[Whoop! Thirty-one fans! I'm amazed. I feel really loved! So, here's another part with Belinda and Keith! ^_^ I love writing about them because it's so...innocent! I hope you enjoy it and - even if you don't - please comment! Happy Reading ^_^]
"Hey, there guys," Belinda called, bouncing up to the table. It was finally lunchtime and she was starving and tired. She had been getting strange looks all day, whispers following her from lesson to lesson and awkward silences when she entered them. The only people who didn't treat her oddly were Keith and Jack. "How's it going?"
"Bel-in-da-a," Jack whined, drawing out the syllables in her name. "Keith's being mean to me again. Make him quit it."
"You're his best friend," Belinda said mildly while dropping into the seat next to Keith. "You tell him. What's he been doing?"
"Yeah, we're best friends but your his girlfriend, so he's more likely to listen to you."
Belinda just sat there. Keith cursed Jack for saying it like that. He'd been hoping to get her on her own at home and actually ask her out before anything major happened. But now it was too late to take it back and he just had to hope Belinda wouldn't contradict him too loudly.
"So? You've known him longer," Belinda said finally, dragging Keith out of his little panic attack. Did she just...agree? Keith thought dumbly. Rather than leaving it to chance, Keith threw a cautious arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. "Are you okay, Keith? What's up?"
"Nothing," Keith said, grinning madly. "I just...I wanted a hug. Why, am I not allowed one?"
"Don't be stupid. Of course you can. It's just not like you to do that."
"Okay, this isn't awkward for me at all," Jack complained, pouting at Belinda. "Can't you do that sort of stuff when you're on your own?"
"Oh, yeah, I guess so," Belinda conceded, resting on Keith's shoulder a little. "I'm really tired though. And I can't rest on the table without getting weird looks from random people. Oh yeah," she said suddenly, remembering. "Did something happen this morning? After I went in, I mean. Everybody keeps looking at me freakishly."
"Don't worry about it," Jack and Keith chorused, exchanging amused glances. "It's nothing, really. Just Emma making a scene," Keith reassured, starting on his lunch.
"Hey, Jack, what're you doing this weekend?" Belinda asked, mildly curious. "Because we've still got that thing to sort out, you know. And I figure we should have you over to help plan it out."
"Um, I don't think I've got anything planned. But...could you two come over to mine? I don't really want Maggie to get involved any more than she already is."
Both Belinda and Keith agreed that it would be smarter to keep her safe and sound so they arranged it so that Keith and Belinda would get there about midday and then they would try to work out what to do next. When the bell rang for their last lesson, Keith picked up Belinda's bag for her, trying to be gallant. He almost dropped it again - it was so heavy!
"Whoa, what're you keeping in here, bricks? Dude, no wonder you're tired!"
"It-it's nothing! Give it over! It's not that heavy."
"Yes it is! No, you're not carrying this, no way. You want to visit your mum tonight, right?" he asked, looking at her sternly. "Well then, it's not a problem. Plus, you've been asleep for the last two weeks. You're not used to having a full day any more."
"Guys? Can we get moving before we're late? We've got English..."
* * *
"What if she's worse than last time?"
Belinda was panicking, like usual. Keith rolled his eyes and tugged her along with him, opening the hospital doors like the gentleman he was trying to be. And usually was in Belinda's eyes. She resisted a little, trying not to get dragged into something she was scared of.
"Come on, you really want to see her. Anyone can see that. And she's probably missed you."
"She's not awake yet, I know it! How can she miss me when she doesn't even know when I'm there?!"
"Hey, just because she's in a coma doesn't mean she can't hear you."
"Uh, Keith? Did you forget? I was in one too! I know what it's like. It isn't like you know what's going on around you. It's...just blank," she finished, shuddering. Keith pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly before steering her in the direction of the ward her mum was on.
"Come on, you need to see her. You won't forgive me if I let you wander off now. It's not like she's - gone. She's still there, which means she's fighting to stay alive. So, let's go see her."
Belinda finally gave in and tentatively opened the door to her mother's room. She went and sat rigidly next to her mum, taking her hand automatically. She heard Keith murmur something about getting a hot drink before kissing her gently on the top of her head. She was glad that he was being sensitive to the fact that she needed some alone time with her mum but she wished he would stay with her so she could cry on him. She needed to cry it out and...well, Keith would understand her, reassure her, hold her.
She started sobbing quietly when she thought she felt a little pressure on her fingers. She held her breath, biting back sobs. Had she imagined it or...she squeezed lightly on her mum's fingers, praying that her mum would squeeze back. Oh please, she thought desperately. Let her squeeze back.
She felt that light pressure on her fingers again and started sobbing with relief. She waited for a moment, watching her mum's eyelids flicker until she saw the cool brown underneath them. Lizzie looked like she was in pain, aching but awake. Belinda held herself back instead of hurling herself into her mother's arms. It was okay now - the only thing left to deal with was Andrew...
"Sweetie? Where am I darling? What's..."
"Oh mum, you've been in a coma for a couple of months," Belinda sobbed back, clutching the hand, that was warming to her temperature, even more tightly. "Oh mum, I've missed you so much..."
Keith was coming back to the room when he spotted someone waiting outside of the room. He didn't recognise them instantly, assuming they were a relative, concerned for both Belinda's and her mother's well being. As he approached, the person turned to look at him and he gasped. His hot drink fell from his hand, splashing his feet and soaking his shoes. He didn't care. What the hell was Andrew doing here?!
[Bom-bom-boooomm! Yeah, another cliffhanger...^_^ comment!]
