The Lucky One

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

I woke to the sounds of quiet chatter and talking in the background. I slowly opened my eyes and blinked them a few times to get clearer vision. Where was I? The curtains were a light blue colour and the walls were painted a light cream. It didn't look familiar. Where was I? My head was throbbing and I slowly moved my hand towards the pain in my head. 

"Don't touch it. It's just been stitched. A lot of blood was lost," I heard someone say. 

I quickly jerked my hand back and sat up. Woaaah, I thought to myself as I sat up, everything was dizzy as I moved. I shook my head a little and sat still as clear vision returned to me. I remembered it all now; I got beaten up because of Derek and I got a rock hurled at my head, also because of Derek. Oh yes, that's right. 

"Cathy! Cathy!" I heard someone yelling. 

I looked forward to see Derek running towards me, leaning on the side of the bed. 

"Are you alright? I'll pay for the surgery, I promise," he said kneeling down by the side of the bed. 

I sighed, blowing my fringe out of the way. The promises he makes, I thought to myself, are always broken anyway. But the cost...? How much did it cost...?

"How much did the surgery cost....?" I asked the figure reading the newspaper, unsure of what to call him.

He looked up from the newspaper and closed it, before placing it on the coffee table. I gasped. Paul's friend...? What was he doing here? I looked down quickly, what was I doing here? Where was this place? I wondered once again as I looked around as my somewhat beautiful surroundings.

"You should ask Paul. I brought you here, but he paid for the surgery," he replied.

"Oh," I said, "Thankyou anyway, I'm so glad you helped me,"

"No problems. And Paul is just outside, he called that dude here from your mobile," he said, referring to Derek.

I quickly got out of the bed and walked outside, promptly where I saw Paul standing, leaning against the wall.

"Oh, you're up. By the way, now we're even. You apparently saved my life and I saved yours," he said, grinning as though nothing were wrong.

"Oh, yeah, thanks for that. How much was the surgery? I'll have to pay you back," I insisted.

"How do you intend on doing so, jobless child?" he laughed.

"How do you know I don't have a job!?" I exclaimed in shock. 

"Job search papers in your pocket," he replied, looking at the pocket of the trench coat I was still wearing. 

I stuck my hand into my pocket and pulled out the newspapers I'd been reading earlier which had job opportunities circled in bright red.

"Just to give you an idea of how much you're going to have to pay me back for, think immediate private surgery..."

Immediate private surgery. Rich kid much? I'd only ever heard of how expensive immediate surgery was. It would have costed a fortune!

"Just tell me how much..."

"Ten thousand dollars,"

"REALLY?! THAT MUCH?!" I exclaimed.

I really wasn't aware that immediate surgery costed that much. What was I going to do? I could feel my head caving in from all the problems. First, Derek's debt, now this other debt. I sighed and held my head in my hand.

"I'm so sorry Cathy! Thank you for paying the debt!" Derek said as he hurried out to where we were talking.

"What debt...? I didn't pay the debt... I simply got a bashing for it," I replied.