Road to Evergreen | #Wattys2016

f o r t y - s e v e n

I hear everyone suck in a sharp breath as the doctor breaks the news, "he went through a third degree burn in several places in his body. His face is thankfully clear, no scars but his right thigh is the worst. It will require physical therapy for months until he'll be able to walk again. As well, several medications are needed to reduce the scares as much as possible and help repair the skin."

My knuckles are white as I tightly hold Megan's hand. She doesn't seem startled because everyone is waiting for that one sentence from the doctor, "he's going to be okay. He got lucky."

I hear everyone exhale, relieved. 

"Oh thank God," my mother tears up and hugs Bob.

"Can we see him?" I ask.

"I'll arrange a ten minute visit for family only. We should let him rest. The medication used to reduce the burn takes out all of his energy," the doctor says.

After fifteen minutes, a nurse calls my mother and I to see him; I allow her to go in first. She emerges few minutes later crying and I give her a pat on her back and make my way in. He's laying on a hospital bed, a tube between his nostrils, and another tube hanging from his wrist. His face is clear but exhaustion is written all over it. I sit beside him.

"Hey little guy," I take his hand into mine. His eyes thrust open as he slowly turns his face. His blue eyes are dim in colour, reflecting pain in a terrifying matter.

"I guess you're no longer a little guy. You managed to survive this incident by your own. You managed to become a big guy," I squeeze his hand tighter and he rolls his eyes. I chuckle a laugh. "What did I expect? Even when in a hospital bed, you're still an annoying bastard," I sigh. He winks and I hold the urge of slapping his shoulder. "Always," he says.

"I'll ask all the questions when you feel better."

"Mom already did," he breathes between tube, "I couldn't even start to tell her. She kept crying the whole time."

"I guess she's finally coming to her senses of how a mother should be," I offer a weak smile.

"It's about damn time," he huffs.

"Amen to that." I stay for another of couple of minutes before the nurse calls me out.

Back at the waiting room, Megan hugs me and leaves, promising she will be back soon. Bob offers to take my mother home and I urge him to. "I'll sleep with him in the room tonight," I tell her.

"I'll be here tomorrow morning," she agrees. I kiss and hug her goodbye and watch as they leave. On cue, I spot two figures entering and my shoulders relax as Spencer and Riley take me in for a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Lesley," Spencer says and Riley slightly squeezes my shoulder. "Thank you for coming," I say to both and mean it.

"Anytime," Riley replies. Spencer lets out a laugh, "let's hope it's not an anytime as in coming here to the hospital anytime anytime." We both give him a glare. "Just trying to lighten up the mood," he retracts.

"You're miserably failing," Riley states.

"Where's Harry?" A girl's voice comes in the background. I crane my neck to spot a blonde, hazel eyed girl standing, wide eyes. She's wearing ripped black jeans with boots, and a black and white stripped tank top.

"And who is that?" Spencer interrupts with a grin.

"Valerie. Harry's girlfriend," she proudly says.

"Ahhh." So she's the famous Valerie. An evil smirk stretches on my face as I take in my victory. Harry would have never allowed me to meet her. But I did.