Broken Heart/Broken Mind

-Chapter Sixty-six-

Sophie squinted to see in the dark room. It was the afternoon, but it was nearly pitch black.

She flipped the light on. Keefe groaned and pulled the covers tighter over his head. She sighed, crossing the room. She placed the little vase of flowers she brought to lighten up the room on the counter.

She threw open the curtains. The difference the one action made was tremendous. Immediately, sunlight shone into the room, brightening up the whole atmosphere. It made it feel less stuffy and closed in.

She gently shook Keefe under the covers. "Hey, news flash, it's daytime. Didn't know if you were aware."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "I know."

"You need some fresh air. Do these windows open?"

He never awnsered. She had to find out herself by nearly falling backward from trying to lift up the window.

New plan.

Sophie grabbed the IV pole and oxygen pack, untangling it from each other. She pulled down the blankets. Keefe tried to yank them back, but she was faster. He ended up wincing from the sudden movement.

"Where are you trying to drag me off to this time?" He mumbled.

"We're going to go outside," she told him. "At this point, you're practically a vampire."

He glared out the window. "But it's bright out there."

She ignored him and held her hands out. "Come one, I'll help you up."

He locked their hands together before gritting his teeth and shakily getting to his feet. She placed her hand on the small of his back to steady him.

They told the nurse where they were going, then headed towards the elevators. Sophie opened the door for him as they stepped out into the courtyard.

Sophie felt better when Keefe's face lightened up as soon as they stepped out into the sunshine. He paused and closed his eyes, drinking in the warmth.

However, she knew he wasn't going to admit he felt a little better already. He did look a little less pouty, though.

They walked through the pathway, winding around the trees. They came to the clearing where the fountain was. Sophie helped Keefe take a seat at one of the benches.

He leaned his head down onto her shoulder, gazing off into the distance. She felt as he slowly relaxed.

Sophie glanced down at him. He seemed to be enjoying his little outing. The corners of his lips were twitched up a tad. She was glad to see him happy. She missed his smile. His jokes. Him acting like himself. Slowly, very very slowly, he was coming back to her.

It made her heart swell with affection. A warmth flowing through her whole body. Gosh, did she love that boy.

She brushed her hand through his hair. He picked his head up, looking intently into her eyes. He was staring back at her with the same look she imagined she was giving him.

Before she could fully process what she was doing, instincts took over. She leaned in to kiss him. She rested her forehead against his.

"I really do love you, you know," she whispered.

His eyes widened. Before her anxiety about reading things wrong took over, he responded.

"I love you, too." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You don't know how much I've appreciated you these past few weeks. You're more than I deserve."

She shook her head. "You deserve so much more than what you deal with, Keefe. You have no clue how badly I would've lost it if you didn't end up ok."

He enveloped her in an embrace. "I'm getting better," he promised. "Really."

"I know," Sophie whispered. She fiddled with his hair at the nape of his neck. "I just miss seeing your smile," she eventually murmured.

Keefe was quiet for a moment before responding. "Me too, Foster. Me too."

She squeezed him tighter, but gently, so she didn't hurt his chest. "It's going to all be ok. I swear. You'll get to smiling again in no time!"

She pulled back a little to see his reaction. To her relief, he was chuckling a little bit.

"See," she teased. "It's already working!" Her gazed softened. She gently traced over the gauze, covering his incision with her finger. "It's going to get better. I promised. It's just going to take some time."