Hear Me

Chapter Eight

“Sophie.”

She stayed behind, everybody else flooding out around her. She motioned for Patrick to go, deciding that it was best to face whatever this was alone. She gave a nod to him, Patrick looking worried even still as he left. As soon as everybody was gone, she walked over to him.

(Yes, Prof. Kirkland?)

“I want to take you out…to dinner. Just the two of us. If you want…”

(Professor, that is hardly appropriate. You said you can’t afford to lose your job…make up your mind and then give me a call when you do.)

Sophie walked out of the room then, going to find Patrick so they could head home. She was starving and some pizza sounded good. They had ordered one upon arriving at the apartment, sprawling their homework about the floor. She was glad Patrick and Sam were okay again. Amaya had been texting her and writing her emails a lot lately, saying she was going back to Japan for a while to meet her birth mother. She was happy for Amaya but felt like something wasn’t right.

Something, somebody, was missing. It was that void that filled the stomach so full at the very thought of such things. A void that pierced an already broken and bleeding heart, making a chest ache as much as the empty stomach that refused to be unfilled with emotion. Then thoughts never ceased to exist and the person began to waste away inside and out because one thing was missing. She knew who was missing, her best friend. It was evident what had happened yet she still missed him more than anything. He was gone.

But oh how she wanted him to come back. It’s as if flowers wilted without him. She hadn’t realized how much of an impact he had on her life and it made her realize how selfish she truly was, making the pizza not very appetizing. Instead, she ran into the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. They were mostly mixed with blood, everything spinning around her. Light headed, pale, and with a pain in her abdomen, Sam and Patrick rushed her to the hospital. The last thing she remembered was lying with her head on Patrick’s lap, tears leaking out. She couldn’t vocalize her pain, how she was feeling, because the one person she wanted to listen right now couldn’t hear her.

She was choking on her own apology. When she opened her eyes, a light blinded her and made her see spots. There was beeping sounds and her head ached, eyes now itching. She rubbed them and sat up slowly to look around.

“Sophie.” Sam said as he stood

He ran out into the hall, calling for a doctor. They rushed Sam and Patrick out of the room, making Sophie’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. They ran many tests, shoving many needles in and out of various parts of her body. By the time Sam and Patrick returned, she had thrown up blood again. It was the guilt, the sadness, everything coming back all at once and hitting her in a wave of silent sobs. Sam wrapped his arms around her on one side, Patrick wrapping his arms around her on the other side. She leaned into both of them and cried. Sophie cried until she couldn’t cry anymore, practically falling asleep in their arms. They laid her back, Sam uttering how he would get her some more water.

She could barely nod as sleep stole her.

~ ~ ~

Luke was silent the entire way there. Even up the elevator as the elderly couple smiled at him. He gave a smile but didn’t utter much of a word towards their compliment about the weather being warm. It didn’t feel warm, it felt freezing. The weather would probably be overcast any moment now anyways due to cold and warm fronts. Springtime wasn’t as flowery and sunshiny as many people made it out to be in those advertisements for Easter. You know, the ones with the bunny rabbits and cows? Yeah…

“Sophie Hamilton?” He asked

“Room 309, sugar.”

The nurse’s thick Texas twang and smile made him smile back at her. How could you not? When somebody was that warm, the warmth practically radiating off of them, you had to smile back. It was a rule or something. He had half a mind to shove the tulips in her hand and tell her to deliver it to Sophie’s room but that wasn’t the right move. He knocked on the door only to hear a male voice say, “Come in.”

He entered and there she sat, propped up. She smiled at him as he walked into the room. If only she could speak…would her words reflect the smile on her face? Patrick was there along with some other guy. Probably Sam…she talked about Sam a lot.

“Who are you?” Sam asked

Sophie rolled her eyes and shot him a look before motioning for Luke to come there. He walked over to her, ignoring Sam’s question, and placed the vase of Tulips on the bedside table.

“I remember how much you liked the red tulips in the school’s main court area…so yeah…I um, brought you some.” Luke said

She smiled and grabbed the pen that sat next to the notepad in front of her.

(Thank you, Luke…they’re beautiful.)

She then flipped the page.

(Can I have a moment alone with him?)

Sophie turned the page so Patrick could see it. He nodded and grabbed Sam’s hand before practically dragging him out of the room.

“What the hell?” Sam asked as they went out into the hall, heading for the lobby.

He had heard Sam’s stomach growl a few moments before and was getting ready to leave anyways because he was going to get him something very unhealthy based on hospital standards. They were kind of sick of their heart healthy fries anyhow.

“That’s Luke Kirkland. He’s our English professor. Sophie and him have feels for each other but are struggling to work it out…he’s a good guy. He cares about her a lot…you can see it in his eyes. She should invite him over for dinner some time, let you get to know him.” Patrick said as he got in on the driver side of his car.

Sam slid into the passenger side and sighed.

“Am I not listening hard enough? There’s so much she isn’t telling me…” Sam muttered

“She wants to…she just needs time to figure out how to say it.” Patrick said as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

There was a lot of truth to that, Sam couldn’t argue. He knew what it was like when she needed to think...

(Why are you here, Luke? Really here…you look like you want to say something but aren’t saying it.)

He looked at her and grabbed her hand.

“I really like you Sophie…and I intend to do something about it because I don’t want you to wait for me or leave me behind. You’re this amazing person and I don’t want to give you up…” He said

She smiled.

(We can be friends for now…I’m not quite ready to do anything relationship-y that’s intimate, Luke. I just lost my best friend because I couldn’t return his feelings. And you have your mom…I’m sorry.)

“Don’t apologize for something you can control in an uncontrollable situation.” Luke said

She smiled as a tear escaped down her pale cheek. She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

(Thank you for understanding…)

“No, Sophie…thank you.”

She wasn’t quite sure what she was being thanked for but smiled anyways.

Wipe your eyes and put up your head

I wish you could be happy instead

There's nothing else I can do

But love you the best that I can…