Fixing the Broken

Chapter Five

Stephen's POV:

After mom and Paisley leave dad shows up in my hospital room. He leaves off were he stopped last night. He tells me how stupid I am and how I will never live up to the name. Of course he would say that. Doesn't he get it?

I hate being a Tate.

Our name is nothing good. Why would I want to be? Sure we are rich and money is falling out of our wallets but that certainly doesn't mean we are happy. Definitely not. Maybe they are but I'm not. Do they know what Michael does all the time? Do they know understand that he's the reason I am the the way I am? No, because he's the golden child, he's their reason for existing while I'm the major screw up.

I do half of the things I do because I want them to drop me. I want them to sing me out of their wills and tell me that I'm not good enough. The thing is that I'm too good for that damn. They aren't even considered mine at this point maybe Sally and my mom because they dot understand everything in my life right now. Heck I don't even get my life right now.

Paisley doesn't and will never understand why I treat her the way I do... Maybe it's because I've got my nose stuck so far up in the air that I will never see her. I know I'm stuck up, I know I'm an ass I won't deny it. Hell I'll scream it to the world. She's a nice girl for the most part and I really want to be nice to her, but it just doesn't come out.

Paisley's POV:

Thank God only ten more minutes left in this bore fear. My shift ended twenty minutes ago Loraine had yet to show up for her shift when she was supposed to so I got stuck covering for her.

Jace is sitting on the counter as Loraine rushes around stacking things on shelves. Jace was supposed to drive me back to the hospital. I'm supposed to tell her to stop in ten minutes and I can finally go she will work an hour later than usual. "God, you an your little boyfriend can go now. Shits stacked and money's counted. Buh-bye!" She spots at me.

"Whatever" I reply. As you can see we are not the best of friends and it makes it worse that she goes I our school and is part of the oh so amazing 'it' crowd or whatever they call themselves. That day freshman year I let them walk over me. Like I did that entire year along with sophomore, but when Jace moves in next door to me the summer before junior year.

Jace opens the door for me when we get out to his mustang. At his speeding rate we arrive at the hospital a lot faster than I would have hoped. "See ya later Bud!" He calls out and I lean over the drivers seat door kissing his cheek.

"Love ya Jace!" I call running through the door with a new found boost of confidence. "Karla, did Ingrid ever go to check on Mr. Tate while I was gone?" I ask jumping up on the counter. She seems taken aback by my perkiness but when she sees my light blush I think she catches on.

"Jace has got you in a good mood. I owe the boy. But to answer your question I don't even think she's left. Poor guy." She laughs and I giggle a little.

I wave to her and check in on a few new mothers in the maternity ward wanting to leave Stephen with Ingrid for a little while longer. All the mothers smile and let me hold their babies. The best part of this job I swear.

"Hey punk!" I yell to Carlson a young boy in need of a heart transplant. I love him like a son and its a shame his own parents won't do anything to help him even though they are loaded with cash.

"They think that I might have a heart coming!" He cheers and I sit down on the corner of his bed pulling his small figure into me. I begin to cry happy tears. "It's sad that some little girl in the southern part of the state had to pass away, but IM GOING TO LIVE!" Carlson begins crying along with me.

"I'm so happy for you. I have this patient that I've been taking care of. When we can walk I'll bring him by to meet you, sound good?" I ask and his little head nods up and now with vigor. "Love ya punk see you later" I kiss his forehead before skipping out of the room.

I take the elevator up two levels in search of 146 I know exactly where it is but I drop in to say hi to new patients and some ones who have been here for a while.

Throwing open the door I find Ingrid almost on top of Stephen his face in pure horror and hers in attempted seduction. When the door hits the wall rather loudly her head snaps in my direction. Upon seeing me she jumps three feet away from Stephen and rushes out the door squeezing around me. Tater looks genuinely freaked out and my face doesn't drop the grin I've had since I left work.

"Why is she so afraid of you? You're not even mildly intimidating." Stephen speaks after I throw his bag onto the bed next to him careful not to hurt him. I start to unpack his things in the cupboard next to him and take his phone from him to plug it into its own charger.

I think for a minute before speaking "Did you like her new nose? I thought it looked pretty cool with the bump on it." He gets a knowing look on his face and I smirk.

"Didn't know you had it in you Brad" keep calm Paisley he's just trying to get under your skin. You're having a good day just ignore it.

I smirk at him before leaving the room texting Jace telling him I'm going to murder someone. He just tells me to keep my cool and he'll come visit at the hospital.

Dr. Kingston isn't hard to find thank goodness I have a big question to ask him. "I was wondering when I should start physical training for Stephen?" I wonder waiting for him to turn around.

"Whenever you are ready. He's perfectly fine to start trying to walk. His legs are starting to react" Dr. Kingston replies quickly before disappearing into a room.

I return to Stephen's room immediately after I talked to Dr. Kingston only to open the door and find him crying. Stephen is sitting up in his bed, the once very handsome face he beholded is now red and blotchy. Tear tracks are all the way down his face and the blanket beneath him shows wetness where he has probably been crying for a while. "Why did it have to be him? It should have been me." He sobs looking at me.

My heart breaks and I shut the door locking it. I practically run over to him climbing up into the bed straddling him. At any other time this would be awkward but right now it's the exact right thing to do. I set myself down softly on his waist and he digs his chin into the crick of my neck soaking my shirt quickly with tears. "Don't you dare say that. God had a plan for Adam his mission was completed it was his time to leave. God wasn't ready for you yet. Don't you ever say that it should have been you!" I yell at him pulling back to look in his face. "Understand me?!" I shout and he nods. I've dealt with this before and for others I just rub their backs, but with Stephen I'm in his lap cradling his head.

I hear the door softly click and Martha's figure appears when it opens. She sees what's happening and I make a shooing motion with my hands. Martha just nods before shutting the door and locking it from the outside.

"He was my best friend. I should have not let him drive. I miss him so fucking much!" Stephen almost screams but its muffled by my shirt. I don't bother to reply just nodding slightly pulling him further into my body.

He finishes his heavy sobbing I pull away kissing his forehead lightly and grabbing a tissue from the bedside table wiping his tears away. He clenches his jaw when I kiss his cheek before climbing off of him setting my feet on the floor. "Goodnight Stephen..." I whisper patting his hand.

Since when am I so affectionate? He may not have a soft spot for me, but I seem to for him. I've never done anything like that for anyone, not even Jace.

Stephen looks at me sadly when I climb into my bed that I can't help but get up and slide in next to him. He scoots over snuggling a little close but not pushing the personal space limit. We face each other and a few tears escape my eyes and he wipes them away with his thumb. When other people cry I can't help but cry.

Stephen doesn't sob any more but silent tears cascade down his handsome face as he closes his eyes. I do the same falling asleep with his face in my mind and his body close to me.

This is something I would have never done...

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Has Paisley broken through a barrier or is this just a one night thing?

I guess you'll just have to see.