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The next two weeks Daria still had to spend in the hospital. She had to undergo countless tests and even though she was 'only' in a coma for four days, the accident and the brain hemorrhage had an impact on her physical health and agility.
Her legs didn't want to go the way she wanted. They felt weak and it was difficult for her to even stand on them for long periods of time.
She had spent the first few days after the coma in a wheelchair and now, after struggling hard to do so and in pain, she was able to walk with two crutches.
When all the tests showed that her cognitive abilities were still there and her body just needed time to get back to normal, she was told she could leave the hospital and go home.
Bucky, who had not spent the last two weeks in the hospital but had rented a hotel room nearby to visit Daria every day, entered the hospital room where Daria was sitting on the bed packing her things.
"Hey, ready to come home?" said Bucky as he stopped in the doorway and leaning there with his right shoulder.
Daria's wide smile beamed at him as she turned to face him.
"Yes, ready as I've ever been in my life!"
She packed the rest of her things into the black suitcase and as she tucked her hair behind her ear on one side, Bucky's heart tightened.
Under the thick black wavy mane, the shaved off area behind her ear was revealed where it had been cut to stop the brain bleeding.
It was him who was once again to blame for scarring someone else.
Because of him she almost lost her life and this feeling of guilt was eating him up from the inside.
Bucky was jolted out of his thoughts by the words 'Can we go now?'
He looked down at himself and saw Daria with the suitcase in her hand, looking at him with joy.
"Off in the wheelchair with you young lady."
"I can walk on the crutches, I don't need a wheelchair anymore."
"The hospital requires it that way and besides, I don't feel like having to carry you halfway then because you can't anymore. So get in the damn wheelchair."
"Yeah ok old man, I'll do it." said Daria as she dropped into the wheelchair and crossed her arms in front of her chest like a defiant child.
✾
The four-hour drive home passed in silence.
But there was a comfortable silence between the two.
Music from the 1940s played over the loudspeakers and Daria sank into her thoughts while leaning her head against the window and gazing at the passing landscape.
