Four Letter Word..

Chapter Twenty Eight

I fell asleep after Penny and Stacey had left and I didn't wake up until someone shook me awake. I opened my eyes to see the red hair of Max stood over me "Max?" I questioned
"Hey" I pulled myself up slightly "I just thought I'd come see how you are?" she stated pulling a chair over "I'm fine, they should be discharging me tomorrow.... Have you seen Billy? How is he?" I asked and she looked down at her hands that were resting on the side of my bed "What is it? Did something happen?" she looked up at me
"No. no he's fine"
"Then why do you have that look on your face?" I quizzed her. She licked her lips and tilted her head slightly "You know about Neil, sending him off to boarding school right?" she asked me
"Yeah... I know his Dad's already been applying him to places"
"I heard Neil and my Mom talking last night... He got accepted to one of them and Neil's already started boxing his belongings up" she told me "I just, I thought you should know" she stood up and I reached out taking her hand "Can you get me in to see him?" I asked her
"You're allowed to leave the ward?" she questioned. I looked over at the nurse who was tending to the girl across from me who was only here because she was recovering from having her tonsils removed "You're on your own here right?" she shook her head
"My Mom's here...She came to tell Billy that as soon as he get's out of here he's going straight to another state" I swallowed
"Where are they sending him?"
"Montana" I felt sick "Look... If you want to go see him.. He's on the fifth floor, ward 18" she let go of my hand "I have to go, I told Mom I was just going to the bathrooms" I couldn't answer her because I was afraid I'd burst into tears instead. I watched her leave and then waited and waited and waited.

()()()()()()

When the clock on the wall hit ten thirty I pulled the sheets back and swung my legs over the bed, getting out carefully. I took deep breaths as I walked down the corridor. There was one nurse at the station "Are you ok Miss Carter?" she asked me
"Yeah, I just need a walk" I lied "I've been in that bed all day"
"Do you need a chaperone?" she asked
"No, no I'm fine" I wasn't though, my chest was hurting quite a lot but I needed to see Billy. I headed towards the elevator and got inside pressing the button for floor 5. When I got out I walked towards ward 18. There were a few nurses at the station but they were talking to one another and laughing so I figured I could sneak by. I managed it and found ward 18. I thought it would be similar to the ward I was on but the rooms were separated on the ward and I had no idea which number Billy was. Max never told me. I walked up the corridor and peered through each window before I finally found him. I opened the door, he was sleeping as I approached the side of his bed. He had a cut on his forehead, his right eye was bruised and his lip was cut up but most of it was probably his Father's doing. I held his hand and brushed some of his blonde curls out of his face. He flicked his eyes open and I smiled down at him "Kat.." he mumbled
"Hey..."

"How did you get here? Kat I'm so sorry" I hushed him
"It's ok. We're both ok right? So it doesn't matter" he sat up a little straighter "Max came by to see me earlier, she told me where you were" I told him
"Kat, there's something I need to tell you"
"You got accepted to a boarding school in Montana right?" I asked him "Max told me.." he looked up at me "It's going to be ok you know. Just come and stay with Penny" I smiled at him. He looked away from me which wiped the smile from my face "I wish I could go through life thinking everything was so simple" I stared at him "You know that won't work Kat so why are you and Penny even entertaining the idea?" he looked back up at me, eyes narrowed

"If you told someone about the abuse though they might-"

"No Kat...." he snapped "It's not going to work..." A nurse suddenly came into the room, she looked stunned for a minute "Visiting hours are over? You need to leave" I looked back at Billy who still wasn't looking at me "I'm getting discharged tomorrow" I informed him "Why won't you look at me" I asked. He licked over his bottom lip

"Because I love you" I felt the lump in my throat grow "So much Kat and this is so hard and I'm so sorry for putting us in this position" The nurse cleared her throat at us and I turned to her "Can you give us a minute?" I groaned
"Sorry" I sighed and turned back to Billy leaning in front of him

"I'm going to come over here and see you tomorrow"

"Ok" he murmured and I pressed my lips to his softly

"I love you" he didn't react and I turned away walking out of the door and heading back down to my ward.