Love, Hate and the Line

Chapter 16

"I love you Anna. You're the most brilliant, beautiful and lively girl I have ever met and I would be the luckiest guy in the world if you would even consider going out with me. To whoever it concerns: Anna Samuels is the most wonderful human being on this planet. Everything about her, it's the epitome of greatness."

"And for this reason, ladies and gentlemen, I am profoundly honoured to award the 2020 Nobel Prize in the categories of nuclear physics, neuromedicine as well as general awesomeness to.. Anna Sa-"

"Is she always this slow?" I heard Ben's deep voice interrupt Morgan Freeman - who was obviously awarding me my well-deserved Nobel Prize - in my mind. "The doctor said she should wake up any minute. 40 minutes ago."

Another voice, which I suspected to belong to Jake, joined the mix. "Her brain is probably tired from being the nerdish nerd she is."

"Or her heart is broken from having heard you say that," Cam added before I heard the sound of a friendly punch most likely aimed at Jake.

I sighed and opened my eyes. My voice hoarse from being dehydrated, I rasped: "Jake, a brain doesn't get 'tired': it can merely be overheated if your brain stem malfunctions. You would know that if you had one. Also, 'nerdish' is not a word, the correct adjective would be 'nerdy'. Now, Cam: a heart is a muscle, it doesn't break - unless you suffer from fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. As for Ben, slo-"

I was rudely interrupted by Jake, Cam my father and David collectively jumping on my bed to enclose me in a group hug, something they know I hate with a passion. "She's baaaack!" Jake and Cam chorused in the most girly shriek I have ever heard.

I sighed and tried to endure the overflow of physical contact, not admitting that I secretly liked my whole family fuss over me instead of the other way around.

When they finally let go and my father handed me a glass of water to fix my sore throat I saw his eyes were damp, if only slightly so. "I was.. uh.. you know, worried about you dumpling. Listen, about how all of this happened, you need to-"

I hastily tried to change the subject. "Dad, what did the doctor say? How soon can I get out of here? And have you spoken to billing yet? I was thinking, maybe we could-"

For the gazillionth time today, I was interrupted. "Oh, just 3 days more maybe. They want to make sure they don't have to operate and that your concussion doesn't pose any more danger."

"We can't afford three whole days, Dad, you know how this works," I said softly.

My Dad sighed. "Don't worry about this, honey. I've been putting too much of this stuff on you and I'm sorry. Right now, all I really need to know is-"

"Who the hell beat you up," Ben finished his sentence grimly.

"Thank you," my Dad, Jake, Cam and Owen (so basically all the other men in the room) chorused while looking at me expectantly. Meanwhile, my youngest brother glanced around confusedly.

I defied their piercing gazes. "Not in front of Dave, not right now."

The men in the room just started to protest when a female nurse walked in.

"Thank god, some estrogen. The lack of brain cells was getting slightly nauseating," I exclaimed.

The pretty nurse, who was aged in her late forties, laughed sympathetically. "I just need to change your IV, honey."

I noticed my father perking up at her arrival. "Good to.. uhh.. see you again, Ellen."

The nurse, who I just found out was named Ellen, blushed slightly. "Just doing my job.."

"Yeah, well, you do it in an excellent, uhh.. manner.."

"Thank you Ed. So I've been taking care of you for the past days-" she smiled when I looked up confusedly, "yes, you've been asleep that long. 19 hours, to be exact. Anyway, the doctor will come in later to tell you more detailedly but what was clear was the fact that you're dehydrated and generally exhausted, aside from the obvious assault injuries. About that: I can call in a policeman if you want to press charges. I can't tell you what to do but I will urge you to at least tell what happened because it ís important medically to know how your injuries were sustained but it's a good idea to get it all out anyway. Now, listen-" she said when I started to protest, "you need rest, you really do. So you-" she pointed at Ben, Owen and my brothers, "have to give her the sleep she needs."

I liked her already.