Innocent Bystander

Chapter Thirteen: Only Us (Until Gabe Shows Up With A Coffee Mug)

AN: TW: Mentions of violence. I should also note that PTSD will become very prevalent in future chapters. As mentioned in the tags, I am not trying to romanticize it in any way. I sincerely apologize if there are a few inaccuracies in regards to how it is portrayed. I did do heavy research on PTSD before writing this, so hopefully, that works out.

For now, please enjoy the chapter - And thanks for sticking around for this long!

That night felt like fifty years. Yes, no grieving mothers were howling at the moon (no pun intended) while I was trying to sleep, but the pain in my arm, along with the blurry memories of everything that had happened that day, kept me awake. I was given Advil beforehand, but painkillers had never helped much for me. Mom and Dad were staying in a motel just down the road so they could be there to pick me up once I was released, and Charlie was staying with Aunt Linda, Uncle Jonathan, and Gabe overnight. Nolan drove himself home. With me being the only one in the room, I felt isolated. Cold almost.

At one point during the night, I decided to check my phone; Several texts and five missed calls from Katie awaited me on my home screen. She must have been worried sick about me while I was in the hospital. I decided to text her back and let her know I was okay. I knew I wouldn't get a response right away, but I also knew, with the way Katie was, she would probably end up responding first thing in the morning.

I eventually fell asleep at around three AM, but my sleep was accompanied by visions of what had happened that night, and how it could have gotten worse. I woke up in a cold sweat a couple of times that night, just to go back to sleep again. Eventually, I woke up for the day at around six-thirty. Three and a half hours of sleep should do me for the day, I thought sarcastically.

At around seven AM I started feeling hunger pangs. I didn't wanna call the nurse because I didn't wanna bother her this early in the morning, so I just rolled over onto the side that didn't have stitches in the arm, curled myself into a fetal position, shoved my cracked glasses onto my face and scrolled through social media, which is something I would come to regret.

The first thing I saw when I opened Twitter was the news story covering everything that happened the night before. I decided to scroll through the article, just so I could gain closure on how exactly Brian died. Apparently, Miss Monroe had found out about Brian's connection with Aaron - whom she knew was half of the (now defeated) Anuk-ite - and decided to shoot Brian dead. It terrified me to wonder what would've happened if Miss Monroe knew Katie was a supernatural rights activist. She would have killed both Katie and Gabe for sure. Also, apparently, Coach had knocked a hunter out with a Lacrosse stick. That was fun to read.

Eventually, the article became a little bit too much for me, so I put my phone down and lay there, alone with my thoughts. I would have pulled out a book or something (At that time, I was reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Fun fact, Aaron spoiled the ending for me after having another spat with Katie. Rest in Peace, Sirius), but I didn't have one on me, which was very rare. I did have my notebook, given that I had originally come to the hospital for my therapy appointment, but I didn't wanna try reliving the painful memories of the night before.

At around seven-thirty, the nurse came in with breakfast; Toaster waffles with syrup. My favorite.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of Mom dropping off a change of clothes, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush with some elastics, my book, phone charger, snacks, some school work (at my request), and a partridge in a pear tree before she went to work, nor am I going to explain word for word how getting ready for the day went. I am, however, going to explain what happened when Nolan came to see me later on in the morning.

The nurse brought him in at around nine-thirty. He had an exhausted and melancholy look in his eyes as he shuffled into the room. Nonetheless, he managed to put a weak smile on his face when he saw me.