The nurse led Sophie and her parents into the hospital room that she'd be staying in. She clutched the bright blue elephant in her hands. Edaline patted her back, urging her forward. She stood right where she was and shook her head.
For the past several months, Sophie had been passing out at random. The doctors later identified them as seizures.
They were freaky when they happened. Her vision would tunnel out and her tongue would tingle. When she'd come to, her head would pound. Her little four year old self found it extremely hard to communicate what was happening and her feelings after an episode.
The most she could do was cling to her parents and cry as her brain would pulse against her swimming skull and her heart rate left its hummingbird pace.
Lots of medicines and brain scans later, and no one could identify the cause or the remedy. So now, here she was, being forced to spend her summer before kindergarten stuck in the hospital.
Sophie clung to Grady's hand as she peered up at the nurse. "You said I'd be sharing a room and I wouldn't be lonely."
"You are. Your little buddy is just asleep right now." She pointed to the closed privacy curtain on the other end of the room. "He came back from a few exams a bit earlier, so he's tired. You'll get to meet each other soon enough."
Sophie shuffled further behind Grady, but nodded. She was led to the bed. The nurse placed an IV to her wrist. Sophie whimpered.
After the nurse left Grady and Edaline explained how they'd be back in a little bit. They had to go talk to her doctor for a couple of hours to know how her hospital stay was going to work.
Then, she was alone again. Although, with the silence, she was able to hear her roommate on the other side of the room. His slight snore was muffled by what sounded to be a whoosh of air. She wondered what his name was.
Thirty minutes later, she got her answer.
She heard rustling on the other bed and a few struggled grunts after the snoring had ceased. There was a slight frustrated whine, then the sound of a few buttons being pressed and a bed adjusting. Another button click, and the privacy curtain started to slide open.
When the curtain had fully opened, it revealed a blonde blue eyed boy, appearing to be close to Sophie's age. The whooshing air turned out to be an oxygen tube that was attached under his nose. Sophie had noticed he was hooked up to considerably more machines than she was, including an IV, oxygen, heart monitor, and other different wires she didn't know did what.
In his drowsy daze, he didn't recognize her presence. His eyes continued to droop before he turned his head to her. His eyes widened. He tried to sit up, but only managed a wince.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her.
She smiled at him. "I'm your new roommate!"
His lips twitched up. "Well, hello then! I'm glad not to be sitting on my own in here anymore. I'm Keefe."
"I'm Sophie!" She giggled. She pointed to all of his wires. "What are all of those for."
He shrugged. "I'm honestly not sure what they do." He looked down at the wires. "I think something to do with my heart."
"That's cool. Mine are for my brain." She pointed at the stickers on each temple. They'd been applied by the nurse before left. "How old are you?"
"I'm five." Keefe held up all the fingers on one hand. "My birthday was last month. You?"
"Four, but my birthday is in August." She shrugged.
They continued to talk together until Sophie's parents got back. By then it was already getting dark. Grady and Edaline walked into the room.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here," Edaline mussed.
Sophie turned to her parents. "Hi," she told them.
Grady kissed the top of her head. "Hey, Kiddo." He gestured to Keefe. "Who's that?"
"That's my new friend, Keefe!"
Edaline chuckled. "Well that awesome sweet heart. We just wanted to come check up on you before heading home and ready for bed. Unless you need us to stay?"
Sophie glanced at her new friend then back to her parents. She flashed them a smile. "I'll be ok."
"Alright, baby girl. Love you." She leaned down to kiss her cheek.
Soon after her parents left, another nurse came in with dinner for both her and Keefe. It was mac and cheese. When it was time to settle down to sleep, the nurse came back in and looked over the both of them. He told Sophie if she needed anything or had another seizure, to press the button on her remote. He also showed her how to adjust the bed and use it to change the channel on the TV.
He went to Keefe, following her, adjusting his oxygen tube and changing out his IV bags, which were almost empty.
The nurse, which she learned was named Elwin, flicked off the light and told them goodnight, leaving Sophie and Keefe alone.
She wanted to keep talking, but Keefe was already pulling the covers over his shoulder. He grabbed onto a green anteater looking stuffed animal that was previously lost in the sheets and muttered, "Goodnight."
She echoed her response. Not sure what else to do after Keefe started his snoring again, she also settled under her blankets.
YOU ARE READING
Broken Heart/Broken Mind
Random(Human AU) Sophie and Keefe met in the children's hospital when they were little. Because of how long they were confined to the four walls of the hospital, they became very close during their stay. As the years pass, they wind up being in the same c...
