In 27 Days (Watty Award Winner 2012)

Chapter 24

June let out a sniffle, wiping her jacket sleeve underneath her nose. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying so much and her lips had been trembling for the latter half of two hours.

I couldn't really blame her for that.

Her left leg was bandaged tightly and propped up on a pillow. She was laying on a bed in a plain, boring room, and apart from her and me, there was nobody else in here. Regina and Archer had left a few minutes ago to go get coffee from one of the vending machines in the hallway.

When we had arrived at the urgent care center, June had been seen right away by the on-call doctor. He'd taken one look at June's leg and immediately announced that she was going to need stitches. June for the most part had stopped crying by the time we got there, but the second those words left the doctor's mouth, she had burst into tears all over again.

It was heartbreaking to watch as she threw her arms around Regina and started sobbing, begging her not to make the doctor come near her with a needle.

But luckily the three of us had been allowed to stay in the room while the doctor cleaned June's cut and began to work. She ended up needing eleven stitches. The doctor also explained how it was important that we watch June closely for the next few days for symptoms of tetanus. At five years old, June had never had the vaccination for tetanus, and because she'd gotten cut by a piece of old wood, the doctor was concerned that something bad could arise from it.

When I'd heard that bit of information, I had more or less curled up in a ball in a chair and tried to keep from being consumed by overwhelming bouts of guilt.

If it wasn't for me sticking my nose into things that didn't concern me, June wouldn't be in this situation. She wouldn't have had to have eleven stitches and be on the watch for tetanus.

As much as this was painful to watch, though, if I hadn't started butting my way into this, Archer wouldn't be here in a week. He would be dead.

Regina knocked on the door before stepping in, a styrafoam cup clutched in her grasp. Her eyes were fixed on June and she bit back a sigh, seeing how June was still crying.

"How are you feeling, June?" Regina asked, sitting down on the bed beside her.

"Like poo," June said, sniffling. "I want to go home."

"I know, sweetie, and we will soon," Regina said sadly. "We just have to wait for the doctor to come back and say it's okay to leave."

June nodded, but she didn't look too happy about it.

"Say, Regina," I said, glancing around. "Where's Archer?"

Regina glanced over at me, her lips tightening into a thin line. "He stepped outside for some fresh air."

Fresh air, huh?

I got to my feet and excused myself before leaving the room, walking down the hallway towards the front entrance of the place. I was blasted with a waft of icy air when I pushed open the doors that instantly made my teeth start chattering. I couldn't understand why Archer would have wanted to go outside now, when it was so freaking cold, but this may be the only time I'd get to be alone with him again this entire weekend.

I found Archer sitting on a stone bench a little ways down the sidewalk. He didn't notice me as I sat down beside him, and I made no move to say anything.

"You're right."

I looked at him in surprise. "Right about what?"

"About me," Archer said bitterly. "About everything."