Swell (Complete)

Chapter Thirteen (Part Two)

"Stay up with you all night,
So don't run away
I am your light, I will guide you home."

....

Tara had fallen asleep on the couch. Brett's mother had gone home to rest at his father's insistence and Will was standing in a corner watching. Adora had found another plastic chair and she was sitting on the opposite side of Brett's bed to his father.
She didn't really know why Will was the first person she had turned to for comfort, was it simply because he had transport and was friends with Brett?
It wouldn't have taken much time for Marti to walk up to the hospital if she had called her.
Adora was exhausted, like Brett's family she had been here since her mother had dropped her off not long after Brett had arrived. She was now leaning over the bed, she had on hand over Brett's stomach and another on his hand as she rested her head on the mattress. His father was trying not to fall asleep in the chair, his head would loll back on his neck and then he would snap to alert.
Adora had heard a nurse offer to get Will a chair, but he'd politely declined from his place in the corner. Dodge and Iain hadn't come back or been in contact.
A short grunt sounded from Brett's throat and Adora snapped upright, her hand tightening slightly on his. "Brett?" She whispered, her eyes wide on his face.
There was a feint tint of red on the bandage around his head, and one of his eyes was swollen and puffy. Another, stronger groan sounded and Adora felt her stomach churning as her friend's eyes fluttered. Her heart raced as she watched desperately.
The groans were pained and he frowned as his eyelids opened slowly. "Adora?"
She stood from her chair and carefully wrapped her arms across his shoulder. "Oh gosh, Brett." She was shaking from relief and felt her eyes burning with tears.
She sat back down in her chair and wiped her face before she took his hand again.
Brett looked at his Dad, barely awake and then saw Will as he stepped away from the corner.
"You scared me to death." Adora whispered. "How do you feel?"
"Heavy. What happened?" Brett asked hoarsely.
"Tara found you behind the pub. She and Iain called the ambulance. Do you remember anything?"
"I'll go find a nurse." Will said helpfully.
Adora nodded at him before looking back to Brett as Will left the room.
"I had put the first bag in the dumpster and then heard the car revving, I looked to the driveway and the lights were so bright. I couldn't see anything, and then it hit me and – and..." Brett frowned and put his free hand to his bandage. The touch made him cringe and he put his hand back down beside him.
"Brett!" Tara sat up from her laid back position on the couch and hurried to the bedside, putting her hand on her father's shoulder. The man jerked in his chair and looked around for a few moments with more confusion than his son had woken with.
His confused eyes settled on Brett and Adora saw his body go limp.
"Oh God, Brett." Tara engulf her brother in a hug and pulled back quickly as he grunted. "I'm sorry, I just... Shit..." She shook her head and wiped at her face as she moved away. "God, when I found you..." Her voice was shaking and Adora swallowed a lump looking from her baby-sitter to her best friend.
What had it been like to find Brett in the laneway behind the pub? Broken and bloodied.
"Where's mum?" Brett asked, looking around the room.
"I sent her home a few hours ago." His father said as he checked his wristwatch. "We came as soon as Tara called, and your Mum was exhausted. How are you feeling?"
Brett frowned and looked back to his father. "Heavy." He repeated. "What happened? How long have I been..." He looked down his body and widened his eyes at the plaster over his legs. "What's the damage?" He finished quietly.
"Iain and I were talking for about half an hour until he asked what was taking you so long." Tara started, guilt filled her face. "I should have paid more attention..." She said quietly. "I thought maybe you had gone to the loo, but then I went outside and we found you and the dumpster and..." She choked. "We got to the hospital about midnight, you were in surgery for a while, Adora came about half past, Mum and Dad got here not long after we did..." Tara's shoulders slumped.
Brett swallowed a lump and looked at the three of them in turn. "You've been here all night?" He glanced at the sunlight coming through the thin curtains in the window. "No wonder you look so tired..." He closed his eyes. "Sorry."
"Don't be sorry, the police are trying to find the car that hit you..." His dad spoke. "Did you see anything that could help them?"
Brett's eyes opened and he shook his head. "Nah, the high beams were too bright and then when they let me down they did well staying in the dark, and keeping me down." He scrunched his face up.
"I'm going to go call your mother." His father stood up and offered the chair to Tara. She took it quickly and dragged it closer to the bed and took Brett's hand.
When the door closed behind his Dad, Brett turned to Adora. "How long has Will been here?"
"I called him this morning, about six I think. We'd been waiting in here with you, and I just felt... I needed air." Adora answered slowly.
"Why Will?"
"Iain was talking with the police, and Mum had just dropped me off and gone home."
"But why not Marti?" Brett frowned and returned a squeeze from Tara's hand.
"I didn't really think about it at the time." Adora admitted. "But, Will asked the same thing when he arrived." She scoffed slightly and looked at the floor. "Marti would have taken longer to get here, cause she can't drive alone cause she's on her Ls, and well, Will is your friend too, isn't he?" She brought her eyes up to look at Brett's pale blue ones.
He smiled and nodded slowly. "Yea, I guess he is."
That was when the door opened and Will stepped back into the room.
"I found a nurse, after getting a bit lost." He said sheepishly. "But she's gone to get the doctor." Will stepped up to the foot of the bed and looked at Brett from toe to head with a grimace. "How are you doing?" He asked.
Brett sighed. "Starting to feel a bit sore."
Adora looked over the plastered legs and tried to keep her sobs back.
"Where's Iain now?" Brett asked.
"He went to talk to Dodge, nobody's told him during the night." Adora muttered.