Falling for my best friend

The hospital

The nurse led me down the darkened halls, the lights on most of the halls off and te cement walls closing in around me. I got more and more nervous as we took eachstep forward on the slick newly cleaned tiles. All the nurses desks were dark and papers were scattered all around the desk tops. We finally reached the room where Carter layed, room 112. She was either asleep or unconscious I couldn't tell as I stood in the wide doorway, the cold metal chilled my arm as I leaned on the frame, trying to figure out what to say. I sat like that puzzeling for what seemed like forever, but was only a few moments, until I heard a soft whisper of my name. "Jason?" I took a few quick steps over to the hospital bed and saw her laying down, the blankets wrapped around her, and he eyes closed. She rocked her head back and forth as if searching for someone, and i grimaced as I saw her. She looked awful! Her arms were covered in cuts and bruises, her left eye had a blue ring around it, and her body just looked like one big bruise. It looked like everything hurt, even simply swalling seemed a hard task for her to overcome. she spoke my name as best as she could again. "Jason? Jason? I..I want Jason. I gotta find him." She spoke just barely loud enough to hear but clearly tried to sit up, causing her what looked like a ton of pain, that was my cue. I sat on the edge of the bed, and gently nudged her to lay back down by putting very subtle pressure on her shoulders. She seemed dazed and confused, like she didn't remember anything that had happened in the past hour and a half. I reached for her hand, and she pulled away slightly, until I spoke. "Shh Carter it's me, Jason, i'm here. Your okay, I promise i'm right here." She managed to intertwine our fingers and I smiled letting out half a chuckle to myself, that even when she was in so much pain she still was a huge flirt. I stroked the top of her hand with my thumb, and tried to think of something to say but my mind was completely drawing a blank. "Jason, you don't have to say anything. I'm just glad your here, with me." I let out a smal sigh, and half a laugh. "Carter, I don't think you know how scared I was...when I saw you laying on the floor, with so many injuries. I..I thought i was going to loose you for a while to be honest." I felt tears starting to dill my eyes, and a sniffle to hold it back escape my nose. I put my hands to my eyes, and wiped them dry again as I thought to myself it's now or never. I let the words i was most nervous to say at thr moment, slip right off my tongue. "Carter, I love you. And I dont what I would do without you." She opened those beautiful brown eyes up a little, letting a small giggle escape her mouth. "I love you too Jason, I don't know what I'de do without you." She amiled that perfect little smile of hers, and spokw out nowhere again. "Jason, get the nurse."

"What, why what's wrong?" I panicked slightly as and she spoke quickly to tell me nothig was actually wrong."

"Jason..Jason nothing is wrong." She spoke giggling, it looked painful but not as bad. "I wanna go home."

"Oh babe, I don't think that's such a good idea. I think you should just stay here for a day or two."

"No Jason, I wanna get outta here. I don't need to be in a hospital."

"Carter..." She interrupted me angrily, getting annoyed now and she sounded like there was another reason for wanting to leave. But I didn't say anything, I didn't argue. I just stood up, and went to get the nurse. I sauntered out the door casually and up to the nurses desk, where she sat typing like a maniac on an old computer. "Um excuse me, ma'am."

"Yes?"

"Carter Johnson room 112, would like to go home. Like right now."

She spoke confidently but quickly, and walked taking short speedy steps toward the room just across the hall. "Okay i'll go get her ready." I couldn't help but think how it probably shouldn't have been that simple, but I didn't fight it, I just stood leaning against the edge of the tall bue counter top, waiting for Carter to step out the door. When after 20 minutes she still hadn't come out I checked my watch for the time it read 10:30 P.M. And just as I was about to walk over and knock on the door, the nurse stepped out of the room, Carter in foot right behind her. The nurse walked over to me and handed me a small bag that had some of Carters things in it. I read her name tag partially hidden by her blonde hair but managed to make the name out. "Thank you, for everything...Emma."

"You're welcome. Jason isn't it?"

"Yup that's me." I gave her a genuine smile saying thanks again and took the last few steps toward Carter. She played it cool until we left the sliding automatic doors of the quiet darkened hospital, but as soon as we had reached the car, she immediatly fell into my body sobbing quietly into my shirt. I didn't ask anything, I didn't say anything. I just held her to my body supporting her as she stood with support on only her left leg. I embraced her in my arms, and didn't let her go. I think she was just afraid. In remenisance of the scene that had unfolded only hours before. She looked up at me, and started to speak. "I'm.." But I interrupted her with a kiss. I felt the warmth of her warm lips mold with mine, into a passionate reassurring kiss. Letting her know there wasn't anything to be sorry for, and that I wasn't going anywhere. And when I felt one of her salty tears roll down her cheek onto mine I pulled back, smiling at her, and realized she was standing on her tiptoes to reacg me. I never realized how much taller I was than her. I looked at her puffy, brown and red, wet eyes. Tears rolling individually one, by one out of them, I wiped her cheeks off with my thumbs, drying them as best as I could. She blushed and turned her head into the palm of my hand, as I leaned down and kissed her nose. "Let's get home, it's late and you should get some rest." She gave a small nod in agreement, and I opened the passanger side door for her and setting her inside. I walked over to the drivers side stuck the key into the ignition, and started the car. It came to life with a roar, and I slowly pulled out of the nearly empty parking lot.

The 20 minute drive seemed to last 2 hours as we sat in an awkward silence. Carter just stared out the window, and I kept shifting my postion and the position of my hands in worried, restless, anxiety. I glanced at Carter a few times, and I saw her glance glance at me through the corner of my eye, but didn't bother to say anything. The 20 minute drive from the hospital back to her house seemed like 2 hours! And I glanced at Carter one last time to see her shivering out of her own skin. It got so noticable eventually that I could see it out of my perepheril vision. The air conditioning was on full blast, and I only could not feel it because my sweatshirt was hiding my skin from the freezing air hurdling at me from the open vents. Finally I felt so awful at the stop light on the corner where we had shared our first date snoom up on me, I slipped my sweatshirt off of my own body, and reached over to set it over Carters shivering body, as the ice cold air attacked my own skin and immediatly giving me goosebumps. The air hit my arms like it was a full on punch coming from Brian's fist. As I carefully set the sweatshirt over her chilled body trying not to hurt her, I realized her eyes were closed peacfully, and her head dangled off to the side. She had fallen asleep, I watched her for a bit embracing her beauty, and again my thoughts rolled back to why couldn't I have helped her? All I wanted to focus on was Carter, and keeping her safe. She slept peacfully the rest of the way home, and I quietly left the car walking to her on the opposite side of the car. I unbuckled her careful to not disturb her much needed rest, and picked her up into my arms. She was so perfect, so beautiful, and all mine. I don't know what I would do without her, shes my rock. I need her. She slept as I cradled her, with my sweatshirt around her. She had slipped her arms into it and was wearing it now as I carried her up the stairs into her uhhh our bedroom and set her down cautiously on the bed. I didn't bother waking her to get dinner or into her "pajamas";) or to get my sweatshirt back. I just wanted her to rest and get well again. I slipped the covers on top of her and added an extra one knowing how cold she was, plus my sweatshirt, which she had completely cocooned herself in by now. And I stole one last look at her tired, sleeping body and turned out the lights, I took my shirt off and climbed in next to her careful to give her, her space. But the thing is..she moved toward me. Her back side held close to my bare chest by my arm around her waist pulling her in to close the gap. I tried to think of an excuse to let myself hold her there. This counts as extra heat right? Yea that works thats my excuse! About 5 minutes later I realized how tired I really was, and fell quickly asleep, with the most beautiful girl in the world next to me.