He's Real c.h.

Nineteen: read me something

Maely decided to stay the night at the hospital, to keep Ashton company. She wanted him to be ok.

Michael silently agreed to drive Calum back home once he was done getting drunk. And, of course, Luke drove Carson home.

Maely sat next to Ashton as he turned on the TV. They needed something to distract them from the machines. From cancer, and from death itself.

Ashton cranked the volume up all the way, but not a sound was heard over the machincal whirring.

He sighed and dropped the remote on the bed.

Maely pulled up a chair next to the bed and watched Ashton's eyes as he avoided her gaze.

He adjusted the angle of the bed a few times before giving in to her stare.

"What?" he asked timidly.

She couldn't help but smile. "Will you take your beanie off?" she asked at length.

"No!" he exclaimed, clutching it to his head.

"Just for a second?"

"It's embarassing!"

"I swear to god I will never tell another living soul." Maely grasped desperately for conversation.

Ashton sighed. "I suppose," he grumbled, "since you're my friend."

Maely flashed a small smile as he slowly took off his beanie.

He wasn't completely bald, as some chemo patients are. A few curls dangled in front of his eyebrows, the rest was like peach fuzz.

Maely ran her fingers along his head, his hair tickled her hand. Ashton blushed and put the beanie back on--clearly embarrassed.

Maely giggled a bit, then stopped abruptly. "Sorry." she cleared her throat.

"No, it's ok. It's better than fleeing in terror." Ashton said, trying not to smile.

After a long pause, Ashton spoke up again. "Read me something." he said.

Maely blinked and scratched her arm.

Her tics were getting less and less now, due to medication. It also meant they were changing. Moving from body part to body part. It was a slow, but painless process.

"What?" she asked, picking at the crappy hospital blanket.

"I saw you had a book with you. Read some to me." he explained.

Maely complied and pulled her book out from under her leg. She opened to the first page, forgetting her original place.

She cleared her throat, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor--shit--yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means--shit--comfort."

The rest of the night went on with much of this.

Maely read half the book by the time Ashton had drifted off to sleep.

She liked reading to him and thought she would do it every night.

Ashton's breathing seemed labored, making Maely worry deeply.

She lay her head on the hand gaurd of his cot and soon fell asleep.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

Is it just me or do some parts in this book make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

Probably just me.

p.s. Do you like the picture in the beginning of the chapter?