More Than Just A Tag (Slow Updates)

Chapter 11: Crying?!?

Hey guys!! I'm sorry I've been under a rock for so long. It's just that I'm trying to balance school with extracurricular and everything in between. Funny thing, is that I had written this chapter/update two weeks ago! And I just couldn't get around to scan and edit it and then finally publish. But alas it is here! I hope the wait was worth it!

Enjoy!
~Bhumi Sukha

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Black. That's all I see as my consciousness returns to me. I try to open my eyes, but find that no matter how hard I tried, they just wouldn't open. As I was struggling to do something I've done all my life, I hear a faint beeping noise. It was beeping constantly and now was starting to annoy me. The beeping noise was slowly starting to clear up as if I was underwater this whole time and I was just breaking the surface.
The beeping noise, more clearer now, was really starting to bug me and I tried to plug my ears with my hands with all the willpower I had. It just wouldn't work and I was starting to get really frustrated. As I was really starting to just give up and try to go back into the darkness, I heard a faint murmuring. I tried to listen and heard the conversation happening in front of me better.
   
    "What if she never wakes up? Huh? I would have never gotten to say sorry to her." I hear a familiar voice say.

    The voice sounded so familiar and sort of hoarse, as if they had been crying for a long time and probably still were. Another familiar voice interrupted my thoughts as they started to say something. I decided to pay more attention.

    "It's not your fault Riley."
    Riley! That's who the other voice was. I try to move my mouth and feel the slight movement of my lips and realize that I could move them. I try to speak but all that comes out is air. Just then a thought hits my out of nowhere. 'Wait. If the other voice was Riley then this must be-'

"You never knew this would happen and you wouldn't have been able to stop it from happening."

'Noah!' I try to speak up more now so that I can communicate to them. Tell them that I'm not hurt. That it was actually my fault. But as I try to speak, I try to open my eyes as well and feel them open slightly. The light almost blinds me as I open my eyelids. I finally get my eyes open, but can't have them open for long. I try speaking once more and feel my voice vibrate in my throat. Just then I hear what he was actually trying to say. 

"True Kara was upset, but that was partially my fault."

    I just got what he was trying to say and try harder to speak up.

"You were just backing me up. Hell, it's probably all my-"

"Don't you dare say it's all your fault Noah." I hear my extremely dry, itchy, and hoarse voice speak up.

I slowly open my eyes to find them staring at me to the right of the bed that I was laying in. I look at Riley's face and find that she looks extremely exhausted. Her eyes are extremely red and she has dark undereye bags big enough to fit almost all of my paints. Her blue eyes light up as I look into her eyes and the next thing I know, I'm being suffocated by my best friend. I hiss in pain as a blinding headache slams into my head. Feeling like my head just got smashed in by a hammer. I hiss in even more pain as she squeezes harder and my lungs feel like they're bleeding.
Riley realizes her mistake and quickly, yet gently, places me back into my previous position on the bed, all the while squeaking out apologies over and over again. I keep telling her it's ok and eventually she stops with the apologies.
I look over at Noah to see him in utter shock. Apparently still not believing that I was awake. I just raise my right eyebrow at him in amusement as he keeps on with his dazed look.

"What? No welcome back into reality Kara?" I ask amusement lacing my voice.

My voice seems to have brought him out of his state of mind and the next thing I know I'm being gently hugged. Keyword being gently. See? This is the difference between Noah and Riley. Yet I still love them the same.
I slowly wrap my arms around him and gently pat his back. In my shock I feel his body shake and hear slight sobs coming out of him. To top it all off I feel something wet dripping onto my shoulder. I realize with shock that Noah is crying.
Noah is crying.  I've never seen him like this before. I slowly start to pat his back and whisper soothing words to him. As soon as he's done with his little "scene" I just look away and try to ignore what just happened. I look at Riley and ask her the one question I've been dreading ever since I've woken up.

"So. How long have I've been asleep?" I ask.

Not wanting to know the answer. My heart drops to my stomach as I see her hesitate and look at Noah.

"Well, it's been about a week. I would say." I hear Riley say.

Relief floods through me as I hear her say the word week.

"Only a week? Thank goodness, I thought you were going to say something big, like a year."

"What?! No! The crash was bad, but not that bad!" I hear Riley exclaim.

We all look at each other and then just burst out laughing at just nothing in general. Just then, I feel like my head has been smashed in by a hammer again, the pain in my chest growing even bigger. I grab my head and wrap one arm around myself and hiss in pain.

"Easy there. Here drink some water."

I look up to see Noah holding out a glass of water and gently take it from him and take little sips. The headache eases a tiny bit but is still there eating away at my brain. Just then I hear the door click open and see the last person I expect to visit me.

"So. What did I miss?" the rough and deep voice asks.

And who may that rough and deep voice belong to you ask? Well It was none other than the person who taught me how to tag in the first place. The one person who taught me how to defend myself and play innocent. The one who helped me become Karma. That person was Dragon. And he was standing in all his glory, in the hospital room. My hospital room.