A New Life: Sequel to Amber

Chapter 36

Rhett's POV

Amber and I had been sitting in the waiting room for about an hour when a nurse came for us and took us to Link's room. She told us he had broken a rib, his right leg, and his left wrist. He also had to get stitches in several places from all the deep cuts he had gotten during the fall and had a concussion. She left as soon as we went inside, Link was sleeping. He had cuts all over his body and his glasses were folded up on the table. The lenses were shattered and the frame was bent. He was pale and looked to be in a lot of pain. His leg was being held up by a sling and wrapped in a thick cast as well as his wrist and torso. He had a breathing mask covering his mouth and nose. Bandages were wrapped around his head. He looked a lot like a mummy. 

I bit my lip and held back a tear. If only I had been quicker, I could have saved him. Amber was crying quietly in the chair in the corner of the room. I had tried to comfort her before, but it was no use, she just couldn't calm down yet. I'll give her some time alone. She'll feel better after she gets it all out. I grabbed a chair and brought it to Link's bedside. I spoke softly. "Hey brother. How are you feeling? Probably not so well, but you'll get there again. Amber and I are here. Turns out Amber only rolled her ankle, but she did it badly. Took about an hour and a half for it to heal enough so she could walk. She's fine now. The doctors say you're banged up pretty good. You broke three bones, got stitches, and have a concussion. I hope there's no memory loss with this one, but we'll know when you wake up. Just hang in there and get as much rest and sleep as you need. You don't have to wake up just yet. We're staying with ya. Well, Christy's gonna take Amber home and stay with her. I'm gonna stay the night. Keep you company and help you whenever possible. Hang in there, Link. You're gonna be hurtin' when you wake up, so take your time."

I sighed and leaned back in the chair. Christy would be here soon, she had to unexpectedly leave work for Amber. Just as I thought that, the door quietly opened and Christy stepped in. Her eyes filled with tears when she saw how badly damaged Link really was. She let one fall. I stood up and gave her a comforting hug. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Christy. You can stay here as long as you want to. There's no rush to get Amber home."

"Thank you, Rhett. How bad off is he?" Her voice quivered as she spoke.

"He has a broken rib, wrist, and leg, a concussion, and a lot of stitches. He will be alright eventually, but he's going to be in a lot of pain for a while and he won't heal very fast." This could be bad new for Link's idea to propose to Christy on her birthday next month. He'll work something out, I know. Christy nodded somberly and sat next to Link. She grabbed his hand.

"You're so cold," she whispered. A few tears leaked out of her eyes and slowly rolled down her cheeks. They fell onto Link's hand and his eyes slowly opened. He groaned quietly and shut them again. "Link, sweetheart, are you alright?" He opened his eyes again and gave her an amused look, a small side smirk danced upon his chapped lips. He opened his mouth and his voice came out, clearly showing the amount of pain he was in. His voice was quiet, weak, but rough. He spoke very slowly, carefully forming each word before actually saying it.

"Christy, what do you think?" He smirked weakly and she smiled. He still had his sense of humor, even when he was in a whole heck of a lot of pain.

"No, you're not. I have to take Amber home now. She needs some lunch. Rhett's gonna stay here with you throughout the rest of the day and the whole night. Try to relax and take care of yourself. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

He smiled slightly and slowly blinked. His bright blue eyes met her emerald green ones with a smile. "I love you too. Thank you. A-Amber? Could you come here sweetheart?" Christy smiled and stood to the side as Amber slowly stood up and come over to the chair. She sat down, but was still crying. Her left hand covered her eyes and her right was resting on her leg. Link slowly reached over and held her hand weakly. "Hey, hey. Don't cry, Amber. It's gonna be okay. I'm still here. I'm still alive and we're gonna get through this together, okay? Everything's gonna be great again. I promise."

He carefully let go of her hand and moved her left one away from her eyes. He gently wiped away her tears and gave her the best smile he could manage. She stood up and gently hugged Link. He smiled and brought his arm around her back. His voice sounded sad. She was still crying. "I love you so much, Amber. I'm alright. Don't you worry about me. It's going to be fine. You behave for Christy. And I promise, the day I get better, I'll get you that lunch and ice cream. We have a deal and I won't break it. I love you."

Amber smiled slightly and nodded. "I-I love you too, Dad." Christy put her arm around Amber the two left. I sighed and sat down next to Link again. He smiled slightly at me.

"You're staying all night for me?" If you really listened and picked out the weakness in his voice, he sounded flattered and shocked in a good way. I smirked and nodded.

"You thought I'd just leave you here alone? No way I was gonna do that. Link, you're my best friend and brother, I'm always going to be there for you. Always. Until the day I breathe my last. And I promise you that. I love you, brother. Never forget that." Link smiled.

"I could never forget that 'cause I love you too, Rhett. Thank you for being here for me. I'm always going to do the same for you. You're my best friend and you're the closest thing I have to a full brother. Since the first day of first grade, we have been the very best of friends. We made that blood oath, and became true brothers. We will always remain best friends. Always. Never will anyone ever replace that special place in my heart for my best friend and brother. You."