Just Friends

May 24th

     My ears woke up before my eyes, there was a strange beeping noise I couldn't comprehend. My eyes took a few forced blinks to respond. I tried to sit up, but a huge stinging pain shot through my head. I placed my hand on it, hoping the pain would decrease. Then I realised I was lying in a hospital bed. I've no idea how I got here. I was just happy to be alive. I couldn't see any other patients as I was hidden behind a large white curtain. The unmistakable smell of hand sanitiser filled my nostrils. My arm had a small plastic tube running from it into a little clear bag, held up by a thin metal rod. A middle-aged black woman wearing a long white coat approached my bed after appearing from behind a curtain.
     "Hi August. Good to see you coming around. How are you?"
     My mouth felt so dry I could barely speak. I glanced to my side to see a bottle of water on the shelf. She must have noticed me looking at it as she grabbed it and poured me some into a small cup. Never had water tasted so good.
     "My name's Angela. I'm a doctor here at Samuel's Hospital. You were involved in a car crash last night. You hit your head pretty hard. You suffered a mild concussion and a little cut to your head, which luckily for you, didn't need stitches. We kept you sedated until the morning to be on the safe side of things. How do you feel, dear?"
     It's a lot to take in after waking up from a car crash, but as soon as she said dear I immediately thought of Ethan.
     "I'm fine, my head hurts. How are my friends? Are they ok? Where are they? Are they dead?"
     I needed to know they're ok. I began to panic, and breathing became a struggle. Angela crouched alongside my bed. "Relax, deep breaths in and out. Do you remember what happened last night?" I nodded as I followed her instructions. She held my hand as I maintained my breathing. "One of your friends is sat in the waiting room with your parents. Do you want me to send them in?" I nodded and wiped my eyes. She gave me a comforting smile before disappearing behind the curtain. My parents worried if I'm a minute late home, especially my Mum. I remember when I was younger I had an ear infection. One night they had to take me to the kid's hospital because the pain had become unbearable. I was only a kid so I may have empthasised it a little. My Mum was crying because I was crying. After a little medicine I was as good as new. But I'll never forget how worried my Mum was. It was like the world was ending... over an ear infection. I can't even begin to imagine what my parents are currently going through. Mum won't have eaten, drank, or slept since hearing the news. I just wanted them to hug me, and tell me everything would be ok. Mum appeared from behind the curtain first, she'd been crying.
     "Oh August, we've been so worried, are you ok my baby?"
     She crouched beside my bed and stroked my head. Her eyes filled with tears. I hated to see my Mum cry. There's nothing worse, it's the most stomach churning feeling in the world.
     "I'm fine. My head hurts a little, but it's nothing to worry about."
     Dad and Max then appeared from behind the curtain. I smiled at them and waited for Ethan to follow. Then I remembered Angela saying, one of your friends is sat in the waiting room with your parents. It kept repeating in my head over and over – one, one, one, one, one, one, one. I started to cry. My Dad crouched alongside my Mum and grabbed my hand. "We're here August don't worry."
      I wiped my eyes. "Where's Ethan? Is he ok? Please tell me he's ok."
     I changed my focus to Max, who'd stood at the end of my bed. He had a small black brace on his right wrist and a plaster above his right eyebrow. He rubbed his nose before sticking his head out of the curtain. I assumed he called Ethan, he must've held back, waiting to see how I am. I calmed down, wiped my eyes again and sniffled my nose. I smiled over at my teary eyed parents.
     "Is Madeline ok?" I asked.
     "She's fine. She stayed over at her friends last night. When we got the call we thought she would be better staying there instead of sitting in the hospital. It's not always the nicest place for little girls. We didn't want her to get upset."
     I glanced over at Max. "Are you ok Max?"
     He kept his eyes to the floor. "I'm good August."
     Angela then returned from behind the curtain. When she reappeared my tears continued. "Where's Ethan? Is he dead? Please tell me he's ok." I couldn't catch my breath. I could slowly feel my world around me closing in on me. "No, no." Mum hushed. She looked over at Angela for help. She held a clipboard by her side with Ethan's name written at the top of it. "Ethan, is still sedated – don't worry he'll be fine. He'd been hit pretty hard. A fractured radius and ulna in his lower left arm and a fractured collarbone. These fractures thankfully weren't compound fractures, meaning the bone didn't penetrate the skin. And a few bruised ribs, but that will be the least of his worries." She paused for a second, flicking onto the next page of her clipboard. "As Mr. Knight was sat in the front passenger seat, his side of the vehicle took the full force of the impact."
     Angela's voice trailed off. My sight immediately switched to Max as Angela paused to write something on her report. His eyes didn't shift from the floor. I remember little about the crash. But if there's one thing I can remember... it's that Ethan wasn't sitting in the passenger seat next to Max. He was most definitely sat in the back because I put him there. Didn't I? What am I saying of course I did. What is going on?
     "If the impact would have been stronger it could have possibly killed him. Thankfully, the reinforced sides of the truck absorbed most of the impact... August, you'll feel as good as new in the next two to three hours. Your parents can sign you out then. If you want to see Ethan before you go, I'm around until five. I'd be more than willing to take you to visit him."
     I smiled, which she did in return. My parents thanked her for taking care of me, and once again, Angela vanished behind the curtain. Everyone gave sighs of relief, but there was only one thing on my mind.
     "Can I have a minute alone with Max, please?"
     I rolled my head over to my parents. "Of course," My Dad said. "Victoria, lets go to the café we saw earlier. You need a coffee and something to eat my love." He put his hand on Mum's shoulder. They both looked so tired and run down. Mum put my hand on her cheek and kissed it. Dad leaned over and kissed my forehead. Max walked over and sat on the edge of my bed as they left.
     "Hey, rough night huh?"
     I wasn't in the mood for laughing about our situation as this moment.
     "What happened?" I asked. I needed to get straight to the point.
     "Well, two idiotic guys had broken into the local jewellers. They'd stolen over four hundred thousand pounds worth of money, diamonds and jewellery. The police were supposed to be right behind their 4x4. Although, I don't recall seeing any flashing lights. Anyway, they took a shortcut through the car park of a grocery store. Hit a curb and lost control – which lead to them smashing into us. But on the bright side, we stopped a burglary last night."
     We sat silently for a second while I processed everything he said. Only one thing replayed in my mind. The one thing I needed to speak to Max about."
     "Max," I couldn't have said his name anymore seriously.
     "Please tell me you remember that I sat in the passenger seat, not Ethan."
     It took a moment for him to open his mouth. "I know August, I know. I can't get my head around it. I don't know how he did it. No one here will believe us when we tell them. What can I say? He loves you August. I hope you understand that. He didn't want you to be in the condition he is in now, and that's why he did it, I have no doubt."
     My mind went blank. Mainly because 1) Switching seats in a matter of nanoseconds is impossible. 2) He was severely drunk and shouldn't have been capable of completing the so called impossible.
     "Are you ok?" I decided to change the subject. Over thinking the current situation won't help.
     "Yeah, I'm fine. Only a sprained wrist, nothing serious. I asked the hospital for a brace to wear for a week in case I catch my wrist on anything."
     My head became heavy to hold as I listened to Max. I felt so weak. I tucked my fist under my chin to keep my head upright.
     "I hope he's ok," I murmured.
     "Me, too." Max replied. "Me, too."
     My parents signed me out at 14:15pm after being awake for around four hours. Max and I searched for Dr. Angela on the ward, the whole place smelt of cleanliness and rubber gloves. Sanitation filled the air. We found Angela stood at one of the reception desks filling out paperwork.
     "Hi guys. How are you both?" She asked.
     "We'll be better once we've seen him. To settle our nerves," Max said.
     "I understand, follow me, I'll take you to him."
     She leant over the desk, swapped her paperwork for a clipboard and walked down the hospital corridor. Max and I shortly followed. Either side of the corridor had a few rooms containing five or six patients in each. We passed each room too quickly to take in any further detail. We walked by a further three or four more rooms before they became smaller with single patients occupying them. "What's the difference between the conditions of the patients in the large rooms compared to patients on their own in the smaller rooms?" I asked.
     Angela stopped at the third or fourth room we came across, on our left. She opened the door to the room. "In today's case, nothing. These rooms are supposed to be used for patients with life threatening conditions. All our other rooms are full, so these patients – including Ethan, have been given upgrades," I liked how she tried to give it a positive appeal. "After you." She said, holding the door open for us. Max and I both thanked her as we walked into Ethan's room. I heard his heart monitor beeping as I stepped inside. I didn't know how to react when I saw him. The first thing that caught my eye was the bright yellow cast on his arm. Other than waking to find himself in a hospital with multiple injuries – he wouldn't be too appreciative of the colour cast he'd been chosen. Yellow is his least favourite colour. White would've been the better choice. It broke my heart seeing him this way. I could see the end of a scar along his collarbone underneath his hospital clothing. His hair looked lifeless and dull, and his lips were almost blue. It seemed he had an endless amount of wires and tubes running in and out of him. I knelt down beside his bed, held his hand and stroked it with my thumb. "Based upon on my evaluation of his condition, Ethan can be signed out in the next ten to twelve days. We've put several metal pins into his collarbone, which are permanent. The cast can be taken off after around nine weeks. Everyone's bones heal at different rates, so it could be sooner or later. He'll be brought out of sedation tomorrow. We've tried calling Ethan's Father many times, but we've been unable to get ahold of him. I'll excuse myself and leave you three alone. There's a button on the side of Ethan's bed if you need emergency assistance." Dr. Angela finished before she left Ethan, Max and I to get reacquainted. The door closed, leaving a disturbing atmosphere of heavy breathing and beeping machines. I remained knelt as Max took a seat in the old leather chair in the corner of the room.
     "Is this the first time you've seen him?" I asked.
     He nodded his head while biting at his thumbnail. I looked back at Ethan. My eyes welled up. I can't imagine the pain and discomfort he will wake up to. He really is my guardian angel. It should've been me laying there in his condition. He could have died switching places with me. I know it's not my fault, but I couldn't help an overwhelming feeling of guilt take over.
     "How did you do it?" I whispered to him, stroking his hair.
     He'll be thankful that he doesn't have any severe cuts or bruises to his face. He wouldn't want his good looks to be ruined. A tear revealed itself from the corner of my eye when I glanced down, noticing Madeline's friendship bracelet on Ethan's wrist. I twiddled the letters so MADDIE rotated into position.
     "Shall we come back tomorrow? He'll be awake then." Max said.
     "Ok, sure, I need some sleep, I'm exhausted and I feel crap," I replied.
     Max smirked. "Come on, let's go find the doctor and tell her we'll be back tomorrow." I turned back to Ethan and kissed his forehead before leaving.
     It felt so good to be back home. I'd never been so happy to see it again. I had just closed my bedroom door and slumped onto my bed, recalling everything that took place last night. As I tested my memory I remembered my arranged date with Mark. "Crap." I said aloud. It's not that I didn't want to go. After suffering a concussion from a car crash the night before, I wasn't in the right mind to go on a date. I checked my homemade clock that Ethan gave me, 3:05pm. I had twenty-five minutes to get to the restaurant.
     I should explain this clock of mine, Ethan gave it to me for my thirteenth birthday. Ethan explained that my gift would be a month late because it's taking him longer than expected to prepare it. At first it confused me, but I went along with it. I was excited to see what he had gotten for me, the anticipation of having to wait for another month was killing me. So on September the sixteenth I popped round to Ethan's house to open it. When I unwrapped my gift to find a small, wooden clock I wasn't sure how to react. Giving a thirteen year old a clock isn't the most thrilling of gifts.
     "You don't like it?" Ethan asked, squinting.
     "No, no I like it! Why a clock of all gifts?"
     He smiled at me, "I wanted to give you a gift made by me, and I wanted it to mean something... you know, it'll last longer than perfume."
     The clock was excellently crafted... not like one of those hideous ones you'd make at school. It was perfectly symmetrical and smooth, and well varnished. I'm no expert on clocks, but this was a damn good clock. I'd say it was a mahogany colour. Brown would be easier to use for it's description, but brown is boring, and mahogany sounds so much cooler. It had a pearl white face, and was marked in black Roman numerals.
     "Where's the key for the back?" I asked, examining the lock at the back of the clock.
     "Oh, I dropped it somewhere, when I find it I'll fetch it round to yours one day. Don't worry I know where it is."
     Some may think it's a dull gift, but I appreciated it, and it's been on my bedside table every day since. Like Ethan said it means something and will last longer than perfume. So, returning to my situation with Mark. "Mum!" I shouted as I opened my bedroom door.
     "August, what's wrong sweetie, are you ok?" She sprinted upstairs within seconds of me calling.
     "Mum, I'm fine. I need a lift to the restaurant. I can never remember what it's called. The one down the road. Will you take me please? I said I would meet someone there."
     She panted as she turned the corner at the top of the stairs. "Sure sweetie, you had me worried for a moment there. Are you sure you're ok to go?" She asked with a concerned frown.
     I nodded, "Mum I'm fine."
     She examined me with a glare, "Ok, ok. So is this a date or are you meeting a friend?"
     I rolled my eyes at her. "A guy named Mark from college asked me on a date last night, I didn't want to be rude."
     She grinned, "I don't know why you and Ethan haven't admitted you're perfect for each other, but ok sweetie, I'll wait for you downstairs."