What I Wish Happened

Chapter Sixteen

I hold Leo's hand in mine holding it close to my lips, I squeeze my eyes shut because I can't see him like this for another second. I hear quiet knocking on the doorframe, I raise my eyelids, and see uncle Sam at the door, he smiles and walks around the bed to me, leans down and kisses my cheek, ruffles my grease-filled hair and pulls a chair up closely beside me, "Kiddo, you need to go home, you Mom is worried, she doesn't want you to slip into this hole, and neither do I, or anyone who cares for you." I shake my head and close my eyes, I suddenly realise that my hand feels cold, I realise it the absence of Leo hand in mine, I take his hand in mine. I close my eyes again and feel a tear roll down my cheek.

"I can't leave him, he's here because of me, I'm not leaving until he does." Sam's eyes fill with sadness, he scoots to the edge his chair and pulls me into his chest, he moves to a side hug so we can both look at Leo at the same time. "Nova Louise Founders, you are my god daughter and I love you, I knew you were a good person before you were a full formed foetus. I also know how much you love Leo, I also know how much he loves you. The second you met, I knew, and I also know that he wouldn't want you here like this, he would want you to look after yourself, especially after everything that happened to you two." I nod and let another tear roll down my face, one after another, Leo wraps his arms around me and I bury my head in his chest. After a little while in this position, I pull away, and walk over to the bed push, Leo's now extremely long fringe away from his eyes and kiss his right dimple. I turn back to Sam and walk towards him. He wraps his arms around my shoulders as we walk to the elevator.

We stand awkwardly in silence, as I lean on the wall looking at the metallic doors. "Nova? Can I ask you a question?" I nod as I move my body to face him. "Did you know that Leo was doing College courses?" I shake my head I look to him for more of an explanation. "I got a call for UCLA saying that he was missing for two weeks without explanation. So they called to check if he was okay. Apparently he got early admission because he took exams early in the UK. He's a full-time student, and a full-time student a your high school." I feel myself fill with confusion. Why didn't he tell me how amazing he is? Or am I just an idiot for not realising it for myself.

As I push the large wooden door open I take a deep breath.. I haven't been here since the first day out. I step in and place down my keys, hanging up my coat and bag, "Hello?" I call out to the large empty room, I receive no answer so walk into the kitchen to see Mom with earphones in and she was separating eggs. She starts whisking as she spins round to rest on the large island. Her eyes almost bulge out of her head when she sees me. I let a smile fall on to my lips.

She puts down the bowl, pulls out her earphones and runs around to me. She pulls me into a hug and takes a visible deep breath. "Are you okay?" I nod and look around the room noticing a rather large selection of baked goods. "Mom? Have you been stress baking again?" She looks sheepishly to the floor. "Doughnut?" I smile and take a glazed doughnut to my lips, enjoying each bite. I smile and kiss her check, "I'm going to go shower." She smiles and nods before happily wrapping her arms around my body. "I'm so happy you're okay." I pull away before walking back up stairs and into my bedroom, I push my hoodie off my shoulders as I walk through the room, I step under the shower head and let the water run down my skin the water feeling foreign on my skin. As I lather my skin with my body wash the scent overwhelms my senses, the smell doesn't seem, right, too exotic, too innocent. I quite quickly wash it off, get out and away from the smell.

I walk back down stairs wearing one of the only clean outfits in my closet, I'm wearing skinny grey tracksuit pants, matching grey nike air force high-tops and my grey cropped hoodie with lacing down the sleeves. I walk into the living room where River, Dad and Meg were comfortably sat. River sat in the arm chair facing towards the kitchen which is behind me. Both his and Meg's eyes bulge out their heads, causing dad to turn around, they all stand up and walk over each one pull my into a hug. "Okay can everyone stop treating like a cancer patient or something!" They all pull away and I grab a macaroon from the plate on the kitchen island. I walk back to the foyer and pick up my re-packed bag before picking up my keys. Everyone has followed me, Mom has tucked a tea towel into the string tied around the front of her "Nova, where are you going please say your not going back to the hospital?" I sign and turn back to my Mom "Mom... I have to go back, Leo is there by himself and I don't want to think about him waking up there by himself, the idea of that makes feel physically sick and anxious. I need to be there." Mom steps forward and calms me as I begin to show my upset state, she steps forward and pulls me into a hug again, "Nova... Your dad will take you to see Leo, I'll pick you up at 12, and then you can go again tomorrow, but no more staying over night." I nod and smile as I pull her into a hug. She runs into the kitchen and promptly returns with a selection plate of baked goods "For his nurses." I smile and take the plate, Dad takes my keys from me as we walk to the car.

After a long drive from my house to the hospital I walk in with the plate. I pause at the nurses station for Leo's floor. "Hi Olive. My Mom baked some food and wanted to give you and the other nurses some for looking after Leo and me." She rounded the desk as I placed the plate on the work top, she pulled me in for a tight hug, "After everything you've both been through a little bit of love is all you need."

I smile and turn to head to Leo's room. I walk in to see Kaci sat with Leo and a lady not much older than me sat in the corner. "NOVA!" Kaci runs over to me and almost knocks me over as she hugs me, the lady sat in the corner looks up at the sudden outburst, he eyes bulge at the sight of me, "Um hi... I'm Olivia, I'm Leo and Kaci's aunt." I nod and smile, she looks down to Kaci "Kaci, we should go." Kaci pushes her bottom lip out to make a pout, "But LeLe isn't awake yet! And I haven't told him about my day at school, or showed him the drawing of his and Nova's wedding! He always asks me about my day and he tells me about Nova and that they're going to get married soon!" I look up at Olivia kneels down so she's the same height as Kaci. "Kaci... how was you day at school?" She looked down at her feet, and frowned "it's not the same..." she slips her feet back into her sparkly pumps and cuddles her teddy bear close the her chest I look over to the edge of the room and spot a pile of clothes, I take one and put my hand out for Kaci's teddy bear, she wearily hands the bear over, I take the bear and place the shirt on him, tying it tight around him to make it sit better, "Now he'll smell like your brother, think of him as Leo in a teddy bear." She smiles slightly and follows Olivia out the room, she mouth the words 'thank you' to me.

I turn back to Leo, as I cuddle up in the arm chair, tucking the blanket I bought from home around me and pull a book out of the bag, I hold the book in one hand and Leo's hand in the other. I begin reading aloud, before long I hear a knock on the wood of the door frame, as I look up I notice Mom with two to-go coffee's in her hands and a sad look in her eyes as she sees Leo in his hospital bed. "Honey, it's midnight, we should get you home." I nod as I fold my blanket placing the book on top I walk over to Leo and squeeze his hand in mine, and kiss his cheek. I pull my hand away when I feel a sudden grip on my hand, my eyes switch back to Leo and as if we were in a movie his eyes flutter open, "Mom get the doctor, he's awake!" She nods and runs out the room.

He turns his head to face me, "Vee..." a thankful tear runs down my cheek, a massive weight lifts from my shoulders. A doctor runs into the room and checks all the computers and monitors around him, my Mom comes to me and pulls me to outside the room I never at any point let my eyes leave him.