Awakening

25: Recovery

The nurse had returned to Blake's room a few minutes afterward, giving him a hesitant nod. She readjusted the tubes and fluids on the stand next to his bed so he could safely leave the room. Slowly, she led him out. Blake silently waved to his mother as he left, to which she gave an understanding nod.

The hospital didn't feel as chaotic as before, but Blake wasn't fully paying attention. He simply followed the nurse, through hallways and into an elevator, while he contemplated his reunion with June. He had no idea what state she was in, if she would recover completely, nor did he know if she would be awake when they got there.

He was so lost in thought that he nearly bumped into the nurse when she stopped, and pointed.

Blake shifted and looked in a hospital room. June lay on a bed in there, breathing softly with her eyes closed. Blake stepped in cautiously.

"I don't want you waking her up," the nurse then whispered seriously to him. "She's been exhausted the last few days. Just sit in that chair in the corner for now, and leave her be."

After nodding in reply, Blake trudged forward and sat down in the chair the nurse directed him towards. The room fell silent within moments, save for the ticking of a nearby clock and the gentle beeping of the machine by June's bed. He sat there, waiting quietly, and remained as still as possible despite the ever-increasing tension in his arms and legs.

Blake's eyelids fluttered but he refused to let himself fall asleep. The hospital chair wasn't comfy which actually helped. The machine next to the hospital bed in front of him trilled a slow but repetitive tone. June's vitals were slow, but she lay very peacefully and sound asleep in the bed.

Blake checked a nearby wall clock. 2:35. Six hours he'd waited, but he did not want to disturb her rest, and would wait the rest of the night if he had to. Two nurses had already tried to usher him back to his own room. But he refused each of their three attempts.

Much as he wanted answers from his mother still, Alisha was in no state to even speak. Now she knew, at least. She knew they needed to talk, and that once the chance arose he would tell her what he should have a long time ago. As long as she would recover, though, he could then focus his thoughts on June.

But...staying awake was becoming difficult. His eyelids shut for a moment, his head slowly falling to one side. He jerked back upright with a groan. With a weary hand he propped himself against the arm of the chair. His eyes were mostly closed; he couldn't keep them open any more than that.

A beeping trilled a little faster, catching Blake's attention enough for him to open his eyes. It wasn't his own monitor, but June's. Her heart rate was about ten beats a minute faster than it was some seconds ago. His suspicions were confirmed when her arms and legs shuffled a little underneath the blankets. Her head twisted away from him.

A few seconds later he could barely see the flutter of eyelashes.

Blake slid forward in his chair, but said nothing so as not to startle her. She soon turned her head and neck the other way until her gaze could finally settle on him. First there were the furrowed brows, then wide eyes of surprise, and finally a faint smile crept on her face.

"Hey," she said in a hoarse and barely audible voice.

Blake smiled back. "Hey, you."

Neither said anything more, but they did not need to. For a few moments they merely sat in the most calm silence Blake had experienced in recent days. The delighted expression did not fade one bit from June's face as she stared right at him.

Well, until her gaze drifted downwards.

"What..." She had to clear her throat after barely getting out a single word. "What happened? To you? You're covered. In bandages."