God Girls Are Confusing...

Chapter 11

It was warm where he was laying, and soft. He was laying on a white bed, in a white room. He was in pain everywhere, barely able to shift in his bed. The blanket that was over him was soft and smooth, and he felt so unbelievably tired he thought he would just fall asleep if he closed his eyes for too long.
He attempted to sit up, but pain in his abs kept him down. He looked at what he was wearing. The shirt and jeans and was wearing had been replaced with a hospital gown, and he wasn't wearing any shoes or socks. He pulled up the gown and looked his body up and down, he had deep purple and yellow bruises up and down his body, from his chest to his shins. He pulled the gown back down and forced himself into a sitting position, then a standing position where he wobbled a little.
The room around him was unfamiliar, with white curtains, white shelves, white tiles for flooring, and a white bed. He tried to walk, but collapsed onto the floor with a hiss of pain. He forced himself back into the standing position, and tried to take a step, but ended up like he did before. And now a hand was holding him up.
Jasper was holding him up by his armpit, his arm slung over his shoulder. He carried him back to his bed, where he laid him down slowly.
"Leave me alone you dumb bastard..." Dustin choked out. His voices was dry and crackly, and barely audible. Harper looked at him calmly, and pulled a thermos out of a satchel he had at his side. He held it out to him, which he took and unscrewed the lid. He pressed the edge of the thermos to his mouth and took a sip of a sweet liquid, which he recognized as Cool Ice Rockstar, an energy drink.
"I know it's your favorite, so I brought you some." Jasper said calmly.
"Thanks." He said more steadily. His throat was less dry now and he was able to talk better.
"What were you thinking man? That guy nearly killed you." Jasper said, slightly angrily.
"I had it handled."
"He not only shot you, but he beat the ever living hell out of you." Jasper said angrily.
"Actually, I was assaulted by two guys while I was leaving. They hit me with a pipe and dragged me into an alley, where they proceeded to beat the hell out of me. And then I had to save the bitch. And that's when I got shot." Dustin explained. He was bored, and angry, and in pain, and he didn't want to talk to anybody.
"News to me. And that bitch by the way, has visited you here every day." Jasper said when he stood up.
"Whatever. How long have I been here?" Dustin asked. He honestly had no idea.
"You've been in a sort of coma for a week and a half. A nurse caught you trying to move through the window in the door, and called a doctor. I'm not supposed to be here, but I figured you needed a pick me up." He pointed to the thermos. "Get better soon. Schools boring without you punching me in the face all the time." He turned around and walked out of the room.
Dustin took another sip, letting the cool, sweet liquid fall down his throat. He stared up at the ceiling for awhile, taking sips from the drink until it was gone, and the doctor came in. He asked him how the injuries happened, descriptions of the attackers, how he felt at the time, how he felt now, a lot of questions Dustin didn't care about or want to answer. Dustin asked when he would be allowed to leave, and the doctor told him he would be released as soon as he was able to move freely and without pain. The doctor left him to be bored out of his mind in the dull hospital room.
After while the boredom passed when he discovered his phone was on the side table. He grabbed and unlocked it, and started playing Tap Titans 2, which passed the time until he received a visitor, or two.
His mother and sister walked through the hospital door around 5:30 PM, where Lizzi was carrying a bag of something. She quickly handed the bag to his mother and ran at the bed, jumping up and wrapping Dustin in a crushing hug.
"Jesus kid... what has mom been feeding you? Solid protein bars? Your like a frickin dody builder." Dustin laughed through a rickety breath.
"How stupid can you be!?" She yelled and punched him in the chest. "Do you have any idea how worried I was!?"
"Sorry half pint, I'm fine." Dustin laughed through another breath. "Hi mom." He said quietly.
"Hey stupid." She said with a slight smile. Lizzi was wearing a bright pink sweatshirt over a white shirt, and light blue jeans. Her neon pink hair was pulled to the sides in pigtails, and she was wearing bright pink flats. His mother was wearing a grey sweater over a white shirt, and dark jeans, with white sneakers.
"Call me what you like. I had fun throwing that guy into a wall." He laughed.
"I heard you also handed your father his ass?" His mother asked.
"Yeah, bastard showed up day after you left." Dustin said, spite filling his voice.
"I heard you also made a few friends?" She asked afterwards.
"Friends? You must be talking about someone else. I haven't made no friends." Dustin said flatly.
"Apparently you have. One came with us. She's waiting in the hall." His mother said questioningly. " but before we leave and leave you alone, we brought you some food. " Lizzi handed him the bag she was holding when they walked in, and a large fry and double meat bacon burger from his favorite diner were sitting inside. They left the room, after saying goodbye, and Lizzi gave him another crushing hug before she walked out.
After a moment or two he pulled the burger and fry out of the bag and put it on the small bed table that was on the end of the bed. And after another moment Scarlett walked into the room, holding a note of some kind.
"Hey." She said quietly with a nervous wave. Dustin didn't say anything in response, just grunted and took a fry from the container and ate it.
"Umm... I wanted to say thank you, for saving me." She said quietly while looking at the floor. "I was really scared."
"Just don't tell anyone I passed out, and we're even." He said while dropping another few fries in his mouth.
"Your kidding right? You saved my life." She said, shocked.
"Hardly. He wasn't gonna kill you. He was gonna rape you. And then maybe sell you into the sex trade, which probably would've killed you eventually. Nope he was gonna kill you." He said straight faced, with another few fries in his mouth.
"That's not funny." Scarlett said, exasperated.
"It was kind of funny." Dustin replied sourly. He had finished his fries and was unwrapping his burger now.
"I'm serious. Thank you. I owe you my life." She said nervously, shifting from foot to foot.
"You don't owe me jack shit." Dustin replied angrily. "Quit making such a big deal out of it. Just don't bring it up again and we're even." He said quietly. He took a large bite of the burger and smiled at the flavor.
"Ok..." She whispered. " I have something for you... "
"What was that? You need to speak up, I took a hit to my head and I'm not hearing too well." He said loudly.
"I have something for you." she said louder.
"Ok what is it?" He asked, looking over.
There was a flurry of movement, lips on his cheek, and then she was gone. The only thing that would prove she was there was the letter sitting on the table next to his burger.