Ghost Bird Fanfiction: Sang's Lyric, The Story of Sang Sorenson's Mother

I Need to Know- Taylor's Point of View

My dead girlfriend.

The son of a bitch.

I stood up quickly from the bed and took a threatening step toward Garret. He stared at me in triumph, as if I was acting exactly as he hoped.

"Stop, Taylor," I heard Lyric's small voice call to me.

I turned around and saw her staring at me. Her eyes were full of tears that slowly spilled down her cheeks.

"Lyric," I said, apologizing. I was angry that Garret had brought Advika up before I was ready to talk about her, even though I had always planned on telling Lyric her story.

Garret walked past me, his shoulder bumping mine. This was his signature move, and the last time he did it to me. When I would have returned the gesture, James stopped me with a hand on my elbow.

"Here," Garret said, handing Lyric a pack of saltines. "The doctor said the pain meds might make you a little nauseated. You should try these."

He sat on the bed, hitching up one leg and taking a sip of his coffee.

"Advika was murdered by Kell's father. Kell found her and Taylor nearly went to prison for attacking the old man in retaliation. Did I get it right?" Garret asked, a fake look of sympathy on his face. "It was horrible. I am very sorry for your loss, Taylor. I know you loved her very much."

Lyric gasped. "Taylor," she said, and turned to the other side of the bed, pulling off the blanket.

"What are you doing?" Garret asked, moving quickly to put his coffee on the bedside table, but she was faster than him.

She pulled out her IV and pulse oxygen monitors and took a step to me, wrapping her arm around my waist and pulling me into her. I was stiff for a moment, unsure, but she just squeezed me tighter.

"Taylor," she said. "I had no idea. I'm..." She squeezed me tighter and I slowly lifted my arms to embrace her.

I looked over her head at James, who stood as still as a statue, watching her in amazement, a look of utter devotion shining from his eyes.

Our girl was incredible. How did she have this capacity for love and sympathy?

Which reminded me...

"Thank you," I said to Garret, pretending he was being sincere. "It was horrible."

Lyric squeezed me again, any tighter and I wouldn't be able to breathe.

"What are you doing out of bed?" a disapproving voice asked from the door. "Are you that anxious to leave?"

I recognized the doctor who had met us in the emergency room. She wasn't much older than we were, and had an air of assurance that reminded me of James. It made me suspect she was possible Academy.

"You're the dad?" she asked Garret, turning around to check on Lyric.

Garret couldn't see her face from that angle and she gave me a wink. Yes, definitely Academy.

"No," Garret corrected. "Guardian."

"Oh," the doctor answered. "I thought because you had the same last name... And the age difference of course..."

"Can she leave?" Garret interrupted, throwing his empty cup into the garbage harder than needed.

"Yes," the doctor answered. "She's fine to go home. I don't think you need to wake her every hour. She can go to school tomorrow, and I'm sending a prescription for painkillers with you for the stitches. You'll definitely have a headache," she said to Lyric. "If you do take the painkillers, you'll probably want to stay home because they can make you sleepy."