Run Away (An Academy Ghost Bird Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Seven

Sang

     Dr. Green takes me to a room on the third floor. It's a large private room with a bathroom. He pushes the wheelchair over to the side of the hospital bed that sits along one wall. Luke jumps onto the bed against the opposite wall and tucks his hands behind his head and crosses his ankles.
     "By all means, Luke, make yourself comfortable."
     "Thanks Doc!" Luke grins mischievously. Dr. Green just smiles and shakes his head, obviously this behavior is not new. Luke seems to be a genuinely happy person, he constantly wears a warm smile that seems ready to laugh. It's infectious.  
     Dr. Green offers me his hand to help me stand, I wince slightly when I put weight on my bad ankle. He guided me to the hospital bed but I pause and look down at my clothes. "I don't want to get it dirty." I murmur. Then I realize I already sat in Kota's car, "Oh no! Kota's car! I probably got mud all over it." I am absolutely horrified. These boys just want to help me and I am destroying all their things. I feel a hand on my shoulder and look over to see Dr. Green looking down kindly at me. His green eyes are kind, with no judgement.
     "Sweetie. I can guarantee that Kota doesn't care if you get a little mud on his seat"
     "Now, North would be another story. He's still mad at me for that time I spilled some soda in the Jeep." Luke replies.
     "Luke, that's just not true. You spill something in North's Jeep about once a week, that's why he's always mad at you" Dr. Green says to Luke, making me giggle. Dr. Green turns back to me, his eyes twinkling. "That's a lovely sound." He said with a grin, "Now, sit up here and let's take a look." I blush at the compliment and sit up on the hospital bed. I take a moment to study him as he prepares some tools and washes his hands. His curly, sandy blonde hair often falls in his smiling green eyes. Like Luke, his smile is warm and makes me want to smile back. Despite having just met him, I feel completely at ease. He looks too young to be a doctor, maybe 19 or 20. But he moves through the room with a confidence of anyone with years of experience.
     He carefully checks each injury starting with my ankle, which turned out to be just twisted. He carefully cleans the cut on my knee and has to put in a couple stitches. Those weren't very fun. He checks the bump on my head but rules out a concussion. The cuts on my arms, legs and feet were shallow and didn't need stitches. The split in my lip is almost healed so he just cautioned me to avoid smiling to wide because 'those smiles are dangerous'. Which then, of course, made me want to smile.
     

     "Okay Pookie, I think our friends Gabriel and Victor brought some clothes and some toiletries for you if you're ready to clean up." Dr. Green tells me, removing his gloves. 

     As if they heard their names, two boys suddenly came into the room each holding bags. The first boy was almost as tall as Luke with crystal blue eyes and russet brown hair except for two blonde pieces in the front. He had three small black hoops in the top of his right ear and orange crystal studs in each lobe. He walked straight to me and placed some shopping bags on the small table next to the bed and started digging through them. The second boy had wavy, chocolate brown hair that went just past his ears and he walked with a confident grace. He had light brown eyes that simmered like they were on fire. He smiled at me and headed into the bathroom without a word.

     "You must be the famous Sang" the first boy said, drawing my attention back to him. I nodded. "Hi, I'm Gabriel. We brought some clothes for you. I didn't have much to go on so I hope these fit okay." He said while eyeing me up and down. The way he was looking at me would normally make me uncomfortable but I could see his intention wasn't improper. He merely seemed to be making sure he had gotten my size right. "I think they'll do for now, at least until I can really take you shopping." My eye widened in surprise, when I opened my mouth to protest, he covered my mouth with his hand. "Don't you dare deny me my fun. These guys hardly ever let me splurge. You're not going fight me on this, understand?" His crystal eyes narrow in teasing. I simply nodded, still in shock that he had his hand over my mouth. When he didn't remove his hand right away, I narrowed my eyes at him and poked out my tongue to lick his palm. He yelped, yanking it away. "Oy! She licked me!" I giggled.
     "You shouldn't do that. You don't where his hands have been" the other boy, who I assume is Victor, spoke from behind Gabriel. He step around Gabriel and walked closer. His melodic baritone voice was soothing. "Don't mind Gabe, he gets excited when it comes to fashion." Gabriel flipped him off and turned back to the shopping bags. "I'm Victor, by the way. It's nice to meet you, Sang." His smile was kind, his eyes simmered warmly.
     "Nice to meet you too, Victor" I replied meekly.
     "Gasp! She speaks!" Gabriel exclaimed, his eyes looking at me wide in mock shock. I can feel the blush warming my cheeks. A hand appeared behind him and whacked him on the back of the head.
     "Don't tease her!" Luke scolds from behind Gabriel. I was startled that Luke struck him, but Gabriel didn't retaliate, he simply half-yelled back at him.
     "Oy! That hurt, fucker!" He turns back to me looking contrite. "Sorry, Sang. I didn't mean anything by it, really." I nod back. "Oh no! I think I broke her" he says teasing again, but winks to soften his words. I realize this is what normal friends do. They tease in fun, make jokes. The smack that Luke gave him was scolding but it was still in fun and not to truly hurt him. They weren't really mad at each other. Watching them interact with one another was fascinating. I decide to join in too.
     "Not broken, not even sprained. Just ask Dr. Green." I grin. He chuckles at this and turns back to the shopping bags pulling various clothes out.
     "Okay, beautiful, are you ready to get cleaned up?" Gabriel asks. "Victor and I brought everything you should need. I didn't have time to make you some shampoo so you're going to have to use store brand, sorry." Gabriel tells me. He really does look disappointed about this. Victor walks up next to me with a hand outstretched, a gentle smile on his face.
     "Do you need some help walking to the bathroom?"
     "Yes, please." I grasp his open hand and allow him to help me up to my feet and I slowly walk to the large private bathroom. Gabriel follows with a bundle of clean clothes in his arms. Grasping his hand made my heart flutter and heat rise to my cheeks. I'm not used to someone touching me, even when Luke helped me earlier, my heart pounded so hard in my chest I was afraid he could hear it.
     The bathroom has been stocked up. On the sink counter sits a new toothbrush and toothpaste still in the packaging. A new hairbrush, a wide tooth comb and some styling products rest on the other side. There is no tub, only a walk-in shower that a small shower stool sits inside. Salon brand shampoo and conditioner sit on the shower floor near the stool on one side, and a bottle of body wash soap and a new loofah sit on the other. Gabriel lowers the toilet seat lid and places the stack of clothes and a clean towel on top.
     "We thought you'd feel more comfortable sitting down." Victor tells me pointing toward the shower. I nod my thanks and sit on the stool to wait while they finish setting up. Gabriel turns his attention to me and looks at my head.
     "Would you like me to help you wash your hair?" He asks. My mouth drops in shock.
     He wants to be in the shower with me?
     "Gabe, you can't ask her thinks like that!" Victor scolds him. Gabriel looks away from my hair to Victor in confusion.
     "What do you mean?" Looking back to me and seeing my shocked expression, I see his own surprise and a flush of embarrassment. "Oh, Sang. I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. I swear, I'm not trying to perv on you or anything."
     "What did you mean?"
     "I just meant..." He sighs, "Look. I know you fucking hurt all over and are tired as fuck. Your hair has caked in mud and leaves and shit, so it looks like it'll take some time, and a shit ton of energy you don't have, to get everything out." He points to my head. "I didn't mean for you to be naked in the shower with me. I brought an over-sized shirt you could change into. When I'm done, I'll leave and you can take the shirt off and shower normally. The shower head detaches so I can move it around, I don't even have to get in the shower with you. I will stand out here, fully clothed, the whole time." He looks into my eyes, I don't know what he sees but he then slowly drops down to his knees beside me. He takes one of my hands gently in both of his, taking in a slow breath and releasing it through his nose. Using a softer, serious tone, he pleads, "Please don't be scared of me, Sang. I promise...no, I swear on my poor sweet Mama's grave. I will not hurt you. No one here will hurt you. I want to help you, this is just how I do it. I'm not a doctor and I'm not big or super strong, so I can't heal or protect you the same way some of the other guys can. But I can care for you the way one human being does another. Like my Mama did for me. Did your mother ever wash your hair when you were small?" I shake my head slowly. I've always taken care of myself, as long as I can remember. Even when I was sick, I had to take care of myself. Gabriel looks sad at my response, "Well, my Mama did. It made me feel care for and safe. That's all I want." He tells me with somber eyes.
     I always assumed I was normal but thinking back now, my mother never did things like that for me. She's never washed or brushed my hair when I was a child. She never cared for me when I was sick. I don't think she's ever made me feel like Gabriel's mother did, care for and safe. No one in my family hugs or comforts anyone else. I barely even speak to my sister. So far this group of friends has taken care of me without asking anything in return. They hold out their hands to help me, even Gabriel playfully putting his hand over my mouth was done without thinking twice about the touch. Maybe this is what normal is supposed to be and I've been missing out this whole time. 

     It's okay to trust them, I feel it in my gut. I know that if I felt uncomfortable with something, I could tell them and they would stop. They haven't forced me to do anything, always reaching but never grabbing. Never pushing me, always allowing me to move at my own pace, whatever I was comfortable with. I'm not used to asking for or even receiving help, but something tells me with these boys I simply need to ask.

     "Okay." I whisper, "You're right. I don't know if I can lift my arms that long." I confess. I look straight into his eyes, "Would you mind helping me, Gabriel?" He gives me a small smile, the sadness in his crystal blue eyes recedes and I see them sparkle again.
     "Of course, Sang. Whatever you need." He answers. He reaches over and grabs an over-sized black shirt from the stack of clothes he brought in. Offering it to me he says, "I'm going to step out, go ahead and take the muddy clothes off and slip this on. Leave the dirty clothes on the floor, here. Just yell when you're ready." He stands up and both he and Victor leave the bathroom and shut the door behind them. I peel off the dirty t-shirt and shorts I'm wearing, being careful not to scrap my knee. I remove my underwear and hide in between the dirty clothes with a blush. I pull on the black shirt and it swallows me up, falling to my mid thigh. Sitting back on the shower stool, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves.
     "Okay. I'm ready." I say, and Gabriel enters the room again, leaving the door open a few inches. He reaches for the shower head and pulls it from the holder, switching on the water and testing the temperature.
     When the water reaches the temperature he likes, he looks at me and winks, "Okay, let's get this mop cleaned up. Tilt your head back and look up." I do as he says. He brings the water over my head and starts running the hot water through my hair. He pulls leaves and small twigs from the strands. I hold the shower head for him when he asks, careful to point it toward the wall, and he bends down to picks up the shampoo, pouring some into his hand. He gently massages it into my scalp, carefully working around the tender spot at the back of my head. I hear him singing to himself as he works, he has a beautiful voice. It's soulful and sweet, I listen and relax as he works. Tilting my head back, he takes the shower head from my hands and gently rinses the bubbles out, "I'm going to shampoo one more time to make sure I got everything." He repeats the process and then applies the conditioner, carefully pulling it through the strands all the way to the ends. I watch him as he works, his crystal eyes completely focused on his task. "Alright, I think I got everything."
     "Than- " I begin to thank him when a booming voice comes from beyond the door.
     "What the fuck? Why is Gabe in the fucking shower with her?"
     I blush but Gabriel just rolls his eyes. "Looks like North is here with your food. Go ahead and finish up. Take your time. I have your new clothes there," he pointed to the stack. "Just wrap your hair in a towel but don't dry it, I'll take care of it when you've finished eating"
     "Okay, thank you Gabriel."
     "No problem, beautiful girl." He winks with a grin and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.