I wake confused. The room is dimly lit from the window covered by the curtains and I'm really warm but for a minute I can't figure out where I am. I look down at my clothes and remember. I look at the alarm clock on Ty's nightstand 5:12 am. Ugh.
I pull his black UW sweater that I've been wearing over my hands and roll over and try to go back to sleep. I yank the giant comforter up and just barely avoid punching myself in the face then I wrap it around me like a nest.
I get up for breakfast around 10 and I slip down stairs quietly just in case Ty's parents haven't left yet. I'm not wearing any pants so I'm extra cautious when I'm downstairs, ready to jump up and run if the front door unlocks. It doesn't luckily and I head sleepily back up to bed. The rest of the day is a blur of unconsciousness and being too hot.
Time passes relatively quickly and at 6:30 Avenlea knocks on the door. I tell her to come in and she tells me that dinner is ready whenever I want to come down and get it. I thank her and wait until she closes the door then I get up and wait until I think its safe to run back to my room to get clothes on. I just put on skinny jeans and my gray long-sleeve shirt.
Dinner is pleasant. Conversation between the three of us is good and we manage to make each other laugh but about halfway through the meal the phone rings. Avenlea excuses herself to go answer it and Zion and I get quiet so we can try to hear what she's saying. She comes back in the room a short time later with an unsure look on her face.
"The hospital called. Tyler is awake and stabilized but he isn't talking. They say we can come see him when we're ready. I would like to go now if that's alright with you two." We nod and we all clean up dinner and get in the car.
-
When we walk into Tyler's room, he looks at us with curiousity. His arm is in a sling and he's got tubes and wires attached everywhere. We silently take seats next to his hospital bed and his doctor asks if he remembers us. Ty takes a look at all of us, inspecting us each individually then he says no. Avenlea and Zion hold onto each other a little tighter and my knees go weak.
Dr. Bensen says, "That's alright. I'm sure it will come back to you. I have to check up on some stuff while I'm in here so we'll start with your blood pressure and then we'll look at some of the monitors."
He starts taking his information, writing things down on a clipboard and asking Tyler questions. I watch Tyler very closely. He doesn't seem any different than he was a couple days ago other than the empty, curious glances he gives us and the cast that encases his arm. Its almost scary to see all the wires he's hooked up to. All the tubes and monitors keeping him alive and the beeping coming from various screens and machines make it hard to focus on one thing. His hair is in its perpetual state of disorder and his eyes have dark circles under them and he looks the same as he usually does, other than the dark circles and the pale shade his skin has taken on. Its hard to comprehend that he's not well.
The doctor eventually finishes up what he's doing and he leaves us alone with Ty. He keeps looking at me like he expects me to leave sometime soon. Avenlea asks him how he's feeling and Zion comments about something about "how many machines does it take to keep one boy breathing" and Tyler laughs politely. After a little while of silence Tyler tells his parents that he's a little uncomfortable and he thinks he needs some more pain medication then he glances at me hintingly. They get the clue and they go to find a doctor. As soon as they're gone Ty stares at me for a few seconds without saying anything, just opening and closing his mouth, wanting to say something but not quite knowing what.
"How are we...um...how do I know you?"
"You're my best friend. You have been since 4th grade." I get teary eyed and he looks at me with sadness. He offers his hand to me and I stand up and take it.
"Sit down" he pats a spot next to him on the bed and I sit down. He smiles at me. "I'm sorry I can't remember who you are. Maybe I will eventually, like the doctor said. Who are the people who brought you here? Are they your parents?"
I shake my head "no Ty. They're yours. They're the best too."
He nods "Okay that makes sense."
"Do you remember anything?"
"Ironically enough, I only remember hitting my head on the door so hard it knocked me out. I'm pretty sure thats why I can't remember anything."
"Will you do me a favor?"
"Sure."
"Don't stop trying to remember. And let me know if you do."
"Okay. Deal." He smiles brightly at me and I smile back. I'm still sitting there when his parents walk in with Dr. Bensen trailing behind them. He gives Tyler his medicine and walks back out again and his parents are talking to him now.
"I think we should probably let you get some rest soon. Do you need any food or anything before we go?" Zion asks.
Ty shakes his head so we all say our goodbyes and head home.
-
I say goodnight to Avenlea and Zion and I'm in bed by 8:30.
I sit on the foot of the bed looking around Ty's room for a few minutes and notice a lot. The window is open just an inch and there's a window seat under it. The curtains are just slightly open and the warm breeze is making them wave. The light from the lamp on the nightstand makes everything look a little eery but somehow still comforting, illuminating the dresser topped with books and a stereo right next to the door to his bathroom which is open.
I look at the cork board above the dresser and get up to see better. On it there are pictures of us from when we were little, a picture from when we graduated 5th grade, one from Freshman year homecoming of Mel, Emma, and Tyler with his arm around me, another with me kissing him on the cheek next to the river. In that one, he's laughing and I'm smiling as I kiss his cheek and both of our hair is wet. His eyes are scrunched up and he's got his arm around me, water dripping down his face. I remember that day vividly. It was the summer before Sophomore year and the picture was taken by Emma right before Tyler swung me onto his shoulder and took me into the river with him. Its one of my favorite memories of us.
There are some other things on the board too; UW stickers, flyers for plays, pictures of our school football team. I turn my attention to the bookshelf next to his bed. Romeo and Juliet, AP Chemistry For Dummies, Maze Runner, Harry and the Hendersons, The Host, The Odyssey, The Giver. I pick up one off the bottom shelf. Smithton High 2014-2015. I open to the Winter Formal page and there, right in the middle of the page, is a picture of Tyler holding me bridal style and Mel on Em's back and all 4 of us smiling for the camera. In the back there are a bunch of pictures the photography kids took and the star of the page is a picture Emma took of Mel and me on the beach. We're wearing matching heart shaped sunglasses and the same striped bikini top and bottoms only mine is blue and Mel's is pink. We both have sun hats on and we're asleep in chairs right next to each other, looking alike enough to be twins.
On the football page Ty stands with his team behind him, holding a ball in front of him. The choir page has a silhouette of me standing in front of the entire school, singing a solo song. Mel gets her own page for the dance team and the picture in the middle is of Mel leading the girls behind her with a serious look on her face, about ready to kill it at state. They're all dressed up identically like soldiers, with camo vests, black jeans and combat boots with black stripes under their eyes and their hair pulled up into french braids coming down their shoulders, and all saluting. They danced to Bulletproof and Titanium that day and brought home a huge trophy. That was our year.
I put the book back and change back into Ty's sweater and I drift off to sleep quickly, my last thought being of Tyler coming home soon.
