King's College (Sequel to Too Young and Blind)

Hearing

Elizabeth

We sat around Peggy and I leaned against Tori, I don't know why but she was there so I put my head on her shoulder and she held me comfortingly. Peggy looked so helpless like that, almost dead, the slow beeping was the only sound to let me know she wasn't. People came and went, James-er no, God I'm so terrible, I meant Jane. It's hard to keep her name straight after knowing her for so many years but it's my responsibility to learn her name and get it right.

Anyway, Jane came to visit with Thomas and even though Thomas was always mean to Peggy he said she didn't deserve to be hospitalized before they left. Maria came and went with her daughter but she was always alone and I guess that made some sort of sense as Peggy didn't know James Reynolds. John Church would come but usually, he'd just hang out with Angelica, even George Hanover visited! He always came with either Samuel Seabury, Charles Lee, or a smaller boy named Ollie. Apparently, they were all friends of Peggy's, she was quite the social butterfly. John Laurens, Hercules, Laf, and Alex obviously came by constantly and mom and dad stayed as long as they could but they're both busy with their jobs and stuff. Tori and Nate came by often, Tori more often than Nate, and stayed for long periods of time, sometimes even coming straight after class and doing their schoolwork while talking to Peggy. George Washington also swung by but they were rare visits because he is a very busy man, no matter what though I always appreciate him coming.

It's been a long few days, we even missed a few classes at school but Angelica and I stayed with Peggy through it all. Nobody else could stay 24/7, they had things to do, but college didn't take attendance so we weren't obligated to show up. I had a girl named Clotilde take notes for me and Angelica got her notes from Alex as they shared the same classed though for her Gender Study course she got her notes from a girl named Sally.

Everything felt terrible, her sister was in the hospital and it was serious and there was nothing she could do. The doctors said her brain had shut her body off to heal and that's why she was in a coma, she still had brain activity and they expected her to pull through but I still wanted to cry. She shouldn't be here, she really shouldn't, how badly do you have to fail as an older sister that your sister was so unprotected she got jumped and beaten?

I reached over and held Peggy's hand, I could feel Angelica's eyes on me, probably filled with sadness. I couldn't shake that I did something wrong, I messed up, I didn't keep Peggy safe. She was still in high school! Peggy shouldn't have had to go through this mess, this pain, she was a high schooler she shouldn't suffer at all.

Peggy was so smart too, so so smart. She skipped two grades! Two years ago she was a freshman and now this year she's already a senior! I'm so proud of her, God I'm proud of her. When she wakes up I'm going to buy her whatever she wants and hug her and hold her and kiss her face a lot and probably cry as well.

Peggy was so scared too, always scared, maybe it was foreshadowing? Every time they went somewhere Peggy would insist they go back home and she hated going somewhere she didn't know, plus she rarely went outside without somebody else too. She was just nervous bordering on anxious every time she went out. If only she insisted just a bit harder with Maria, maybe she wouldn't be here. If they hadn't gone out they wouldn't have gotten hurt. Not that I blame Maria in any way at all, she was injured all the same and I'm very glad she didn't have serious injuries like Peggy does. On the topic of Maria, I think her injuries aren't as brutal because to be completely honest I'm almost certain Peggy put herself in more danger to protect Maria and the baby, that's just who Peggy is as a person plus her long-held crush on Maria.

I sighed and stood up to sit at the end of Peggy's hospital bed, "I don't know if you can hear me, Peggy." I said quietly as Angelica and Tori listened. The doctors said she might be able to hear and taste and feel things but she also might not be able to, it wasn't something they could test for sure. I squeezed her hand lightly, "But I'm here for you. Angelica's here too, mom, dad, Jane, Alexander, John, Hercules, Laf, Maria, Susan, Tori, Nate, Mr Washington, even Thomas Jefferson! All for you, Peggy, all of it. Because we love you, we need you, we miss you." Tori's hand found my cheek and she brushed the tears away, "Thanks." I said quietly and brushed Peggy's hair lightly, "And I know you're fighting. You're almost there, you've almost done it. We're so proud of you, so so proud of you. Everything you've done to stay with us is phenomenal and I can't express how much I love you and your courage enough. You're so much stronger than us than any of us! It's amazing. You're such an amazing girl so please...wa-ake up." I felt my voice break and I turned to Tori and hugged her tighter as I cried harder on her shoulder.

My body felt like it had gone through a hurricane as I shuddered and sobbed more than any woman ever has before. I felt like somebody was hammering in the last nail in my coffin. Peggy was on a bed people before have died on and she looked so pale, God she was so pale. She used to have beautiful sun-kissed skin but slowly she was starting to look like a corpse and it made me scared for her.

Suddenly there was action in the room, so much action, I felt like everything was rushing and climactic. I didn't understand until I looked around and spotted Peggy slowly opening her eyes. I put a hand over my mouth and leaned into Tori as she blinked before looking my way.

"I heard you."