Last Flight to L.A.

chapter forty: recovery rooms

  "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."  

~When Harry Met Sally

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Kelsey blinked up at the blue ceiling above her, feeling more aware of herself than she had for the past day-and-a-half.

The pain had subsided for now, and she was able to take in a breath without feeling like needles were stabbing her insides.

She recalled seeing Ethan and Becca come in and out of the room, but it felt like a distant dream.

A chill ran down her arms and she carefully snuggled deeper into the thin hospital sheets. Her body ached from all the cuts and bruises covering her skin and a headache throbbed against her skull.

But she was alive.

She recalled the night of the premiere, but everything that happened after she swerved off the road was fuzzy. All she remembered was being jerked against the seatbelt and blasted in the face with the airbag. Everything after that was terrifyingly dark.

She'd never felt the touch of death like that before, and the memory of its cold embrace made her want to cry.

She shook her head and looked around, feeling a flutter of excitement when she beheld a room full of flowers.

"What...?" she whispered, sitting up and reaching for the tag nearest to her.

It was a cluster of sunflowers from Ethan.

She smiled and could feel her dry lips crack in the attempt.

"You've had a lot of visitors," a nurse said as she wheeled a cart into the room.

"Who are they all from?" Kelsey asked, having to force her voice to work. She recognized the nurse as the one who always made sure she was comfortable before leaving, unlike the others, who stuck her with needles like her skin was made of lead.

"Would you like me to read them to you?"

Kelsey smiled and nodded, resting on an elbow.

The nurse parked the cart and walked over to a wicker box that held a purple orchid inside. "This one's from Sandy," the nurse said.

"Sandy?" Kelsey echoed.

"It says, 'I hope you feel better soon. I wanted to come see you, but I'm at the Etsy convention.'"

Kelsey shook her head. "Ah, Sandy."

"This is from two people named Anthony and Monte."

Kelsey frowned in contemplation. "Who?"

"From...Monte's Pizza, it says."

Kelsey gaped at the nurse. "What does it say?"

"It says, 'Get well soon because it's free pizza on us next time you come in.'"

Kelsey was about to laugh in surprise, but settled back onto the bed after feeling a pain cut through her chest. "That was really nice of them," she winced.

The nurse surveyed her before moving on to the next set of flowers—a bundle of plain mums in a black pot. "We're all hoping you can get back to work soon. Hope you feel better."