Good Days •Rafe Cameron•

They're Gone

    

I could feel the muscles in my toes and legs start to move. The tense pain in my abdomen causing me to wince as my body shifted. My eyes fluttered opened, trying to avoid the bright sunlight peaking through the blinds.
    The loud beeping to my right ringing in my ear as I lifted my hand to my face rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
      "Oh, my God! You're awake." The sobbing cries from Kiara pulled me out of a daze as I focus my vision on my cousin. Tears pooled down her cheek as she pulled me into a hug.
      "Guys! She's awake." Kiara shouts towards the door. Mike and Anna rush in quickly. Followed by Pope and JJ.
    Mike wore a faceless expression as his body stood tense by the door. He clenched his jaw in relief as he blinked several times.
      Anna's face was stained with tears. Her curly hair being a complete mess as she hugged her body. She slowly approached me, taking my hand in hers.
     JJ but his lip as he tucked his hands in his pockets rocking back in forth on the balls of his feet. His messy blonde hair was covered by a backwards cap as he watched me.
     Pope stood with his arms crossed. Tense but relieved at the same time. He avoided eye contact with me. Instead he watch the lines on the heart monitor go up and down at a steady pace.
     "I'll go get a doctor." Kiara jumps up from her seat next to me rushing towards the door and out of the room.
      "What happened?" I asked, coughing a fit. I wasn't expecting my voice to sound so deep and raspy. JJ rushed over to my side table picking up a styrofoam cup and dropping a straw into the water.
    He brings the cup to my lips helping me take a few sips before putting it back onto the table.
      "John B is what happened." Mike spoke. His tone was filled with hatred and agitation. "He stabbed you, Be. He came into our house and almost killed you."
      Anna let go of my hand as she rushed to her husbands side. "Mike, calm down." She says. He pulls way from his wife walking toward the window.
      I glance over at Pope and JJ. They both shake their heads. "I don't remember John B coming over." I spoke. "I just remember Rafe." I told them.
      "No, baby." Anna starts. "That's not what happened. Rafe has witnesses. He was at home all day. Kiara told me that you and John B got into an argument that day Sheriff Peterkin was killed. You can't lie just because he was your friend." Anna spoke.
     "I wouldn't lie about this." I snapped. "It was Rafe. He came into the house. He stabbed me." I cried.
      Before I could say anything else a man with a long white coat walked in as Kiara followed behind him.
      "Hello, Phoebe." He smiled as he held a clipboard in his hand. I could tell this is the face his patients usually see. Distant, concerned. I wonder if they find it comforting.
      "I'm Dr. Whittier." He says, approaching my bed. He takes a quick glance at the heart monitor before jotting down some notes on the clipboard.
      "I just want to say that you are lucky to be alive. You've lost a lot of blood. 1/4 of it to be exact. And these kinds of wounds weren't easy to fix. And I believe that's the good news. Being found at the perfect time." He smiled.
     His long nose held up a pair of glasses that frames his brown eyes. His reddish hair laid lopsided as he blink several times waiting for me to speak.
     I could feel everyone's eyes on me. "What's the bad news?" I questioned. "You believe that's the good news so there must be some bad news otherwise you wouldn't have said that." I quickly observed.
         Mike walked away from the window, joining Anna at her side like he knew what was about to be said.
       Dr. Whittier took a deep breath before he spoke. "Unfortunately, due to the trauma wounds on your abdomen. It caused some damage to your reproductive system. I'm sorry, Phoebe. But you are unable to have kids."
There was a lot of ringing in my ear. The kind of sound that begins to annoy you after being underwater all day. I could suddenly feel my throat begin to close up. Struggling for air as my brain tried to process the information I had just been told.
I didn't want to cry. I didn't want break down. I immediately became embarrassed with the whole situation. Everyone was looking at me like I was some kind of China Doll.
"I'll give you some time." Dr, Whittier spoke, heading towards the door. "I'll see if I can get you some fresh linen Anna smiled, softly. She took hold of Mike's hand dragging him out the room.
Once the door shut; Kiara pulled me into a tight hug. I wince from the pain in my stomach. "Sorry." She apologized, wiping tears from her face.
She crawls on the bed next to me as she carefully balance her body on the edge.
"Are you going to say anything?" Pope asked. "About what? The fact that Rafe almost killed. Or how I can't have children anymore. Maybe about the fact that Sarah and John B are not here." I snap. "Where are they anyways?" I questioned the Pogues.
The three of them exchange looks. "Things sort of went out of our control after you left." JJ says. "The whole island was looking for John B. Ward lied. He blamed John B for everything. The Sheriff. You. And the fact that you two got into an argument didn't help his case." JJ explains.
"We tried to help Sarah and John B escape of the island. But there was another hurricane approaching the OBX. There was wind and huge waves. They didn't make it." Pope avoided eye contact.
Kiara's lips pulled into a frown as she held my hand tightly. "They're gone?" I hiccuped, feeling my throat begin to tighten once again.
"This is all my fault." I buried my face into my hands as I looked away from the Pogues to ashamed to admit it.
"How is this all your fault?" Kiara asked, trying to pull my hands away. I look up the three blinking the tears away. "Rafe called and texted me that morning. He needed to talk with me. I ignored him. He needed me and I wasn't there. I knew was going to some terrible. I knew he sounded off. But I was so worried about helping you guys get the gold I brush it off." I sobbed
"He would have never been on that runway if I would have just picked up the phone. He would never have stabbed me. Don't you see. John B and Sarah are gone because of me. I'm in the hospital because I did this to myself. I'm a terrible friend." I was crying uncontrollably. My locs fell over my shoulder as I leaned back into my pillow.
I felt the bed weigh down as the Pogues piled up into the bed. "It's not your fault." Pope says, pulling closer. I lean my head onto his chest as I breath in his sent.
JJ's calming hand rubs my back. The soothing gesture calms my breathing as I squeeze Kiara's hands. Big tears continue to drip down her cheek.
"I can't have kids." I whispered finally processing the information. My voice shakes as I repeat it again. "He took that from me." I say.
"I'm sorry, Be." JJ says. "We all are." Kiara adds. "You shouldn't have to go through this." Pope said, rubbing his hands through my hair.
The four of us sit silently holding each other. The only sound coming from the heart monitor. I felt like the most unlucky person in the world. "I've lost my parents. Lost my ability to make a family of my own. Lost my friends. Kissed a boy that I believed was hurting.
All I wanted to do was scream at the top of my lungs and punch the hardest wall. But how was I supposed to do that if I couldn't even tell the truth over the summer.
The sound of Kiara's phone buzzed causes us to pull away. She opens her phone glancing at the text. "Mom and Dad said the nurse is going to discharge you." She smiles softly.
The Pogues help me sit up as a young nurse enters the room. "We'll be outside." Kiara says pulling the boys with her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the nurse helped me out of my gown as managed to sneak a peak at my stomach. A long twisted scar ran along my skin like a c-section incision.
My fingers ran along the scar making me wince from the slight pain as I took in a breath cause if my stomach to move. A continuous cramping pain aches in my stomach.
My legs felt week as I slid my legs in a pair of blue sweatpants the nurse handed to me. She helped me raise my arms as I fitted into the matching blue t shirt.
"Thank you." I smiled, kindly as she demanded for me to sit in the wheelchair. She pushes me out into the hall.
"Mom and Dad went home. They'll meet us there." Kie smiles taking the wheelchair from the nurse.
"Don't let her walk to much on her own. She needs to make sure she has someone by her side just in case she falls. Swimming can help get her strength back up." The nurse informed us.
I pout. "I don't know how to swim." I commented. "What!" JJ yelled a little to loudly in the hall.
"Girl, you've been on this island since May. It's going on September. How did you go the whole summer without learning how to swim?" He eyes widened to the size of tennis balls.
"I don't know." I laughed, nervously. "Just never thought about it." I smile up at him.
Kiara rolls her eyes. "JJ give her break. Let's just get her home first." Kiara says. "Don't worry, Be." JJ pats my shoulders as Kiara begins to push me down the hall. Pope follows behind. "I'll teach you how to swim. I mean, what am I supposed to do when these two love birds start making out." JJ says, gesturing towards Pope and Kiara.
"Kiara why didn't you tell me?" I say, looking back at her. "Well, you were kind of in the hospital for two weeks. And besides it not that big of a deal." She sighs, annoyed at JJ for ratting her out.
Pope pulls his lips into a thin line, clearly hurt from Kiara's comment.
"Wow! Two weeks?" I asked as they finally wheel me out into the parking lot. I can see Heyward's truck in the handicap parking a few feet from the door. They wheel me across the lot opening the door for me. Pope hops in starting the truck as JJ slides his hands under my legs and gently holding my top half as he carries me bridal style into the passages seat.
Kiara folds the chair before setting it in the back trunk of the truck. I slowly scoot down the seat. My knees touch led Pope as the four of us cramp into the front seat of the truck. Kiara slides in next to me then JJ follows behind slamming the door.
"I am so ready to take a proper shower in my own bathroom." I sigh running my fingers through my locs.
"Yeah, wasn't going to say anything. But you kind of reach of hospital food." Pope jokes. I nudge him in the arm.
"I hate you." I teased. "No, you don't." He smirks. "You love me." He says, watching the road as he begins towards the direction of Figure 8.
I study the islands as we drive past the marsh. The smell of fish and salt water fills my nose as close my eyes taking in the scent. It was at the same time a terrible but distinctive smell that will always remind me home.