the fall • s.m.

34 • sleepover

// margot kate franklin //

@margotkatefranklin: "there's nobody like you, nobody like you. I've tried 'goodbye' a hundred times, not one of them true. there's nobody like you, I'm screaming 'I don't want you' but you know that I do."

• • •

"Margot, can you please stay awake for like, five minutes?" my mom asked, sighing.

I groaned as I rolled over, looking at my mother, a frown on my lips.

"You can't sleep your life away, honey," she told me, and I rolled my eyes as I sat up in my bed.

"You can if that's literally the only thing there is to do in this God forsaken hospital room," I replied groggily, and she cracked a smile.

"Listen, I wanted to run something by you," she told me, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"What?" I asked curiously, catching a glimpse of myself in a mirror and grimacing. I am a disaster.

"You know that I want to be here more than anything. And I'm going to be here until you get out."

"I know, Mom. I appreciate it very much," I said with a small smile.

"Right. But, it's very busy at work lately, especially without me there. I was just thinking, I'm not doing much around here anyways, maybe I could head back to Albuquerque for a few days and get some work done? Then come right back," she told me.

"I think that's a great idea. I'll be fine, Mom," I replied with a shrug.

"Really?" she asked, and I nodded.

"I mean, I think I can take care of myself," I said.

"Well, actually, that's another thing. I thought maybe Shawn would want to stay with you. If that's fine with you," she told me.

I looked back up at the ceiling for a moment.

"Shawn? I don't know," I said, trailing off into my own thoughts. "I don't want him to have to stay here and feel like he has to take care of me or anything. Plus, I wouldn't want him to be inconvenienced," I replied.

"See, that's what I would have thought. But he's the one who offered," she told me.

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. "He offered to stay?"

She nodded. "He said if we ever needed it, he would be more than happy to stay with you. Said it would be fun, even."

I didn't say anything for a moment. I guess that's ok? I mean, what could happen?

"I mean, sure. I just want you to be able to go home and get your stuff done, ok?" I told my mom.

"Plus, this hospital room is hella depressing. I'm depressed in here. Go home. See your boyfriend. I'll be fine here. I'm only improving, ya know," I told her. She smiled and nodded.

"You're only improving. Always making progress, Margot. That's what you do," she said to me, and I nodded in agreement.

"Only going up," I replied, laughing a little.