Just One Of The Boys

Behind a Smile

I AM SO SORRY. The update didn't go through and I didn't notice it till just now. Ah!

Enjoy x

***

It wasn't as simple as everyone said; faking a smile for the good of others that is. It just wasn't possible.

Luke walked back into the room carrying a plate with two bowls and two sandwiches. A Content smile sitting on his lips as he balanced the food.

"My lady." He hands me a plate with the sandwich and soup bowl, sitting down in KJ's old seat by my bed. I went to move and slight pain shot up my back, but I ignored it while Luke helped me slowly sit up. I pushed aside the pinching sensation in the back of my spine and place a small smile on my face instead.
Luke didn't catch on. Granted the guy didn't know my give aways.

We sat while he talked about how Tate wouldn't stop asking how I was and would pop by whenever He had work off for the time I had been "asleep" as he called it.
It was sweet, to see Luke light up whenever my lips would slightly twitch to a smile. It was as if he was waiting for each and every word he said and to see if he could get me to smile. It was probably the cutest thing ever.

"Hey Luke?" I tap his hand to get his attention from his very in depth story.

"Mmhm?"  He glances up and smirks at my hand on his.

I roll my eyes, " I think I better rest maybe a little." I force out a smile. The pain had somehow traveled up my back to the back of my neck and just didn't seem to disappear, so sleep seemed like the only positive possibility.

"Oh yes of course!" He scrambles out moving to get up.

"Wait." I muster out reaching out for his hand, he simply looked at me. Concern flooding his features. He didn't know my give aways. Not like KJ and Alex.

"Stay." I say simply. Luke scrambles to sit down and gently intertwines our fingers before saying something quickly, but I drowned him out and decided to close my eyes to the much needed sleep. My expected rest did not come.

My mind kept swirling. So I let out a deep sigh and opened my eyes and saw KJ siting next to my bed reading through a magazine.

"Hey." I croak out weakly.

"Hey sleeping beauty." KJ looks up smiling. I can't help but let a smile form on my face.

"Alex is on his way over. Luke will be right back. I'm sorry I was gone so long." KJ says while tracing circles on my arm.

I start to open my mouth but pain shoots through my spine and I clench my mouth shut. And KJ catches on immediately jumping to his feet.

"What is it, where does it hurt?" He says calmly but quickly.

"My back." I gasp out grinding my teeth.

KJ nods and kisses my forehead before going to the hallways to fetch a nurse.

Before I know it I'm rushed out of my hospital room to rooms even whiter and cleanlier than the last.

The day went by like this, test after test, God knows what being shot into me to get reactions and try and solve the mysterious back pain.

Alex stopped by in the midst of the chaos but my brain couldn't focus on much. It felt like a dream before I was pulled out of the drugged up state the doctors had me under for some of the tests.

"Liz?" I hear Tate's voice.

I blink furiously until my vision slowly comes back to me. And I see George and Tate standing on the right side of my hospital bed. I looked around noticing that somehow my own hospital room because slightly more comforting to me.
But that slight comfort vanished into thin air when I looked the my left and saw an empty chair.

I tried to push aside my questions and force a smile to rest on my lips as Tate talked.

"Liz? Does that sound good?" Tate's voice says calmly rubbing my shoulder.

"Hmm, what?" I ask dazed. Tate gave me a look; confusion mixed with concern.

"The doctor said you have to have a spinal tap. But it should solve the back pain. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow and then you'll be able to leave in the next few days."

"Oh okay." I mumble back not quite understanding what Tate was saying.

"Lizzie, what is it?" I hear KJs voice at a distance. My dizziness slightly subsides as I do my best to try and focus on the door where he was walking from.

"Just my-" I start but am cut off from a sharp pain pinching in the back of my head.

"Head, it's her head. We need a doctor." He comes over gently taking my hand in his and leans over and kisses my forehead while whispering, "sorry I had to leave, it was about my dad."

I looked up to him with soft eyes, "is everything-"

"Yeah don't worry about it Liz." He cut me off quietly giving me a look of 'I'll explain later'

I simply nodded and turned back to George and Tate.

"You get to come home soon." George smiles, "Carter is all moved in and decorated your room and moved you in."

I wanted to be excited by those words. I wanted to smile genuinely and I wanted to get up out of my bed and hug George and Tate for taking me in even though they didn't have to.

But here they were, my little makeshift family taking care of me.

I looked to KJ who had promptly began tracing circles on my hand, calming my heart rate.

I nodded to the me information of needing an invasive surgery on top of the spinal tap. But I'm not sure how the hell my body will be able to pull through another major anything.

But here goes.