Stand By Me.

Chapter 8: Let's All go to the Movies.

        I look at my clock. 11:02. THe movies doesn't start for another half hour, but I'm already questioning whether or not I'll be able to watch it without falling asleep. I hop out of bed and into my wheelchair. I wheel over to my closet and sort through my clothes to find something appropriate for the evening's events. I settle on an olive color dress that was originally knee length but is now past my stumps. It has buttons down the front and spaghetti straps. I put a beige cardigan over it. I start to pick out shoes when I remember. I have no feet for them. I wheel over to the mirror and start to put on some makeup. I brush my hair a bit then put on my headphones and listen to "Possibility" by Lykke Li. The clock reads 11:13. My music is really loud but I hear pebbles smack my window. I turn my music way down and wheel over to the window, then open it. Milo is there, suit and tie, no hospital gown, but his Hakuna Matata hat still in place. I pause my IPod and take off my headphones.

        "Why good evening Miss Henrietta! We should probably get on our wa, the movie starts soon." He says with his signature smirk.

        "Very cute Milo. But how in the hell am I getting down, with my wheel chair, from a 3rd story window?" I ask.

        "Here's my fabulous plan. In about the next 5 minutes or so, Sabrina's gonna come in your room with a rope and harness she stole from the physical therapy center. She's gonna harness you in and lower you down. She's telling security she's spending the night in your room, a girly sleepover situation. Which will technically be true, while we're out, she'll stay in your room. When we get back, I'll call her, and she'll lower the harness down and bring you back up." He explains. Sabrina knocks on the door and comes in.

        "Hi. Ready for the great escape?" She asks.

        "This is the most effing elaborate, crazy thing I've ever heard of in my life." I say. "It's unbelievable."

        "You fail to remember, my sweet Henrietta, that we are professional bad-asses. This is not our first rodeo as far as complicated escapes go. I've managed, with the help of my fellow avengers, of course, to escape through holes made in dry-wall and go downtown and visit Navy Pier for a weekend. We're effing genius escape artists. Don't under estimate our skills." Milo says. I can't believe it.

        "What about my wheelchair?" I ask. He gestures to the air next to him, and out of the dark I can barely make out a black wheel chair.

        "Borrowed it from the Emergency Room." Sabrina explains.

        "How did you get down?" I ask.

        "Jesus you just can't place blind trust in me, can you? I went up to the roof and went down the fire escape. All it takes is a little stealth, although I gotta say, I don't think stealth is an art you've mastered. We gotta go now or we'll never make it on time." He says. I nod. Sabrina comes over to me and awkwardly straps me into a harness. My dress momentarily turns into shorts with the harness. She clips me into the rope, that's really more like a bungee cord.

        "Ready?" She asks me. I smile and nod. She lowers me over the edge. I squeal as I almost smack into the side of the building, just stopping myself with my hands.

        "Smoooooth." Milo jokes under me.

        "Shut up this was your idea!" I yell down. I come face to face with a window, when the lights in it turn on. A young girl, probably 13 or 14 years old, with short blond hair and a breathing machine attatched to her stares at me, wide eyed. I look at her like a deer in headlights, but put my finger to my lips like an librarian, but a little sassier. She nods her head, as if knowing the avengers had something to do with it, and turns off the light. I continue on, but much quiter. When I'm about 7 or 8 feet from the ground, Milo's hands, reached over his head, stablize me. He helps slowly lower me down, and into the wheelchair. I undo the harness and Milo whistles loudly, and the harness floats up into the air, back into my room. I smooth out my dress and look up at Milo.

        "Well that was successful." He says laughing, pushing my wheelchair towards the sidewalk and down the street.

        "Don't they have security cameras?" I ask.

        "Yeah, but the nightworkers aren't super attentive. They don't really have to be because the place gets locked up at 11." He says. He hails a cab. We get inside, my wheelchair in the trunk. "To 600 North Michigan Avenue, AMC Theatre please." He says to the cab driver. He looks back at us, taking in Milo's baldness and my leglessness. The driver is grey haired, but bald on the top, with beady black eyes, a huge nose, and a pot belly.

        "Are you two from Reginald Jones'?" He asks. "I'm not supposed to drive unaccompanied kids from Reginald Jones' around." He says.

        "No sir! My hair, or lack thereof, is simply a fashion trend! And my female counterpart here was in a shark attack you insensitive bastard!" Milo shrieks.

        "So sorry sir, we'll be on our way." The driver says, fumbling over his words. I hold back laughter. He drops us off in front of a large theatre and Milo hands him a ten. "Have a good evening you two." The driver says and drives off. We go in the theatre. We get tickets and popcorn. We watch the movie. By the end of it, I'm a sobbing mess, really regretting the makeup, and Milo's face is puffy, and eyes red.

        "Were you crying Milo?" I ask smiling through my tears.

        "Shut up." He says rubbing his eyes. I smile and kiss his cheek. I just can't help myself.

        "You dork." I say. We sit there for a minute, listening to the credit music, but then a worker comes in to clean and tells us we have to leave. We get up (actually Milo gets up, I'm still in the wheelchair) and he pushes me out and hails another cab. This one's a younger guy.

        "3492 East Harlem Street please." Milo says, giving the address to Reggie. I place my head on his shoulder and sigh. Once we stop and get out, He pulls out his phone and calls Sabrina to let the harness down. Once it's down I strap myself in.

        "Thanks for tonight. It was really fun." I say awkwardly. He nods at me. The harness starts puling me up, but after about 3 feet up, the rope lags and I fall. Only to be caught by Milo. He kinda stumbles, he has been without his IV for a few hours. I look right at him. Our noses are practically touching. "Um. Yeah. Bye." I say getting pulled up, blushing profusely.

        "Goodnight Henrietta." He smirks. I wave down. I get pulled over the edge of the window by Sabrina, and back into my wheelchair.

        "Oh honey. Your makeup is a mess!" She says. I laugh. "Your face is all red. Did you have fun?" She asks.

        "Yeah. Definitely my favorite movie." I say as she hooks me back up into my IV. I start undressing and get into some jammies. A month or so ago, I would've been embarrassed to get dressed in front of someone, but after all this invasion of privacy from the nurses and doctors, I don't really care anymore, and it doesn't seem to bug Sabrina at all.

        "That's good! How was Milo?" She says wiggling her eyebrows. I laugh. "I'm serious! I know you like him." She says.

        "He was great. Complete gentleman." I respond.

        "Mmhm. You wanna kiiiiiiss him, you wanna maaaaaarry him..." She sings out.

        "No I don't!" I say with a dorky smile. "I might have a little crush on him, but that's it!" I shriek out. She looks at me with a supressed grin on her face.

        "I totally ship it." She says lying down in my bed. I lay down on the oppisite side. I turn off my lamp, which was the only thing that was on. "Goodnight love bird number one" She says.

        "Goodnight Sabrina."