Teardrops

Chapter 10: Ms. Fatty

Chapter 10

Lexi's point of view.

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I was paralyzed. I heard her screaming. I wanted to hold her close to me and never let go. But instead I sat there stock still, shoulders back, wondering why my lungs had collapsed and weren't expanding with air.

Not her. Please, take me instead.

Not SHELLY.

Not when she has so much to live for.

Why. Why. WHY????

She wouldn't get to dance in the rain with that stupid cast on.

HELP HER.

She won't get to go to that meadow with Sheldon.

My eyes squeezed shut and I took a single shuddering breath.

Her scream was so loud, so prolonged, and so anguished I was shocked to the core. She rolled over suddenly after what seemed minutes of the same prolonged note.

She's got a good set of lungs on her... Lyssa observed, obviously impressed.

I shook in my chair as she took shuddering breaths on the bed.

Breathe. I told myself. How long has it been since you last breathed?

I managed to gasp another breath, but it felt like all the air had been sucked out of me, leaving me empty and worthless and cold sitting there like a shell.

I could almost feel myself floating away from my body. The door opens with a click and an intern walks in with a wheelchair.

"Here you are," she smiles kindly at the pair of us before backing out hurriedly.

Shelly sits up and looks at the chair. Then, she turns to me.

"Breathe. Don't you dare leave me now."

Suddenly, my lungs were free and I gasped in lungfuls of air.

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Shelly's point of view

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I sat up after the intern left. I wondered if she had heard me screaming. I finally forced myself to look over at Lexi who was turning purple in the face.

"Breathe. Don't you dare leave me now." I couldn't lose her.

She took deep breaths and the sudden tightness in my chest relaxed.

I looked down at myself. This hospital gown wasn't what I wanted to wear.

"Lexi? Do you have the clothes I was brought in wearing?"

She nodded at me, sucking in air to stabilize herself.

"I don't wanna go out like this." I stared out of the window. I couldn't stand this. I wanted to run away, but I couldn't run. I couldn't do anything!! I can't even choose to live or die anymore. Even that was decided for me. I was going to die whether I wanted to or not.

Or, at least, that's what everyone expected me to do.

Maybe....

I shook my head angrily at myself, after Lexi rushed out of the room to find my jeans. That kind of thinking is ridiculous and stupid. It would only hurt me more...

But wait, what did I really have left to lose? If I did die, then this hope wouldn't hurt me. It wouldn't hurt anyone else more than they were already going to hurt.

Oh gosh Lexi. I'm so sorry.

The door clicked back open and Lexi slipped in with a paper bag.

"Here we are," she dumped out the clothes on the bed and shut the blinds to the hallway and the window.

I stare at the jeans and t-shirt. They were my favorite pair of jeans and yet I felt the bulky cast around my ankle. Now how was that going to work?

"Lexi-" she turned around and knelt beside the bed.

"Yes?"

"How I am going to put these on?" I'm certain she sensed my disappointment.

"Lemme see your cast."

I crawled out from under the blankets and showed her my foot. For some reason, she measured with her fingers how big the cast was, grabbed my jeans, and ran out of the room.

"Those are my favorite pair!!" I called after her, hoping she wasn't going to cut them or something.

---------------------------------------------Lexi's Point Of View

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Gift shop gift shop.

What the in the H-E-Double hockeysticks are you doing??

Did you just watch your language?

*cough cough* Shelly...

I should've known.

Answer my question!!!

Oh. Yeah, right! Wait and see. ;)

I could've sworn she started growling at me.

A ghost with no patience? Only you, Lyssa.

I reached the gift shop with no incidents, gasping for air.

"Lucy-"

"Yes, Lexi?" Lucy was one of the few people I'd managed to be nice to. She was just so sweet.

"Do you have a pair of right-leg cutoff jeans?" I pushed Shelly's pair over the counter.

"Did you hear about the new cancer patient?" she gossiped as she went into the back room to look.

"They say she has a type that has never been discovered before!! Can you imagine what she must be going through right now?"

"Yes." I muttered, teeth clenched. Lucy, who didn't hear me or see the danger signs, continued, "everyone at the lounge reckons she's a regular old Ms. Fatty." She came out with the two pairs of jeans and saw my face.

"Are- are you all right sweetie?"

"Take a look at those jeans. Imagine the person who wears them."

Confused, Lucy did.

"I'd say teenager, or a young woman. Quite thin, with muscular thighs and a tendency to either fall or stand on her knees, due to the wear."

"That's her. Not some fatty."

Lucy gasped and hugged the jeans closer to her chest in regret.

"She's thin and athletic and smart and sings and eats a lot healthier than most people coming through here. She's just heartbroken and has been her while life. You tell people that story, instead of spreading more rumors, okay?" I held my hand out for the jeans, satisfied by Lucy's nod.

"Maybe I'll add her way of melting people's hearts?" She glanced ruefully at me.

I looked down at myself, the supposedly heartless nurse of the hospital.

"That may be appropriate, considering the circumstances." I nodded in reluctant agreement, a soft smile creeping onto my face.

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HI PEEPS!!=D I seriously doubt many people are reading this. But it's fun to write, so it's going to be continued anyways. :p sux for you

If you DO like my story and you are a real live actual person reading this, please comment, vote, tell your friends, etc.

I love you!!

PS- I'm not sure if all hospitals (if any) have those cool cutoff jeans handy for people with casts so don't go around asking for it. ;)