Two Truths & A Lie

Chapter 24

The stale aroma of the hospital was slowly moving with each of my breaths into my nose and through my lungs. It made me sick. The sheets of the bed I was laying in were scratchy and stiff, and IV's, bandages, and casts held me still. I hated hospitals more than anything in the world. I wanted to groan, but a throbbing headache and dull ache in my neck and ribs kept me from doing so.

"The stitches in her forehead will take a few weeks to heal, and because of the concussion, she'll be having headaches for a few weeks. We've prescribed a few pain killers for that, as well as her arm and her knee throughout her recovery. You can pick them up at any time today at the pharmacy near the pediatrics wing," a monotonous voice explained slowly.

"But her knee isn't broken?"

"Surprisingly, no. She landed almost directly on it, but we think enough of the force was, unfortunately, on her wrist and head to prevent her kneecap from shattering."

My mother was speaking with the doctor. These were the first voices I had heard since I heard Louis wailing for me as I toppled head-first off of the roof of my school to the cold bricks below. How long ago was that? Surely it wasn't long since my mother was just finding out about the medication and injuries. I wanted to open my eyes and look over the injuries myself, but now that I was becoming more and more awake, I was also becoming more and more aware of the pain. The last thing I wanted was for my mother to see me conscious. She would dive onto me and hug me or start to squeal and cry for her baby. For the next few minutes, I kept my eyes closed and my body still.

The door to the room opened, letting in a slight gust of cool air into the room. My body was becoming increasingly hot with the growing awareness of the pain. Had it not been for my next visitors, I would have had to open my eyes and deal with my panicky mother.

"I can watch her for a bit, Mary."

"Niall, that's so sweet of you, but-"

"Seriously. Ye' haven't eaten all day and I doubt she'll wake up any time soon," Niall said.

"Just take ten minutes for yourself," Zayn's voice urged her. "Ten minutes is all."

I could feel my mother's concerned gaze burning into my face before she nodded her head and shifted around the boys to get to the door. She sighed heavily before slipping out into the quiet hallway.

I cracked an eye open just in time to watch Zayn collapse into a plain blue chair across the white room. He rubbed the stubble on his chin and stared at me a moment with his tired eyes, cocking his head and ignoring Niall as he played with his skateboard in the small space that he had beside the bed.

"I've been waiting so long for Em to wake up that it almost seems like her eyes are open now," Zayn said, cocking his head the other direction. I mustered up enough strength to grin at him, but instantly groaned as Niall threw himself over my body on the bed.

"For fuck's sake, I thought you were dead!" He howled.

"Shit, Ni, you're worse than my mom-" I grunted, wincing as Zayn leapt up and pushed Niall off of me.

"Go tell Mary that Em is awake!" Zayn shouted at Niall, who jumped at the door before I screamed at him.

"NO! I need a minute to come around. Good lord, it's bad enough with just you two in here," I said, lifting my arm to motion to the two boys. It was then that I noticed the lime green cast, wrapped around my arm from my thumb to my elbow.

"Your mum is gonna piss herself," Niall said. "You've been knocked out for three days-"

"Your mum and Harry's dad left to go to New York an hour after you went to school three days ago-" Zayn explained.