Breathe (Bondi rescue fanfic)

Chapter 5

I run my fingers through my hair. Gosh, I'm going out for a drink with the lifeguards! Perfect way to spend my last night here at Bondi. I wheel myself over to the bathroom and hoist myself onto the toilet. I sit there as I remove my dress I had been wearing, so eager to have a shower out of hospital again. I groan, remembering I can't stand. I reluctantly grab the side of the bath and help myself back into the wheelchair. I go back out into the kitchen and pick up one of the small plastic stools I usually used to rest my feet on or place a drink or snack on. I place it precariously on my lap and go back to the bathroom, slowly, making sure not to let the stool fall off. I place the stool right below the shower. I shuffle from the wheelchair onto the stool and then I kick the wheelchair out of the shower with my good ol' right leg who actually works. With a stretch I just about reach the shower handle. I turn it and the beautifully warm water falls down onto me. I sigh, even little things like showers now took a fair bit of planning and effort, but I knew I shouldn't complain, I was lucky, and I couldn't have been more thankful for how I recovered already.

I rummage through my clothes, trying to find a nice outfit to wear tonight. I hear the beeper of the oven go off. I go over and take the pizza I had been cooking out. I slice it into eight even slices and tuck in. Man, I love pizza. Once I finished with that I placed my dishes in the sink and went to get changed. I'd settled on a nice sunset orange dress (getting a theme here, I love sunset orange) and a pair of golden sandals. Without too much difficulty I slip into the dress and shoes. I let my slightly wavy hair hang loose and just add a golden hair band just to tie the whole outfit together. I put on a little foundation and sweep a small amount of eye-shadow across my eyelids. I look in the mirror, satisfied, it was the most human I'd felt in a week and I liked that. I went back out into the kitchen come living area and grab my purse and my keys. I just about squeeze my wheelchair out the front door as I lock it behind me. I look straight across the street, about to cross, when I see Maxi, Deano, Chappo and Jesse all waiting for me as they spotted me on their way. These guys, I sigh, these guys are the sweetest.

"Hey!" Maxi cheers as I wheel myself over to them. "Sup" I say, trying to act nonchalant but internally I'm screaming. "Ready?" Deano asks. "You bet!" I chirp, gosh, sometimes I definitely sound too perky. Deano walks back behind me and begins pushing my wheelchair. The relief, my arms have been killing me, especially my left as it's still quite weak. "Thanks" I murmur, finally my shyness springing to the surface. Within 200 yards is the bar. I greet the rest of the guys. I sighed, I felt out of place, all the lifeguards were having a nice meet-up and here I am crashing it. Deano comes up to me and asks me what I'd like to drink. I ask him could he get me a beer. I try handing him the money for mine but he won't take it. "Consider it a get well soon present" He says, lifting my chin up with his beautiful hands and staring right into my eyes. I can't help it, I melt inside.

I stay a while after I finish my drink. "Hey!" Jesse cheers all of a sudden. We all turn to face him and see him standing up on a table. "To Tiff!" He says, raising his beer bottle in the air, "To Tiff!" All the lifeguards shout back, also rasing their beer bottles. I feel something looming inside of me as I watch everyone around, everyone genuinely showing an interest in me, and before I know it I'm in floods of tears. Everyone quickly resume conversations they'd been having, everyone except Chappo. I see him worm his way through the crowd of people from the other end of the bar. "Is this seat taken?"  He asks, gesturing the the chair beside me. "Oh no, go ahead" I say, thinking he just wants to take the spare chair back to the other end of the bar. Instead, he sits down beside me. "Look, I know you're acting completely cheery, but are you ok?" Chappo says, sounding genuinely concerned. I look into his eyes, and then I realize (yeah that rhymes) I'm not ok. I feel my heart cave in and the tears well up, I'm not ok, I think, "I'm not ok" I murmur

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Short chapter, I know but I just wanted to update for you guys

Don't worry, it's gonna get better soon, you're gonna be seeing alot more of the lifeguards from now on :)

-Niamhxoxo