The Little Matchmaker | What Happens Next | Book 2

Chapter Twelve: Nothing But Apologies

Jody lay awake in her bed. Her head was hurting and her hands and feet were throbbing. She rolled over to see the empty bed next to her. Isla was still in the hospital.

Jody didn't know what was happening. May-Li had gone with Isla in the ambulance but hadn't come back since. Mike had heard nothing, not even a phone call.

Therefore, Jody was left to wonder.

And she couldn't help but think of the worst.

She kept repeating that afternoon's events in her head. Her finding Isla so ill, calling for May-Li, the ambulance coming and taking Isla--

She couldn't sleep in this room. Not with Isla's empty bed next to her as a constant reminder of her absence.

So, she quickly crept out of the room.

"Couldn't you sleep?" Tyler said when Jody entered his room. He sat up in his bed and turned the light on.

"No," Jody grumbled, dropping her duvet on the floor and wrapping herself up in it.

"It's all my fault!" she said, tears suddenly streaming down her face.

Tyler called for her to sit with him on his bed and she did, immediately resting her head on his shoulder while he gently stroked her hair.

"It's not your fault," he said at last. He sounded like he was trying to hold back tears himself.

"It is!" Jody whimpered. "I share a room with Isla, I should have noticed how ill she was. But instead, I was too busy worrying about keeping our secret!"

"It's not your fault," Tyler repeated softly.

Jody slept on Tyler's floor that night. He slept in his bed.

When Jody awoke, Tyler was gone. She thought about getting up, but she couldn't bare too. Her head was still hurting, and her hands and feet too. So instead she lay comfortably on his bedroom floor, half asleep.

"Jody! Jody! Wake up, Jody!"

Jody fluttered her eyes open. Tyler had burst into the bedroom, yelling at her and flapping his hands around.

"What?" Jody mumbled.

"Isla's okay! Mike said we can go and visit her in the hospital. Come on! Get up!"

It took Jody no longer than five minutes to get up, ready, and out the door. Mike drove them down to the hospital.

It was weird walking through the corridors of the hospital. Everything looked all pristine and white and it smelt of medicine and disinfectant.

They walked past rows and rows of curtains until they found Isla. Her curtain was open, and Isla was sitting bolt right up in her bed. She looked the same, but her face was white, and she looked tired like she was struggling to keep her eyes open, but still smiled when she saw Jody, Tyler, and Mike.

"Hello," she said quietly, although as loudly as she could.

"Hello," Jody replied, almost as quiet.

Jody and Tyler shuffled into the room until they were stood at Isla's side.

"Are you.... okay?" Tyler questioned.

"I've been better," Isla said with a smile. "I had appendicitis, so I had to have an operation so they could remove my appendix."

"Right..." Tyler said, unsure of what else to say.

There was a moment of awkward silence until Mike decided to break it.

"I'll go and find your nurse," he said walking away.

"I'll come too," Tyler said.

And so, Isla and Jody were left together. Neither of them sure of what to say.

"I'm sorry!" the girls said in unison.

Jody crumpled her face in confusion. She couldn't understand why Isla was sorry.

"Sorry? What are you sorry for?" Jody asked

"Tyler told me what happened on the phone this morning. I should have helped you with the whole Ryan and Candi-Rose situation, but I was too ill to even do that!"

Jody shook her head. "If anyone should be sorry it's me. I share a room with you, I should have noticed how ill you were! It's my fault you're in the hospital!"

Isla sighed. "Jody, it's not your fault! Don't say that!"

"But it is though!"

Isla laughed. "Well okay then, if you insist. We'll both be sorry together!"

Jody laughed. "Our friendship is nothing but apologies!"

She quickly bent down and wrapped her arms around Isla; giving her a gentle hug. Isla smiled. She was never quite sure if Jody classed her as a friend, but now she was. Jody was her friend, and Isla was hers.

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736 Words

This part was first published on 28th June 2020