Fallon said with a pained look on her face.

"Pushed me?"

"It was more of a shove, according to Shawn who saw the whole thing," Briya clarified. "You went over the side of the dock and apparently hit your head on the concrete footing. You were knocked unconscious and started sinking. Shawn dove in and spent several minutes trying to find you in the dark water, and thank god he eventually did. By that time, several other people had jumped in to help; Burt and Pietro were among them as well as some of the guys who were with Shawn. They got you out of the water and the pop star himself started CPR. By the time the ambulance got there, you were breathing but unconscious. A couple other of Shawn's friends took down your attacker and restrained him until the police arrived."