Give Me a Break

Recovering

After a week, the doctors began letting other people visit. First came Fawn, with Nathan and Jean tailing behind her. She ran into the room, like everyone else, frantic, throwing her arms around me.

"Ouch," I chuckled, hugging her back. "I'm not that healthy yet." She pulled back, her long hair thrown up into a messy bun, her face beaming.

"Oh, Vi, I'm so glad you're okay- when you didn't come to school for a couple of days, I stopped by your house and your dad said you got hit by a car! I couldn't believe it at first but then I came here and the doctors said it was true but I wasn't allowed to see you, because of your condition, and I was so worried, so I told Nathan and Jean and they got this gift basket-" she stopped for a moment, taking a breath and lifting an enormous basket full of chocolate, blankets, and flowers "-and then we all came to see you once the doctors told us we could!" She finished, bouncing excitedly, and I couldn't help but smile.

"I think you overwhelmed her a little, Fawn," Nathan chuckled, stepping forward, Jean close behind. "How are you doing, Vi?"

"Well, I've been better," I joked, wincing when I laughed. "I got banged up pretty bad, though. It'll be a while before I can come back to anything, let alone walk normally. I was lucky, though. My ribs are already healing," I added, motioning to the bandaging around my abdomen. "But I can't stand." I nodded to my leg, which was suspended in a cast a foot above my bed.

"I'm glad to hear you're healing," Jean said, stepping out from behind and taking my hand with a warm smile. "We just wanted to see that you were okay."

I smiled at all of them, grateful that I if such wonderful friends. "Thank you all so much," I said. "How are things going at school?"

"Oh, you know, same old," Nathan scoffed, waving his hand, until Jean reached up and took it.

"Except..." Jean said mischievously, his eyes glinting. "I am officially out of the closet." I gasped, then winced when my chest ached.

"Get out! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" I paused for a moment, remembering. "What did Victoria say?"

Nathan shrugged. "Oh, you know Vicky. She just wants me to be happy. She's not very excited about it, but at least she doesn't hate us. I think the thing she's most angry about is Jean dating her as a cover- she's just offended that he felt that he couldn't tell her."

They all started laughing again, and I just smiled and took Fawn's hand, waiting and listening to her babble on about boys and teachers and classes. At the end of their visit, she gave me (ugh) all of the schoolwork that I had missed, and kissed me on the forehead before giggling and exiting the room, leaving me happier than I had been since before the crash.

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Braden visited every other day, sometimes every day, or once a week, always bringing me a muffin or a banana, as well as another book. He would read to me until I fell asleep. One night, he came in fairly dressed up, with a little girl walking beside him.

"Hey, Braden- who's this?" I asked the little girl, smiling feebly at her. I felt stronger every day, and my ribs had healed substantially in the past weeks. My schoolwork lay in a pile on my bedside table, an IV still in my arm. Braden smiled and brought the little girl closer, and I automatically recognized the resemblance. She had his curly golden-brown hair, trailing in ringlets around her face, and her lips formed the same cherubic shape his did when they smiled.

"This is Carly, my little sister. Say hi, Carly," he whispered softly into her ear. and she smiled shyly and came up to the side of my bed.

"Hi," she said in a soft voice. "I'm Carly. Are you sick?" She asked, eyeing my IV tube.

"Yes," I said, nodding and patting her head. "But I'm getting better."

"That's good," she announced to Braden, then turned back to me. "Did you know my brother thinks you're really pretty?"

I sat, stunned for a minute, until I burst out laughing. "What?" My eyes went to Braden, who shrugged and blushed furiously. "How do you know?"

"Because," Carly stated definitively, "He said we were going to see a really pretty girl. And that we had to come see you. He sees you every day."

"I know," I giggled softly, looking back up at Braden, amused. "But I don't think he thinks that highly of me," I add, straightening the bow in Carly's hair.

Carly shook her head furiously, effectively messing up the bow again. "He does," she insisted. "I know it."

"Okay, kiddo," Braden interrupted, swinging her high into the air. "I think you've talked enough." Carly squealed, batting her tiny fists against her brother's tanned forearms.

"Braden," I said, reaching my hand toward him.

"Yup?" He grunted, tossing Carly in the air one more time before setting her down and pulling up a chair beside me.

"Thank you for coming to see me all these times. I don't know how I'd survive this wretched place without you," I said gratefully, pushing the hair back from my forehead.

"Anytime, Viola," he said. He leaned forward until our faces were inches apart.

For some reason, my breathing machine seemed to have malfunctioned.

"I can't just let you be stuck here without any entertainment."

Pulling back slowly, he brushed the hair out of my face and ran his fingers down my cheek softly before smiling and standing up.

"Anyway, Carly and I have to go to a party for our aunt, but I thought we'd drop by and see you before then. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay." I smiled, and picked up Wuthering Heights from my bedside table. "Thanks for coming."

"Anytime," he said, winking as he closed the door.

Anytime.

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