Chapter 2
Friends
"Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods." -Aristotle
"Jo? Where is he? Can we see him?" Brehnan's best friend Leam asked hurriedly as he came around the corner.
"Calm down, Lee, He's in surgery." She barely glanced up.
"A-a-alright. Man," he sat down in the chair beside her, "I never thought that something like this could happen." Jordan could see the tears welling up in his eyes; she reached for his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. Leam was like a third brother to her, and getting to be this close to him, was a blessing.
"What about Preston?" he asked.
"Comparatively, much better off. All he has is some smoke in his lungs, a broken arm, and some second and third degree burns. Otherwise he's fine." She replied, pulling closer against him.
"That's good." Leam laid his head on hers, then slowly, and quite reluctantly, she fell asleep.
"Jo, sweetheart wake up. Jo, we can go see Brehn now. Jo," Leam's soft voice broke into her dark dreams.
"M-Kay. Is he awake now?"
"Afraid not, but he's breathing on his own."
"Oh," her heart sank to the pit of her stomach like a rock in a lake, "I do really need to see him." She stood up onto jelly legs, and took Leam's hand as they headed toward Room 117.
Jordan held her breath and tightened her grip on Leam's hand as they got closer.
Then she stopped, "What's wrong?" Leam asked her solemnly.
Her eyes grew wide, her pupils dilated, her skin bleached stark white, "I don't know if I can do it Lee, I need to know he's okay, but I don't know if I can bring myself to see him half-dead on a hospital bed."
"Oh sweetie! It'll be okay! You can do it I know you can! Jo, you are probably the strongest girl I know, physically as well as mentally, you can play football with the big boys, you can see your brother."
"You're right. Let's do it." And they entered the room.
"Hey buddy, man, you look great, I'm telling ya, blue and purple really are your colors! Oh, and that red, perfect touch! I mean, torn flesh is definitely the new black."
Jordan smacked his arm, "Leam Ryan Brandt! This is not a time to joke around! Not to mention he can most likely hear you!"
"C'mon Jo, you know as well as I do he would love people being just a bit light hearted. Plus he's probably prefer it to you yelling at me..."
"What was that last..."
"Oh my goodness!" a tear-filled voice screamed from the doorway. It was Sierra Hart, Brehn's most serious and recent love interest. Although fresh the relationship might have been, there really was a real spark between them. There was more there than Jordan had ever seen with any other girl.
Momentarily, Sierra was in a chair bawling her eyes out, the poor thing. Seeing her in that light, this perfect girl, it brought tears to her own eyes. Although sad it was, Jordan couldn't help but view her as quite angelic. She went to the chair beside her.
"He'll be okay, hon." She wrapped an arm around Sierra's shoulders to cover the possible lie.
"I know, but he looks dead! It's just so... He was fine last.... Oh my goodness." Again she began to sob, Jordan did as well.
"Awwww! C'mon guys! Don't do this!" Leam whined, shocking the girls into re-realization that he had been standing there the entire time.
Jordan turned and glared at him.
"Okay! Go ahead and cry! Do what you want, I won't stop you!" He backed off, knowing he was walking right into a battle he couldn't win.
Chapter 3
Sarcasm
"Wasting sarcasm is a sin." -R. Stevens
"Well don't you three look like sorry bumps on a log!" the three friends heard echo down the hall, "You know? I would've thought my friends, especially my girlfriend; would have the little courtesy to break away from sleepy head over there to visit the awake one down the hall! I hope you realize I'm actually closer than the cafeteria? I mean come on!" by this point everyone had turned and seen Preston being wheeled toward them.
"Hmmm, imagine that, you're milking it for all it's worth." Jordan jokingly sneered at him.
"Just for the record, this" he pointed at the wheelchair in which he sat, "was all their," he indicated the nurse pushing him, "idea, not mine. Although, it is quite nice." He added leaning back.
"Of course it is," she stood up and walked tenderly over to him, "I can take care of him now, if that's alright." She said softly to the nurse.
"Okay. I'll be back in one hour to administer his pain meds." She replied before turning and scuttling away.
Jordan found herself staring down the now deserted hallway, lost within herself as she did occasionally.
"Babe? Honey? What's up? You can't tell me you're considering leaving me for Lauren? C'mon my nurse, now that's low." He chuckled; Jordan shook herself back to reality.
She wheeled him halfway over to the others before just stood up and finished the rest of the journey on his own.
"Hey man! How's it goin'?" Leam said, giving him the weird high-five-half-hug thing guys always do, but it doesn't really have a title.
"You know, same 'ole, same 'ole. Oh yea, got in a car accident and am currently hospitalized, hmmm, thought you heard?" Preston responded. They all laughed at that. It was nice to have so much light heartedness at such a depressing time, a blessing really.
"Hey Preston." Sierra half-smiled at him.
"Hey Sierra," He leaned over and gave her a hug, holding her tight, "He's a strong kid, you know that. He could survive worse."
Sierra began to cry again, "I know! It's just so hard! It hurts so bad!"
"I know sweetie. We all know."
They all came around for a group hug.
