With You

Chapter 4

Alex POV - one week later

"Where's Micah?" Syd asks me.

"She had an ENT appointment, but Ash was taking her, then both of them were coming straight here." I say.

I watch as they both sprint from the parking lot.

"Two idiots." Syd says and I slap her shoulder.

They get to us and I smile then wave.

"Hi!"

She waves and smiles.

"How'd it go?" I ask.

She types on her phone.

Turns out that I'm still deaf.

I chuckle, "Asshole."

She smiles wider and shrugs.

"Still deaf and still annoying." Ash says.

"Come on, let's get on the bus."

Micah goes to walk in front of me, but I grab her hand and she looks at me.

I kiss her cheek, "Hey."

She smiles and mouths, "Hi."

"Sit with me?"

She nods and walks to the bus, getting on.

I get on and see her sitting in a row, with Ash opposite of her.

She stands and points to each seat and I slide into the window seat.

She sits next to me and pulls her phone out.

How was your day?

I smile, "It was okay."

She types again.

How was your exam?

I sigh, "Stressful, but I think I did okay."

She bobs her head and types.

I'm sure you crushed it.

I shrug, "Hopefully."

"So what did the doc have to say? Anything specific?" I ask her.

She stares at me then types.

Nothing specific, just a normal check up.

I bob my head, "Can I ask you something?"

She nods.

"I've been googling. And I read about cochlear implants? What are those?"

She sighs and types.

They attach to something called the cochlea. The implant sends sound signals to the stimulator which stimulates the auditory nerve. I wasn't eligible for them.

"Why weren't you eligible?"

She starts typing.

I don't have cochlea. Never developed. If you don't have cochlea, you can't get the implants, they won't work.

I nod, "That makes sense."

She nods and types.

I was mad about it when I was younger. But now I've accepted that I just will never hear.

I stare at her and I can tell that it bothers her.

I grab her hand and squeeze it, "It makes you, you."

She nods and types.

Do you have any siblings?

I smile, "Yeah, two. Jen is the oldest. She's six years older. Then Jeri is four years older."