He Doesn't Know

Fourteen

"I got his bag. Don't worry," I speak up while rushing forward to grab Connor's bag from John. Connor shoots me a smile and shakes his head. He's been in the hospital for three days and is finally getting out. I've volunteered to help look after him, considering I'm a nurse in training I felt obligated, so his mom wouldn't feel the need to take off of work so much. John wheels Connor to the car that Fallon has now parked out in front of the hospital. I stop walking and observe this moment of Fallon and Connor finally seeing each other since the scene at the stadium. Neither of them says a word, not even when Fallon helps take Connor out of the wheel chair and places him into the car. I let the breath, I didn't realize I was holding, out once we're all in the car and leaving the hospital.

"Do you need anything before we leave son?" Debora, Connor's mom, asks once again as her and John are leaving Connor's apartment. Connor smiles at them and shakes his head no while reassuring, "I'm fine and I'm sure Vera will be happy to run to get something for me." As he mentions my name I look over at him and he smiles at me. I nod my head and turn towards his parents while saying, "Yes we'll be fine here. If anything happens I'll make sure to call you right away. Don't worry." Debora's eyes go wide and asks me, "What will go wrong? Oh no, John we shouldn't leave Connor, what if Vera's right and something does go wrong?" John smiles at all of us and begins pushing his wife towards the door as he reassures her, "He'll be fine. Debbie stop freaking out Connor will be taken care of." They wave goodbye one more time then the door shuts behind them and Fallon locks it right away. I give him a look, but he shrugs and simply tells me, "I love them, but he's their only child and she can get a bit too much." I smile at him and let his arms snake around me. On my tippy toes I lean up and place a soft kiss on his lips, then it dawns on me where we are and who we're in front of. Except I've already done the action and I can't take the kiss back, I never wanted Connor to find out this way.

"So while I was in the hospital in pain, the two of you have been shacking up. Look how comfortable you two look, unbelievable. This is fucking great," Connor's words fill the silence. I step away from Fallon and look at Connor while going to reach out to him, but stop when I hear Fallon's words. "Are you fucking serious? First of all bro, Vera and I became a couple before you were even in the hospital so don't even pull that I've been in pain shit, because I won't take it. Second, Vera is doing you a favor by looking after you. She doesn't owe you anything Connor after the way you treated her. So get used to seeing me, because no way in hell am I going to let my girlfriend come here alone every day," Fallon informs Connor while stepping closer to me once again. I roll my eyes at them, they're being petty. "Fallon please don't start. I want to be here and help him, Connor has been through something terrible and obviously needs help. No I don't forgive him for everything that he's done, but I think it will be in the best interest for all of us to take a step to becoming friends. I realized when I saw Connor in the hospital bed on the first night that I didn't want to lose him. I love you Fallon, please trust me," finally speaking up. I grab a hold of Fallon's hand and begin to trace small circles.

Connor stares at me for a good minute, then a sigh escapes his lips. "I'm sorry Vera, I didn't think the two of you would be together so soon. I should have known it was inevitable by the way everything turned out," he tells me while looking away. "It's been over a month Connor, please don't make me feel bad for wanting to be happy again. I'm here to help you, because I hope maybe one day we can all be friends again. I know it will take time, but I believe things happen for a reason and maybe in a sick way your incident was meant to bring us back," I say as I take a step towards him. Fallon grabs my hand again and steps forward with me. "Like I said, you'll be seeing me along with her," Fallon defensively blurts out. I roll my eyes and swat him away, then turn back to Connor. "Get better Connor," I say as I wrap my arms around the boy in the wheelchair.

I wake up in the middle of the night from someone shaking me. My eyes shoot open and I sit up in a panic. Geisel is next to me looking exhausted. "You're phone has been going off for the past ten minutes. I can't find it, so I think it's under you. Answer it," she tells me before going back to her bed and plopping down. Sure enough I realize my phone is ringing next to me in bed. Connor's name lights up my phone and I answer it without hesitating. "Hello? What's wrong Connor?" I ask right away. "I have to pee so badly and I can't get out of bed. I think I'm going to pee my pants if you don't hurry," I hear him reply through the phone. I sigh once I realize it's not anything too serious. I laugh escapes my lips, but I regret it once Connor starts yelling, "HEY! THIS ISN'T FUNNY VERA! I've never been this useless in my life." I start to pull actual clothes on while reassuring him, "Ok I'll be right over. Just hold it for a couple of more minutes, yeah?"

I hear the phone connect through, but there's no sound on the other line. "Fallon?" I ask. "Yeah," I barely hear his voice answer. "Connor called me, so I'm calling you to walk me over to his building," I say straight forward. I can hear how tired he sounds, so I'm not even sure if he's listening to what I have to say. "He did what? Why did he call you at this hour?" he asks right away sounding much more alert. "He has to pee and can't get out of bed," I reply. "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" he yells through the phone. I hold the phone away from me and I can still hear Fallon continue to swear. "Will you meet me downstairs or not?" I ask with a little irritation, because honestly I'm just as tired as he is. "Yeah, yeah, I'll meet you in ten minutes," he replies with a sigh at the end. "Fallon could you meet me in a couple of minutes? It's just I told Connor I would be right..." I begin to say, but Fallon interrupts with, "Jeez Vera. Ok dammit...ugh fine I'll just put a jacket on real quick." Then I hear the call click off.

I lean against the wall outside my dorm building and I smile creeps on my face once I see Fallon making his way towards me. His blonde hair is all over the place and sure enough he has a hoodie on, but he's still in his boxers. I can't help but laugh as he gets closer. Fallon shoots daggers at me, but soon as he reaches me his lips are on mine. "I love you. I hope you know this is the only reason I'm dressed like this, because you begged me to come right away," he tells me as he separates from my lips and grabs my hand to walk towards Connor's direction.

The whole apartment is dark and I can hear faint heavy breathing in the next room. Fallon switches on a few lights and we both walk into Connor's bedroom, to find a passed out Connor in bed. "This is not happening. WAKE THE FUCK UP YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Fallon yells. My eyes widen for the second time tonight and I smack Fallon on the arm. "Fallon what the fuck? You scared me," I tell him. He ignores me and walks over to the now awake Connor. I take notice that Connor's crutches are laying across the floor away from him, my guess he reached for them and they fell over. I turn my attention to the two boys throwing profanity at each other, while Fallon gets a hold of Connor so he can get out of the bed. I grab the crutches for Connor and hold them out to him. Connor shoots me a grateful smile and takes them out of my hands. As he goes towards the bathroom, however Fallon is behind him ready to catch an unsteady Connor. This brings a smile to my face and I bite my lip to try to hide it from growing even bigger. The door closes and Fallon leans against the wall while letting out a frustrated sigh and runs a hand through his still messy hair, which only makes it worse. "I knew you cared," I whisper so Connor won't hear. Fallon looks up at me and stares at me, while bluntly saying, "Shut it." I laugh and walk up to him to wrap my arms around him, which he gladly holds me against him. I know he wouldn't want to bring it up, but I'm right. I know he cares deep down.

As Connor lays back down from the help of Fallon I ask, "Do you need anything else?" Connor shakes his head no and I can see how tired he is by the heaviness of his eyes. I walk back over to the door, but Connor grabs my hand and tells me, "Thank you Vera." I smile down at him and give his hand a little squeeze before dropping it. As Fallon and I leave the room I barely catch the Thank you Fallon that falls from Connor's lips. I look over at Fallon to see if he heard it, but he's already next to the front door waiting for me. Both of them don't know that the other cares.