Flight Risk

Capitulo Veintiuno

They weaned me off of the ventilator over the next 24 hours though I wasn’t conscious for most of it. When I finally came to, it was gone, my restraints were removed and my throat felt swollen, dry, scratchy and irritated, though I wasn’t exactly complaining because it was better than feeling trapped. It still hurt to take deep breaths, but they encouraged me to deep breath anyway with a warning that if I didn’t, I might end up with hospital induced pneumonia, which didn’t sound at all pleasant.

Kristy came to visit me on her lunch after Trishka and I had successfully convinced Derik to go home and get some sleep. When she came, Sam who had refused to leave with Derik and Trish, left for a short while to get some food and use the restroom. She sat down on my bed beside me and I scooted over to make more room for her.

“My butt’s not that big kiddo,” she joked.

Instead of laughing like I wanted to, I gave her a smirk because laughing led to coughing and coughing led to pain. She began stroking my hair and arranging it so that it was out of my face. “You had me worried for a bit there.”

My voice was little more than a hoarse whisper so I pointed to myself and then held up two fingers to signify “Me too.”

“You’re not allowed to do stuff like that,” she sniffed, “if I had lost another person I loved to a car accident…” She trailed off and her hand stilled in my hair. “I love you with all my butt.” She smiled when I frowned in confusion and then added, “I would say all my heart, but my butt’s bigger so…”

I couldn’t stop myself that time, I had to laugh because a smirk wouldn’t even come close to doing my feelings justice. That familiar itch that preceded my coughing fits began at the back of my throat and stopped laughing in hopes that I could avoid it. I cleared my sore throat and thankfully it went away.

“Sam says the doctor told you that you’ll be ready for discharge by tomorrow afternoon if you don’t desat. I’m willing to take off a couple of days, if you’d be willing to come back home and live with me. I’d feel so much better if I could keep an eye on you.”

I closed my eyes and sighed realizing that I hadn’t moved my stuff out of the house and that I’d promised the estate manager guy, Tom that I’d be out in two days time, a promise I’d made five days ago.

“Don’t worry about moving your stuff, I had Sam and the boys take it to the house, because when I asked you just now, I wasn’t really planning on taking no for an answer,” Kristy responded reading my mind, though probably not realizing all the trouble she had saved me.

I had a feeling using hand signals to talk wasn't going to last long so with a small smile I whispered, “Thanks Kristy."

“You know I’m surprised that I didn’t end up having to drag him out of the room just now. He hasn’t budged from his spot next to your bed since he got here,” she told me referring to her son. “He really loves you. He’s usually a really easy going laid back guy, but when he’s with you he’s completely different. Every girl before you was infatuation and easygoing. He was always very ‘que sera sera’ about it. I’ve never seen him moodier than when someone brings you up. You should’ve seen the look on his face when I told him the red car outside of your house was Brian’s.” She laughed and shook her head, “Trini, I’ve never seen him so worked up and restless. He paced back and forth down the hall so many times, I thought he’d worn a path into the carpet.” She laughed again in remembrance, “but he’s stubborn and didn’t want to admit to himself that you figured out something was wrong with Brad, his best friend, before he did. It seems silly now, but I think that was his way of coping. He’s never been really good with facing his problems head on, especially after his father died. He’d rather avoid them as evidenced by his long periods away from home.”