30 days of love

Recuperation -- Day 26 - 27

 I blink open my eyes a bit later, rubbing the sleep out of them. Dawn light drifted through the hospital window, painting the room in a pale orange hue. A metal tray, garnished with a slice of toast and a bowl of steaming soup, sat atop the small circular wooden table beside the bed. The fragrant aroma of boiled carrots and potatoes wafted through the air, filling the room with a mellow atmosphere.

The door opens, the nurse from yesterday appears. "Marie, you will be leaving in 2 more hours." She said, "If you need anything, press the button." The nurse pointed to the button labeled, Press me for assistance, from earlier. "Have you eaten?" She then asks. Though, the fragrance of soup that remains in the room says it all. "The sooner you eat, the sooner you can see your father. Your mom and dad are waiting for you." The nurse told me.

"My mom's here?" I ask, my eyes widening.

"Yes, honey. Now, get dressed as well. There's a yellow skirt and a pink top your mom brought for you." She replies before leaving the room.

I slowly climb out of bed to find a line of stitches running down my leg. I look into the mirror for the first time only to be horrified by my bedragged appearance. I have bags the color of plums under my eyes, a lump the size of a baseball on my head, and a line of stitches going down my neck down to my chest.

"OH MY GOD!" I scream in horror. My mom comes running in, frantic. 

"What is it, sweety, what's wrong?" She asks.

"Look at me! I'm disgusting!" I pause, trying not to cry. "How did I even get like this?"

"Well, Marie." She stops, as if considering what to say. "When we hit the tree, you flew through the windshield, while we just hit the airbags."

But... I was wearing my seatbelt and I was sitting behind Julie's seat... I don't remember what happened exactly. I may have moved over. "Oh, okay, well let me eat and get changed and then I'll be out and we can go home."

My mom walks out and I slowly get off the bed and limp over to the chair, which also has crutches by it. I pull off my hospital gown and examine my body for anymore stitches. After satisfied that I don't, I pull on the hot pink crop top and the yellow skirt. I then grab the crutches and hop my way back to the bed, where I grab my breakfast and eat. 

A little while later, the nurse comes in with my mom and dad and they take me home. Once walking in the door, I go straight upstairs to my room and fall asleep.

The next day, I wake up to find someone laying beside me, with their arm laid over my side and tucked under my chest. I turn my head to see Tom lying next to me with my body pulled up close to his.

"Tom?" I pause "Tom? Does my mom know you're in here?"

Before I can say anymore, he shushes me. "I love you. Let's not worry about anything besides pulling through the current situation. Okay?"

"Okay." I whisper.

We lay there for about an hour, before I turn over and face him.

"So, what are we going to do today mister therapist?" I ask him.

"Well."  He pauses. "After this is over, I was thinking we could go up to the cabin for a while, if you're up to it I mean. I'll drive you if we do."

"Tom, I'm sorry, I'm not sure if I'm up to-" Before I can finish, he silences me with a kiss, immediately changing my mind. "Tom, of course I'll go with you."

"Alright, I've got to go." He says.

He gets up and leaves the room to let me change. After I change, I go downstairs, but don't find Tom anywhere. Who I do find, instead, is Julie. 

"Wait, where's Tom?" I ask, confused.

"Tom?" She pauses. "Tom was never here. He left to go to Europe after we got in the wreck."

I stand there in stunned silence, before coming back to reality. "But, he was just with my in my room..."

"Marie, are you okay?" She asks, concerned. 

"Yeah." I answer. "I think I'm gonna go back to bed and sleep more."  I must have dreamt Tom. There's no other possible way that he could have been there.

I pad upstairs to my bedroom where I get back in bed, facing the bathroom. Right before I am about to go back to sleep the bathroom door opens and Tom walks out.

"Tom? I thought you were gone." I state, confused.

"Hey, I'm back now, baby. Don't worry." He kisses me on the forehead before sitting down on my nightstand.

He sits there reading a book, ignoring my questions. Before I know it, I'm asleep again.