How to Save A Life (Anthony Rizzo)

2- Alright

Anthony

I sit in the hospital waiting room as the minute hand inches closer to midnight. The clock on the wall seems to be going slower than life itself. The game ended a while ago and I went home and showered and changed before coming back to this unforgivable chair in this cold room. They were still running some tests on Clara preventing me from seeing her just yet.

I wasn't even sure what to say. "Hey I was the one who found your body" is not a very good conversation starter. I don't want to ask if she's okay because I know she's not. I don't know a lot but I know that after all of this, okay is not something she will be feeling. She won't even know who I am, but at the same time I couldn't get her out of my head. Maybe it's how I found her, how scared I was to see someone so helpless. Maybe it's what Jon said about how she was a genuinely good girl, whatever it is it's draining me mentally. I just needed to know she was going to be fine and I could carry on with my not so complicated life like I was before. At least that's what I was hoping for.

"Anthony Rizzo" someone says and I look over. The doctor in the doorway waves me over and I walk with him.

"Good evening doctor" I start as I join him by his side.

"Good evening. Nice job finding her name, that helped out a abundance" he claims and I nod.

"Of course, anything to help" I insist.

"Well it actually helped us see that she has been here quite a few times before. That scar on her collar bone is from a broken collar bone and she's had some other substantial injuries too. All listed under accident" he says and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Accident" I repeat.

"Don't worry, I'm not buying it either. But she won't say much, won't say what happened or how we can help her from ending up here again. I mean her list of injuries progressively get worse and I'm afraid that someone won't find her in time next time" he explains.

"I understand" I assure him.

"I know you don't know her but I was wondering if you could talk to her, get some information out of her" he asks and I cock my eyebrows up.

"She doesn't even know me" I argue.

"No, but you did save her life" he says and I quietly sigh.

"It wouldn't hurt to try" I shrug and he slowly nods.

"That would be great" he admits.

He takes me to her room and lets her know I'm coming in. I walk in behind him and stand at the edge of her bed as the doctor leaves us. I see a IV in her arm and her head bandaged up real good. Her long hair cascading down her side as it spills out of the tan wrap keeping the bandages on the wound on her head. But what was the most noticeable thing about her was her unique eyes. They were turquoise in color exploded off her face. Like the color of the rarest stone that hung around the neck of the richest person in the world.

We take a second to look each other over before I finally break the silence.

"Hey, I'm Anthony Rizzo" I say and she smiles. Not a real smile, but a welcoming one nonetheless.

"I know who you are" she laughs and I kinda laugh too. She didn't seem all that bad.

"You a fan" I ask.

"Of baseball? Not so much. But of Jon and his family, very much so" she explains and I nod.

"He's pretty great isn't he? All of them really" I admit.

"Yeah. They talk about you all the time. His kids adore you, even call you uncle Anthony, and Jon sees you as another son" she explains.

"I know, he reminds me every day" I admit. He still treats me like a little kid too. "Do you mind if I sit down" I ask and she shakes her head.

I sit in the chair next to her bed and she turns to me. I take the time to take a good look at her and I feel the hairs on my body stand on end. Her crazy turquoise eyes meet mine sending shivers down my back, they didn't even look real. She looks me up and down before finally saying something.

"Thank you for what you did, Anthony. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't find me when you did. But I greatly appreciate you stopping to help out" she insists.

"I'm just glad you're going to be okay" I say. "You're going to be okay... right?"

She looks away as she lets out a long sigh. She stares into seemingly nowhere as the tears form I those insanely beautiful eyes.

"I don't know what to do" she admits. "I don't want to go back there, but I really don't have a choice" she claims. The tear now threatening to fall.

"I really don't think you should go back there. He could really hurt you" I insist.

"Don't you think I know that" she snaps and I jump back a little. She eventually calms down before turning back to me. "I didn't want to go back after he hit me. I didn't want to go back after he broke my collar bone. And I certainly don't want to go back now, but it's not like I have a choice" she claims.

"You can come stay at my place for a while" I offer and she shakes her head.

"I couldn't do that to you. You don't need to worry about me" she claims.

"I'm worried about you" I say and she giggles. She seemed to be relaxed once again as she laughs at my expense.

"I don't think you want anything to do with my life" she insists.

"I kinda do" I admit. I wipe away a tear that had fallen onto her cheek as she stares down at me.

"Why" she asks.

"Jon is a great judge of character, Farrah even more so. If they had any more room at their house I'm sure they would want you themselves. But I really want to help, you're a good person in a bad situation and I want to help you get better. Do I really need to have a reason" I ask.

"Is it because I'm cute" she smirks and I laugh.

"No" I assure her. "But it does help" I tease and she smiles. She has a really pretty smile when it's not forced. I hope I can see it more.

"I don't know Anthony. I barley know you" she insists.

"Is that worse than going back there" I ask.

"Nothing is worse than that" she claims.

"It's just temporary, until you're strong enough to work again. You have a job right" I ask.

"Yeah, I do" she says.

"What do you do" I wonder.

"I baby sit sometimes, but I usually work from home. I'm a amarure artist, mostly portraits for people or special recommendations from people, but I would love to have my art in a museum somewhere someday" she explains.

"Do you like making art" I wonder.

"I love it. I have the ability of creating something amazing without ever having to leave my home. I haven't exactly been in the situation to go anywhere with my work but some day I would like to" she smiles.

"Well I don't live in Wrigleyville but I'm pretty close. I can always let you have the car to watch over the kids and I can carpool-" I start.

"You really want to help me, don't you" she interrupts me.

"I do. I don't need to know who you are to know that you don't deserve what you've been going through. I don't need to know who did this to you to know that he deserves to rot in hell for what he did. All I know is that I truly believe that you're a great person, and it would mean a lot to me if you let me help you" I insist.

"Alright" she says and I smile.

"Alright I'm I nice guy or alright you'll let me help you" I ask and she giggles.

"Alright I'll let you help me."