New Girl - The Creatures

Chapter 31

Five hours. I waited five hours in that waiting room to hear something, anything, about Sam. My phone blew up with texts from all of the guys, but all I could do is tell Jordan that I knew nothing and for him to tell everyone to shut the fuck up till I got an update. I put my phone on airplane mode and sat with my head in my hands, praying for the first time in 10 years that she'd be okay.

Not soon after the clock ticked its way into 5 PM, a doctor in scrubs came up to me. "You're James Wilson? I'm Sam's surgeon, Dr. Altman," she said to me, shaking my hand once I stood up. "How is she?" I asked, trying to keep the shaking in my voice down to a minimum.

"She's stable, but still unconscious from the anesthesia. She had a depressed skull fracture and almost fractured her nose, but it was a very minimal surgery. She did just fine, we did have to give her a little more fluids than usual because she's so underweight. We'll make sure she eats plenty while she's here. Depending on how she's feeling, it can take a few days to a week for her to be on her feet again." she told me, giving me a reassuring smile.

I felt some relief, but I wouldn't be okay until I could hear her voice again. I can't believe how stupid I'd been lately with ignoring her. She needed me and I turned my back on her. This was my fault.

"Can I see her?" I asked. Dr. Altman hesitated but must have seen how scared I was. "We'll get her settled into a room and then I'll send a nurse down in about 10 minutes so you can see her," she reassured me. I thanked her and let her get back to Sam while I texted Jordan.

"She's fine. Doctor said she broke her jaw and had a fracture in her skull but the surgery for both wasn't that complicated and she's still under anesthesia right now. She'll probably be here for a few days to a week."

"Man, I hope she wakes up soon. Seamus keeps asking me to tell you to check your phone but I told him to shut up. I'll tell the guys what happened, lmk when she wakes up."

"Will do."

A couple of minutes later, a little old nurse came over and took me to Sam's room. She looked so small and fragile. She had a big ol' bandage wrapped around her forehead and, if the circumstances were different, I'd tease her for it. She seemed peaceful, despite the bruising around the bandage and a little on her nose. The nurse told me her heart rate was good.

"Our roommates are pretty worried about her, when is it okay for them to come to visit?" I asked the nurse before she left the room. "Tomorrow should be fine, depending on how she does tonight. If you need a nurse, just press this button. The cafeteria downstairs has okay dinner, horrible lunch, and great breakfast," she told me briskly, hurrying off to attend to other patients and closing the door behind her.

She had a really pretty view of a park, and it was about 15 minutes from the house. I wasn't going home, there was no way. I couldn't leave her again. I pulled a chair over to beside her bed and held her hand.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry Sam." I whispered, kissing her hand gently. I sat in that chair for hours, waiting and waiting. I just watched her, making sure her heart monitor didn't sound weird and to wait till she woke up. I started to nod off right as I heard her murmur something.

"Sam?" I sat up, wide awake. I sat quietly, listening. "James... don't go..." she whispered, her eyes still closed. "I'm not leaving Sam, don't worry," I told her, unsure if she was awake or not. "Please.. don't go, I'm sorry, I'll do better..." she barely spoke. I held her hand, squeezing it lightly.

"I'm here. I'm not leaving," I promised. I wouldn't leave again. She was quiet again, her breathing normal and sounded like how she slept in the hotel room in Boston. I kept holding her hand as I started to sleep myself, exhausted from how this whole fucking day turned out.

I jerked awake after what felt like just a few minutes. The room was still brightly lit, but the clock on the wall told me it was 7 AM. "Morning, sleeping beauty," she said to me, sounding groggy as ever. I whipped my head around to see her smirking at me, eyes open but looking tired. "Holy shit, you're awake! How are you feeling?" I asked, my heart racing at the sound of her voice.

"I feel like shit. What happened?" she asked, wincing slightly as she repositioned herself gently. "I don't know. Dan, Jordan, Seamus, and I had just gotten back home from grabbing lunch and you were just... lying there. I was terrified," I ended up speaking in a whisper. "...Ah, I think I remember a little. It's kinda fuzzy, but I think I was going to get lunch," she chuckled. "I guess my head had other plans."

"It's not funny, you could've died. You had a depressed skull fracture and you had a little surgery. The doctor said it wasn't very complicated, but still. You can't just not eat anymore. I'm not letting you," I told her stubbornly. She closed her eyes and smiled. "What happened to you being mad at me?" she said, smiling still. "It's not helping you. It's hurting you instead of making you take care of yourself, and I can't do it anymore. I miss you. I miss being your friend," I told her, feeling my voice catch in my throat on the last word.

She opened her eyes and looked at me. "I missed you too," she whispered. I smiled at her and made to grab her hand, but hesitated when I remembered that she'd probably be weirded out by it.

"Why aren't the others here to shower me in love and gifts?" she whined. "You fucking toddler! You threw yourself down some stairs for an iTunes gift card, didn't you?" I pretended to yell. She giggled and smiled at me. "I really did miss you, James."

*Sam POV*

"I know you did," he grinned. "No woman can resist me." I laughed as he got out his phone and called Jordan. A doctor came in not long after Jordan picked up. "Good morning! I'm Dr. Altman, I took care of your surgery yesterday. How are you feeling today?" she asked me. "Kind of like I fell down a flight of stairs," I joked. She smiled and began to gingerly examine my bandages. "I actually feel pretty good, considering," I told her.

"Good. Your bruising looks typical for the injury, but I'm worried about your weight. There's no way that a woman of your age and height is living healthily at 98 pounds. We're going to be putting you back on track with plenty of fluids and all of the hospital food you can stand," she smiled at me, despite sounding stern.

I couldn't believe I was 98 pounds. I nodded quietly as she left the room. "James," I said slowly. He had just gotten off the phone with Jordan. "What's up?" he asked, his voice lightly laced with concern. "Can you take a picture of me? So I can see what I look like?" I looked at him, needing to know what I really looked like. He nodded somberly, and I pulled the blankets back so he could get my legs too.

He flipped his phone screen to me and showed me the photo, a sad look on his face. I had a giant bruise on my forehead by the bandage, and bruises all over my arms and legs. If you could even call them that. I looked like a zombie. My cheeks were so gaunt and my limbs were spindly, like some weird Tim Burton character.

I felt my eyes well up with tears. "I'm sorry, James, I'm so sorry," I started to sob, realizing how little I'd taken care of myself. I didn't know who I was anymore. I had gone from a happy, indie music and coffee loving but healthy hipster to some coffee-fueled nightmare, barely a pile of skin and bones.

He held me in his arms, so gently that it felt like he thought I'd break. "You're fine Sam, you're fine. I'm not leaving you," he reassured me, rubbing the back of my neck with his thumb. He was so warm. I pulled back and looked at him. He gazed into my eyes, and I felt my lips part as we leaned into each other.

His lips touched mine like they were silk, delicate and considerate as possible. I felt myself melt into him, a warmth crashing over my body in a cacophony of waves, swirling until all I could feel was his touch; not the pain in my forehead or the way the starchy gown draped my body, but him. He was all I could feel. He held my head between his hands so carefully, and as we pulled away, he kissed me on both cheeks and kept holding me. And for a moment that felt like a lifetime, I felt at peace.