The Apprentice (Girlxgirl)

Chapter Forty Five

I'm not sure how much time had passed since the car hit me, but it didn't seem to be long. I felt like I had taken a really long nap, and I felt refreshed.

I struggled to open my eyes, and closed them again as the bright hospital lights hit them, and groaned quietly.

"Jamie!" I heard Ellie's voice and slowly opened my eyes again.

"Ellie!" I tried to shout back when I saw her face hovering above me, but my throat was too dry and it just sounded like a growl.

Ellie's face disappeared from my line of sight, then reappeared a few seconds later, after she had raised my bed so I was sitting up a bit. She was holding a plastic cup of water with a straw in it, and brought the straw to my mouth. I sucked on it desperately, and drank it all.

"Thank you," I whispered. Ellie just hugged me.

"We were all so worried about you, Jay. They're gonna be so happy when they wake up," she said, and looked over to the opposite side of the room to where she was standing.

I follwed her eyes, and saw Alex and Rachel sleeping side by side on comfy looking chairs. I smiled.

"I'm so happy you're all here," I said.

"How are you feeling?" Ellie asked me, and I realised that I had completely ignored the fact that I had been in an accident.

"I feel good," I said honestly, "What happened?"

"You were hit by a car, Jay. And the wanker just drove off," Ellie said angrily, and I smiled at her terrible language. "Alex called me when you were brought in here. Me and Rach had just got to our parents, but we came straight back. Turns out there wasn't much point in that cause you've been in a coma for two weeks."

"Two weeks?" I asked, shocked.

"Yeah, me and Rach have been taking care of work, but Alex hasn't left your side for longer than an hour to go home and shower." She smiled.

"Ellie, shouldn't you let a doctor know I'm awake or something?"

"Oh my god, I try to talk to my best friend who hasn't seen me in two weeks and she doesn't even want to know," Ellie complained jokingly, as she walked towards the door.

"It's not like I was on holiday!" I replied loudly.

"Jay!"

I turned to see that Rachel and Alex had woken up. Rach was already standing next to me, hugging me, and Alex was just staring at me in disbelief.

My eyes locked with Alex's, and I saw a wave of relief wash over her.

"I'm gonna get some more water," Rachel said, seeing that Alex and I were staring at each other. She grabbed the empty jug from the table and left the room quickly.

"Hey," I said nervously, as Alex approached me. For some reason, I felt really shy. It could have been because I hadn't seen her for two weeks, or maybe it was the way she was looking at me. Something was different now, but I liked it.

Alex didn't reply, she just put her lips to mine, and I melted. Everything else went away, and it was just me and her. Until it was just me and her, and my best friend, and my best friend's sister, and a complete stranger who I assumed was my doctor.

"Sorry to interrupt," the middle aged man said awkwardly when he saw us.

Alex backed away from me, grinning like the Cheshire cat, and I turned to the doctor.

"That's okay," I smiled.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, taking a pen from his pocket, and looking through my chart that was on the table next to my bed.

"Really good, actually," I said.

"Good, good," he said, writing something down, "and how's the pain?"

"There is none," I answered, wondering if that was unusual.

"That means the morphine is working then, we'll lower the dosage and start to wean you off it now. We need to discuss your injuries, then."

I was scared to hear what my injuries were. If I was on enough morphine, I could have any injury and not feel the pain. I wriggled my fingers and toes sneakily to check that nothing had been amputated, and I was pleased to feel them all moving.

"You've got 3 broken ribs, a broken arm and a lot of tissue damage in your back. We've bandaged you up, but we'll be able to put a proper cast on your arm now that you're awake. Other than that, it's just cuts and bruises. A nurse will be round within the hour to see you."

"When can I go home?" I asked.

"I don't know yet. It depends on when you're up and about. I would say at least another week, maybe longer, so make yourself comfortable," he replied, then left the room swiftly.

"Another week?" I groaned.

"Maybe longer," Ellie added, and I shushed her.

"Let's go get something to eat Ellie," Rachel suggested, sensing that I wanted to be alone with Alex.

Ellie just smiled, then kissed me on the cheek before they left the room. Alex immediately moved back to kiss me again, and the butterflies in my stomach woke up.

"Alex," I whispered against her lips, and she backed away to look into my eyes. "I love you."

Alex didn't say anything, and I panicked.

"I know this is probably a stupid time to tell you, but I've wanted to for so long and I've always been too scared. I could have died in that accident, and I never would have told you how I feel about you. I don't care if you don't say it back right now, but I just really needed you to know."

"Jamie, I love you too," she said finally, and my heart raced so much that my heart rate monitor started to beep. "I love you more than I know how to explain. I've been so terrified that I was gonna lose you, and now you're awake, and I don't want to let go of you again."