Joanne through the years.

Alive?

In early May I was visiting Joe as usual. I was alone...as usual.  No one else really visited Joe that often anymore.  They couldn't bring themselves to "watch him die".  He wasn't dying.  Not under my watch.  I visited him before school, then after school.  I would then leave around 10pm and head back home only to repeat again the next day.  I held his hand as I made my way through my third pack of chocolate pretzels.  Sympathy food.  That's what I tell everyone anyway.  My right hand was intertwined with his as I munched on the pretzels and gave him the latest news updates on life.
"Josh made the cricket team.  Oh and Caspar's given up smoking.  Oli's got a girlfriend.  She's really nice.  So much has happened today.  I fell over at dance practice and twisted my ankle but I'm fine now" I rattled on to his motionless body.  "I wish you could have seen Jacks face when Oli told us about her.  Jack always thought that he would be the first to get a girlfriend.  He hasn't spoken since he found out.  Oli's not really hanging around us anymore because of her though.  I get that he wants to spend some time alone with her but he's actually been dating her for four months.  That is why he was really distant with us before...if you remember.  I really miss you Joe.  I don't know what I'm gonna do if I leave for Australia and you still haven't woken up" the tears poured out of my eyes.  "I love you so so much and I just want you to be alright" the tears fell thick on fast onto our entwined hands.  I just sat and sobbed.  Then somebody wiped a tear away.  My head jutted up.  Joe had his hand on my cheek.  His eyes were open and slightly watery.  He tightened his grip on my hand.
"Please don't cry Reddo" he croaked, his voice breaking from lack of use.  I flung my arms around him and continued sobbing all over him.  He hugged me as tightly as his weak arms could.  Just then a nurse came bustling in. She spotted Joe awake and shrieked and ran out again.  This caused Joe to giggle slightly.  Gosh, I had missed that laugh.  
Joe

A few doctors came rushing in and Dianne and I broke apart.
"Mr Sugg! How long have you been awake?" A doctor asked, immediately beginning to tap on a computer as other doctors began fiddling with machines.
"Like 2 minutes" I replied confusedly.  It's not like I'd been asleep for long.
"I have a few questions that I have to ask you Mr Sugg" he said to me.
"Okay" I said nervously.
"What day is it today?"
"Ummm.  Well, the fire was on Friday soooo" I glanced out the window and spotted daylight. "This must Saturday"
"What month do you think it is?"
"February" I was unsure now.  How long had I been sleeping?  I looked at my leg. "Blimey my leg's scarred" I gagged as I looked down at where I had been burnt.  I also had burns all over my arms but they didn't look new.  Not necessarily old but they definitely weren't from yesterday. "How long have I been sleeping?" I muttered.
"A few months" Dianne whispered.
"What?" I looked right at her and stopped examining the scar from my gunshot wound. "What's the date?"
"May the 2nd" she replied. "Everyone else is fine by the way" she smiled.
"I know.  You told me" I looked up at her.
"But you were sleeping" she was shocked.
"I just heard little snippets of thing you said.  Not everything but just some things..." I trailed off. I had heard Dianne's confessions of her love to me and also remembered telling her that I loved her right before the fire almost killed us.  I shut up and the doctors continued examining me and then left and told me to get some rest and they were going to send the good news off to my friends and family. 

Dianne

When the doctors left I burst into tears again.  Joe and I cuddled for a bit.  We soon fell asleep on each other and were woken up by the door bursting open.  Joe and I jumped.  It was Zoe and the rest of my friends.  They ran into the room.  Zoe flung her arms around Joe so tightly it seemed unlikely that she would let go for several years.  She only let go when she realised that she was strangling him.
"I've missed you so much Joe" she kissed him repeatedly on the head.
"You all right mate?" Caspar grinned.
"I'm so glad you're alive" Conor smiled.
"I missed you too Zoe" he giggled as she continued kissing his head.
"Oh.  Sorry" She laughed and stopped kissing him.  We chatted for a few hours.  I could see Joe beginning to tire.  It wouldn't be long now before he fell back asleep again.
"Do you know when I can get out of here?" he looked up at me and motioned for me to come sit beside him.  I grinned and ran over and snuggled into him.
"Ummmm.  I think the doctor said around 3 weeks.  It all depends on how fast you get better.  You're lungs are still pretty weak and you're gonna need physical therapy for that leg of yours" I said.  He groaned.
"I hate physical therapy.  You practically get beat up for 45 minutes" he muttered.  I giggled.  I was so glad to have him back again.  I didn't leave that night but stayed with him and fell asleep in his arms.  Over the next few days he continued to get better and regain his strength.  His sense of humour was coming back and he was becoming more like himself again.  We spent hours at a time together talking about everything...except one thing.  Us.  We never brought up the fact that we had both admitted our love for each other in February.  We hadn't talked about all the times we had almost kissed.  I wanted to but didn't want things to change between us. What if Joe had only said that he loved me because he was about to die?  What if I readmitted all my feelings towards him right now and he deflected them and told me that he didn't feel the same way?  Then what would I do?  Run away?  Never talk to him again?  Leave for Australia and never contact him? I couldn't. That would be horrible for both of us. I decided to make myself a promise. I promised myself that I would tell Joe my feelings before I left in two months time. And I was going to stick to that promise.

A/N- There's only a few chapters left of their lives as teenagers then there will be a time skip to strictly.  Sorry I haven't posted much.  I've had so many tests.   Its almost the holidays so hopefully I will be able to just have some time to write.