A Twist of Fate SERIES (Pentatonix)

(9) Take Me Home

( SCOTT )

I spend most of my Sunday with Kirstie, who is getting discharged this afternoon. I arrived early this morning, and Kirstie and I both convinced Angelica to go home, take a real shower, eat some real food, get some real sleep. Reluctantly, she left, leaving Kirstie "under my supervision."

Kirstie had rolled her eyes after her mother left. "She's acting like I'm twelve," she commented through a laugh. "Doesn't she understand I'm thirty-one?"

I shook my head, laughing. "She just cares about you, Kirst, that's all."

Now, we slowly walk down the hallway, side-by-side, not really saying anything to each other. Kirstie stares at the ground, while I make occasional eye contact with, and softly smile to, doctors and nurses and some other people milling about. We turn the corner to head back to her room, when Kirstie finally says, "I can't wait to get out of here."

I laugh. "That bad, huh?" I give a small smile and nod at a doctor who moves out of the way for Kirstie and I. I notice Kirstie is shaking her head incredulously beside me.

"I don't really know why they decided to keep me here until I got my memory back," she says. "I mean, I could have been here for months."

"But you aren't," I point out, giving her arm a little nudge. She replies with a smile. "And, hey, I mean, it could be a lot worse. You could be in Mitch's position right now."

Kirstie purses her lips. "I wanna go see Mitchy."

My heart swells. Because, despite everything that's happened, the four of us are still getting along rather well. Maybe it just happens to be because of these circumstances, but, I mean, Kirstie, Mitch, and Kevin will actually talk to me, which definitely says something. I didn't think that would ever happen again, in all honesty.

I guess I also just feel bad that Kirstie, who's known Mitch about as long as I have, isn't allowed to go visit him, while Kevin and I can as we please. The only updates she's received have been mostly sugarcoated from yours truly; although I've tried to be completely honest with her, sometimes it's just too difficult to think about and/or to say aloud.

I reach over and squeeze Kirstie's shoulder. "He's getting moved up to his own room today, and he'll likely be bored as hell. Maybe you can go and visit him then."

She sighs. "If my mom lets me. She's probably going to make me stay with her now. And like...quarantine me."

"Aw, don't say that," I say as we approach her room. "She's been asking me about him all this past week. She's worried for him, too. I can't see why she wouldn't let you."

We re-enter the room, and Kirstie stops a few steps into it, pursing her lips as she stares over at the bed. "I really don't want to get back in there." She sighs, running her fingers through her hair. "Ew! I need a shower." She turns to me. "I'm gonna go take a shower."

I feel uneasy. Though I almost-totally trust her to take a shower by herself, I'm still unsure. If something were to happen, I wouldn't be able to go and help her. "Do you want me to go get your nurse?"

Kirstie shakes her head, biting her bottom lip. "No, I'll be fine. Can you, um..." She looks around the room, absentmindedly scratching at the bandage on the side of her neck. "Could you, like, go ask for an extra pair of clothes? Because I don't have any, and I really don't want to make my mom come all the way back here until she has to take me home."

"Sure," I say, sticking my hands in my pockets. "Anything else?"

"Um..." She sucks on her bottom lip, looking around the room. "I'm kind of hungry. Could you get me some food? That, preferably, isn't hospital food?"