About You Now

Marry Me?

As was usual for the last week since the accident, Punk attempted to get comfortable in the standard armchair that decorated every hospital room, holding AJ's hand when doing so. Upon looking around the quiet room, a small smile appeared across Punk's lips; it hadn't been long since the accident, just under a week, but still, to Punk, it felt like an eternity, as if time had stopped completely. He didn't have his crazy AJ at his side, his soulmate there to help him get through the day-to-day life of a teenager and young adult through the final days of school life before being released into the big world to find his way through life.

The others, namely Nikki and Becky, had done an excellent job decorating the otherwise cold and dull white-washed room. Aleister had brought along little bits and bobs he knew she'd like, from fluffy comic-themed blankets to little trinkets to make the room homely. AJ's prom things remained in the bag Damian had brought up, just in front of the giant teddy bear Jimmy and Jey had all but dragged into the room just days prior. The room would bring a smile to AJ when she woke up; Punk was sure of that, even more so when the table over her bed was filled with different sweet treats random school acquaintances had brought and a stack of cards wishing her a speedy recovery.

For a long moment, Punk began to think. What would he say to AJ when she woke up? Would she remember what happened? After all, she had sustained a nasty head injury, severe enough she'd been put into a medically induced coma. The doctors at least hoped she'd be okay and fully recover. They estimated AJ could return to school in time to attend all the upcoming events, such as the tournament finals, prom, exams, and graduation, even if she used crutches to get around and had someone there to help her when needed. However, even they couldn't say if AJ would remember everything that happened. Some said it was a fifty-fifty chance, while others said it depended on AJ.

Immediately, Punk thought of Summer, the leggy blonde who had been released from the hospital the day before. Finn and JD worked together to help when she needed it. She was doing well, except for her memory of the accident. Where she'd vividly remembered what happened and given helpful details to the investigating officers just a day or so after the accident, now she could barely remember anything. Doctors had reassured her it was nothing to worry about; her mind was simply protecting her, helping her through the trauma of the accident by blanking out the memories, rewriting them, or completely erasing what happened—a typical response to trauma.

For a moment, Punk wondered if that would be the case for AJ and maybe Echo when she finally woke up. He allowed the thoughts to dwell just a little longer before pushing them away, forcing himself to focus on the positive future possibilities instead of the negative. After the week or so without AJ, he learned many things about himself, first and foremost, how lost he was without her there. She was the shining light that made each day of struggle and challenges worth it. He got a taste of life without her and quickly learned he didn't like it, nor did he wish to make it permanent. Simply put, he needed his Geek Goddess to live, for a life without her wasn't worth living at all.

Once again, his thoughts changed; the silence allowed him time to dwell on many things. This time, his thoughts turned to his step-brother, Seth. In the room next door with Echo. He was in a similar situation, although many could argue Seth had handled things far worse than Punk. Whereas Punk had managed to find a way to push through every day, Seth had yet to do so. He had essentially been on autopilot for the last week or so. His attention waned often, and he could barely listen to lectures long enough to take notes. He frequently tuned in and out of conversations. His smile had faded, too; not even Cross had been able to pull a grin or a stint of laughter from him. Wrestling practice was no better, barely able to keep his attention where it should be, so much so Hunter had noticed and sidelined him for now. The fatherly man also gave him a pep talk in the hopes of helping upon realizing what had caused the sudden change.