𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 |𝟏𝟖+|

53

Etta Valentines POV

I was standing for the first time in however many days. And my oh my, was I stiff.

"It'll ease eventually darling." Tess said as she helped me move into a wheelchair.

With my shin fracture I couldn't walk normally and I couldn't use crutches because of my wrist and fingers. Fun times.

The doctors were happy with my progress and said if I keep it up, I could be going home in as early as a week. It was originally two weeks, but it seems I'm headed in the right direction.

Half an hour later and I was showered. And with it, so was a piece of my dignity.

But when we got back, I found a cleaner changing my bedding. My breath caught as she laid fresh sheets down.

I don't know why it panicked me so much. But I guess if I really thought about it, I do understand. I'm just scared to face that reality because I have no recollection of the truth.

"Everything okay hun?" Tess mused as she helped me back atop the mattress that now smelt of whatever hospitals smelt like.

"Yeah, just drained." Yesterday, I had all my family visit me. And I mean all my family. And since I'm only allowed three visitors in at once, my day was extremely long and tiring. Not that I was unhappy to see them, just that it takes up a lot of my energy.

"That's understandable darling. Why don't you get some rest before that friend of yours comes again?"

"Yeah, I think I will. Thank you Tess."

But as she closed the door, I became all too aware of the silence that hung over me.

It was deafening.

~~~

"How's your first bite of solid food?"

I pulled a face at Meg as we dug in to chocolate muffins. Typical Meg.

"What?" She laughed. "If we don't laugh, we'll cry. Isn't that our motto?"

This time, I laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is."

We finished up the baked goods before Meg passed me a coffee with a straw in it. I did say that I could drink and use one of my hands just fine, but she seems insistent to baby me.

It's sweet really, I get that I must've given everyone a fright.

For the next twenty minutes, Meg kept checking her phone. When I asked, she'd say it was nothing.

When I asked again, she'd said they were waiting for a delivery at work.

And when I asked again, she became shifty.

"Meg, what is it?"

She smiled with tight lips and folded her hands in her lap. "Soo...I might've done a thing."

I released an age old sigh. "What did you do?"

"You know Miguel - the guy that was here when you work up?" The first face I set eyes on?