The Last Summer (EDITING)

>Chaper Thirty-Three<

Chapter 33

We get a quick escort to the nearest hospital soon after we locate the paramedics to Arron. Ciera and I are pretty banged up, but Arron had to go into surgery to remove the bullet in his leg. I held his hand as they sedated him. While Ciera was getting checked for any internal bleeding and I was getting a few bandages for my own wounds, I called my aunt Laura and tried to explain as best as I could.

"We got into a car accident." I stated. "And Ciera's brother Kobe didn't make it."

That was the best any of us could do. And the thing was, everyone believed it. We told the cops to keep what happened at the abandoned warehouse a closed case and they left it at that. Apparently they have been searching for Smith for years so we earned a five thousand dollar reward for him. However, I couldn't take the money and gave it to Ciera to help pay for Kobe's funeral.

After Ciera was discharged she joined me in the lobby to wait on Arron. She then had to break the news that her brother will not be coming back with her to her parents.

So I sit here in the empty lobby room. The giant clock above the secretaries desk tells me that it's eight in the morning. I slump back in my seat, sighing loudly when the front doors swing open. A short doctor with stubbly chin hair approaches me. I stand up, looking at him expectantly. "Well?"

"He's going to be fine." I bring my hand up to my mouth in a moment of relief. "We were easily able to remove the bullet and no major arteries were damaged. He can go home as soon as he wakes up."

I let out a relived laugh,"Oh thank you so much, doctor. Thank you."

He smiles,"You're welcome."

At that point Ciera joins me from the bathroom, her eyes wet. "They said to give the morgue our address to ship Kobe over." I pull her to me and hold her as she sobs. "It's okay. He's in a better place." I soothe. We take a seat as she continues to cry onto my shoulder and I wait for her to stop. I can't uncaringly cover up her bad news with my good news.

It seems like a lifetime has passed before a nurse comes and tells us that Arron has waken up. I collect my broken friend and follow the nurse to his new room. She lightly knocks on his door then lets herself in. I've been telling myself for the past hour not to cry. I had a deep conversation with myself in the lobby, don't ask, and told myself that no matter how happy I am, or no matter how beat up he looks, I forbid myself to shed a single tear. So when I finally see his face, his bruised bandaged face, I calmly and collectedly walk over to his bedside and smile. My eyes burn from forcefully holding back my tears and I take Arron's hand. "How are you feeling?"

He sniffs, pulling me to him. He's crying. I carefully crawl into his bed and we hold each other in the aftermath of it all. He notices me holding back and brings my head to his lips,"It's okay, you can cry if you want to." I take no time and desperately hold onto him as I begin to cry. He cries too, holding onto me tightly. I even hear Ciera start to sob as she watches us; desperate for a way out of our labyrinth of sorrow.

We are all too emotionally worn to drive back so we take a bus back. My aunt thinks the car was totalled from the 'accident' so we sold it before we left to the junkyard.

Everyone was quiet on the way home. Ciera rode alone in an empty seat in front of us while Arron and I try to catch some sleep. When I'm finally able to fall asleep the bus stops in front of our houses. I carefully help Arron out of the seat and he leans on me as I walk him down the aisle. Ciera gets off too, opening the door for us as I help Arron inside.

"Am I hurting you?" Arron worries, leaning off my arm. I shake my head,"You're fine." He looks unsure, but decides he needs the help and continues to lean. Marie comes rushing in from the kitchen. She doesn't go into hysterics of our safety or how worried she was. She simply takes Arron from my hold and helps him over to the couch. "I'll get you some blankets." She comes back with a pillow and a blanket and makes him comfortable as I stand back and watch. His eyes don't leave mine the entire time. His face is serious. As if he's thinking about something.