Zailey (Sequel) ✔️

Part Fifteen

I gasped, staring at Zander with wide eyes.
"You're kidding?!"
Grinning, he shook his head.
An overjoyed explosion of light, hope and fireworks went off within me and I launched out of my seat to lean over the hospital bed which was propped up almost like a chair, so that I could hug him.
Zander's laughter slightly shook his body as he hugged me back.
HE GET'S TO COME HOME ON MONDAY!
"There's a catch though."
He warned.
Uh oh!
I pulled back so that I could look at his face, a flicker of worry igniting in my veins.
"Catch? What catch? What do you mean?"
My traitorous voice came out almost squeak like.
He rolled his eyes.
"I'll have to go to the Medical Centre every day to have them check on my wounds and my health."
He explained.
Oh.
I slipped a smile into place.
"Well even that has to be better than being stuck out here away from everybody and the beach!"
He nodded.
"Yeah. It won't exactly be any different to them pokin' and prodding at me now. Plus I'll get to be home."
Funny how he didn't mention my comment about the beach...
Does he not want to go back to the beach?
He's Zander Hunter, how could he not want to?
Mentally I brushed that aside.
I can think about that one later.
Right now I'm too excited about what he's just told me!
"This is the best news!"
I told him, positively squirming with excitement.
Today was Friday.
It was currently almost six o'clock and I'd been visiting him for about half an hour.
Keegan and Lexie had gone to get us all something to eat.
"We're back!"
Keegan's voice declared.
I twisted around to see that my brother and Lexie were walking into the room now, both carrying brown paper bags that smelt heavenly.
The trademark KFC stamp was branded on the brown bags.
We didn't have any of the traditional take away outlet's like Hungry Jack's, McDonald's and KFC in Reef Bay.
We'd had them when I was back living in Port Jackson, but I'd not eaten the junk every day or anything over the top.
Even still, my body was thankful for not having it since I'd been living in Reef Bay.
Keegan and I had snagged the odd 'easy meal' from one of the outlet's when we'd been here to visit Zander though, being hungry by the time we headed home most evenings, or on our way in from a long day at school.
"Bail's."
I felt my eyes widen as my brother handed me a red box.
He'd gotten me one of those damn packs again that contained a burger, chips, a small pot of the mashed potato and gravy and a piece of chicken.
"You know I can't eat all this!"
I exclaimed.
We have this argument constantly.
I whinge that I can't eat it all (which I can't, my appetite is not that large) and my brother whinge's that it's better value for money!
Keegan just rolled his eyes.
"Then do your best."
Hmph.
I don't like wasting food.
Especially food that somebody else has brought...
I didn't miss the slightly cagey look on Zander's face as he too took a red box from Keegan.
Hmmm...
Did he not want KFC?
Frowning to myself, I decided to pocket that one away and ask him about it later.

"Bye bye!"
Lexie sang as she stepped up to give Zander a hug.
He rolled his eyes, but lifted his left arm to give her a somewhat hug back.
"See ya Lex."
He told her.
"I shall most likely see ya Monday when ya get home!"
Lexie chirped, smiling as she stepped back from the hospital bed.
"Yup."
Zander nodded.
"Catch ya later bro."
Keegan told him, stepping up to do their bro fist-bump-handshake thing.
"Catch ya:"
Zander answered him.
I stepped up for my turn.
Saying goodbye is always the hardest part.
But at least now we had a silver lining.
On Monday we wouldn't have to come all the way out here to see him.
He was coming home!
Keegan and I were already coming back to see him tomorrow though, which meant my 'goodbye' wasn't for too long.
"I love you."
I told him, my throat growing thick as it always does on the goodbyes.
"Don't cry."
Zander chided as he wound his left arm around my back.
The thing was, I could hear a distinct change to his voice too.
HI doesn't like the goodbye's much either.
I guess his accident has probably shown us all that life is just too short.
I shifted back enough so that I could kiss his lips.
"I love you too."
He all but whispered.
I blinked hard, trying to rid my building tears as I stepped back from Zander and the bed.
"Let me know when you guys are home."
Zander requested, his deep blue eyes flicking to include Keegan and Lexie as well.
I nodded.
This was standard procedure.
Leaving was always the hardest part, but I forced myself to turn on my heel and head for the door.
Lexie led the way out and Keegan and I followed her, my brother with our KFC rubbish in his arms.
Lexie focused on painting's on the walls as we walked away from Zander's hospital room, some of them vibrant masses of bright colours and other's being landscape's and portrait's.
Nothing really seemed to match, even to my untrained eye.
"There's a bin."
I pointed the nearest one out to Keegan, knowing he'd probably want to get rid of the rubbish ASAP.
While Lexie was engrossed in the intricate paintings, Keegan crossed the corridor to dump the rubbish.
I turned to a painting that looked like waves, but was in colours of purple and pink's, not the traditional blue and green.
Weird.
"Bails you ate stuff all."
Keegan's disapproving tone brought my attention away from the artwork.
What?
I pulled my gaze off the painting and walked towards my brother.
"What do you mean? I ate most of it. I think I might have left the chicken piece..."
Keegan brandished one of the box's and flipped the lid open, showing me the container's contents.
He was right.
In this box there was at least half the burger still sitting there, a bite or two taken out of the chicken piece, even chips left behind and the mash at least half full.
I frowned at the box and turned my head to glance at Lexie.
"Maybe that was Lexie?"
I whispered.
I certainly don't know how much the girl eats.
"Lexie was sitting next to me as you know. She finished her's, like me."
Keegan answered.
That left one option then.
But that didn't make any sense.
Since I was a kid I've known both Keegan and Zander to have big appetites.
I turned back to Keegan.
I flinched at the stern, but cautious way he was watching me.
What the?
"Did you seriously eat next to nothing?"
He whispered, his tone demanding, but quiet enough that it wouldn't travel for anybody else to overhear.
Huh?
I blinked at him, confused.
"Kee I promise I ate everything but the gross, greasy chicken piece."
Frowning, Keegan dumped the box with less than half the food missing and opened the last remaining box that was tucked under his arm.
That one looked more like my box.
The burger wrapper was empty, as was the chip packet and the mashed potato container.
"Then...?"
Keegan twisted to look at the bin he'd dumped the other packet's into.
There was only one other possible person.
Except, why would Zander not finish one of these box's?
Normally I can count on him to finish my food too if I can't eat it all!
He's like a human garbage disposal, except I don't know where he puts the food because I haven't seen him put on a single kilo ever.
He's always been slim, but muscled and athletic looking.
Maybe the food gets burned off in energy?
"Everything okay?"
Lexie's voice asked.
"Yep."
Keegan declared and dumped my box into the in.
What the hell is going on?
"Let's go."
Keegan stated and headed down the corridor again.
Lexie fell into step alongside him and I trailed behind them attempting to make sense of what we'd just seen, while they began chatting about who the heck knows what.
I shook my head.
Maybe Zander thought the food tasted bad?
But surely KFC would be better than hospital food...
It just doesn't make sense!