Not so Far and Long Ago

Chapter 25

     "So what do you have planned for us tonight?" I asked Finn as he began to get ready for our date tonight.
     "Still can't tell you," Finn said running a comb through his hair.
     "Do you even know what we're doing?" I asked with both seriousness and jokingly.
      "I've known for months. I was scared you wouldn't be well enough to come. From what I can tell, you're well enough."
     "Just well enough? Now I don't like to talk myself up, but um, I'd say I'm more than well enough."
"Are you sure? Because if you don't think you're ready, we can totally just stay here, order delivery and watch a movie."
"Well the only thing that's bothering me is my nose." Finn walked over and grabbed my face. He took a quick look at my nose than kissed it.
"Better?"
I thought for a second. "Well my lips kind of hurt now," I finally said. Finn came up to my lips and placed on of his perfectly soft kisses. "Better," I replied after his lips left mine.
    At about 5:30 Finn and I went down and loaded into his car. He was wearing black jeans and a white shirt. He had brought his jacket, but the warm temperatures prevented him from putting it on. "Will you grab me sunglasses? They're in the glove box." Finn asked as he began to drive. Although it wasn't sunny out, I figured there was a reason Finn wanted me in the glove box.
"Oh my gosh," I said a light, yet shocked smile forming across my face, "You got me tickets to the Carrie Underwood concert?"
"You like them?" Finn asked.
"I love them. Thank you so, so, much. How long have you been keeping this from me?"
"Well, it kind of helped that the first few days after I bought them you were in a coma, and than after that we almost never saw each other." Finn and I smiled at each other, our eyes locked into the moment. Than out of the corner of my eye, I saw a car approaching. "Finn!" I suddenly cried in terror, "Watch out!" Only I was too late.
      I saw my life flash before my eyes, most of it completely sucking. I opened my eyes than stood up and walked over to Finn. I grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse. It was slow, but the important part was that it was still there. I looked up and saw ambulances approaching.
      "Don't move him," a paramedic said doing something to Finn. I felt tears entertaining my eyes. Why did this happen to him? Why Finn? He didn't deserve any of this. He was do anything wrong. Finn was barely breathing and I was walking away with just a few scratches and what looked to be a fractured foot while Finn was unconscious with a huge scar across his back. It was all my fault.
     "You need to come too," he said to me, "We need to run a few test." I carefully nodded, my neck popping in the process. With a limp, I followed the man to the ambulance and sat down on a chair towards the corner. I watched the man place different machines on Finn, many of them way too familiar. I didn't want to see those again, not within a week of coming at least.
      Unable to watch, I closed my eyes. A flashback suddenly came, this one back to when Finn found me being beaten. I watched as Finn, paramedics, and a few police discovered me, than I was rushed into the ambulance, Finn following closely behind, eyes filled with panic. He was crying, something I never thought I'd see him do, not that I was actually seeing it, but you get the idea. A few other things happened, Finn crying the entire time. I made him cry. A girlfriend shouldn't be the reason for tears.
      "Ma'am?" one of the paramedics asked, "are you alright."
     "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thinking," I blinked away my tears and swallowed, trying again to look at Finn. I focused on his chest, which was slowly moving up and down, signifying he was still breathing. Knowing that, gave me at least a little reassurance, something I needed as much of as I could get right now. I was waiting for the "Finn will be fine" but that wouldn't happen for at least an hour or however long some of the basic tests take. We pulled into the hospital, where Finn was rushed to the ER. I followed close behind, figuring I should keep a safe distance.
"Rey?" I suddenly heard, "what are you doing back here?"
      "Mallory? Finn and I were in a car accident. They just want to run a few test on me, but Finn," I chocked up, "he got pretty damaged."
      "Follow me down the hall and we can run those test so you can be with Finn." I followed Mallory over to a small room where I was instructed to sit down on the plastic known as a bed. "So what's changed with you?"
     "Oh the usual, you know," I started, "preparing to move across the country, it's highly likelyiiyyf my boyfriend will die, or at least never be the same." By the end my sarcastic tone turned into pure sadness. A part of the window had broke and slashed Finn across the back. That was almost guaranteed to be a cause for back damage.
      "Do you want to calm down before I check your heart and blood pressure?" Mallory asked, "we can do the scans now." I carefully nodded, trying to do everything possible to keep the neck brace from returning to the norm. Mallory ran a few machines over my body, than pulled up a wheelchair. I groaned.
      "I know you don't want to do this, but it's a requirement." Mallory took me too an X-ray room. She turned in a few things and had me lay down before leaving the room.
       As soon as that was done, Mallory took me back to the small room. "I'm going to go get the results. You stay right here."
      "Okay," I whispered as Mallory walked out. I reached for my purse which somehow remained intact through out the accident and pulled out my phone. I checked my email and saw something from LSkywalker@starwars.org, with the subject 'We're ready'. I clicked on the email, my eyes opening wide at the new information.
I know that April 3rd was the date originally decided for you to move here, however that date no longer works due to an upcoming project. We can either take you on Monday, or we won't be able to until July. I personally would rather have you now than July, but I understand the choice is up to you.
Love
Your father
I blinked. I had to go now, peal of the bandaid. Than it hit me, what if I went, and I never saw Finn again. I heard the door open, as Mallory walked in, "your neck and back have definitely improved since you were last here. I'd say just refrain from jerky movements and than you should be completely fine. Our only concern is your left foot which looks to be fractured, but we'll just put a boot on that for a few weeks and than you should be fine. You're not fine," Mallory suddenly said, "what's wrong?"
"I got an email from my dad. He said I could either go in two days or July. I don't know what to do."
"Oh my gosh Rey," Mallory began to give me a hug, "I'm so sorry, but I don't know what to tell you."