I stir half asleep to the strong smell of disinfectant. My eyes remain closed as I hear a page turn. I blink away sleep and squint as the bright sunlight burns my eyes. I turn my head slightly, away from a window. I'm lying down in a hospital bed the sheets crisp and white. There is a small TV in the right corner. It's a typical hospital room, too much white. Yet again I hear a page turn and turn my head to see what it is, and who do I see sitting there reading The Hunger Games?
"Garsen, what are you doing here?" I say chokily, he looks very tired.
"Alice, you're awake! How are you how do you feel? You. Are. Going. To. Be. Okay." He says like I'm five years old.
"I. Know. That. Idiot." He must have felt tense as I see his shoulders slump at ease.
"But seriously, how are you feeling?" he says this seriously with a grave look on his face.
Caring about someone that not himself? Who is this and what have they done with my friend Garsen?
"Fine... I guess."
"That's good. And I've been meaning to ask you... What the hell? Had you ever thought about how you getting stabbed would affect me? I've been sitting here for hours waiting for you to wake up!"
Never mind I was wrong. It was Garsen all along.
I begin to giggle coz I can tell he's just kidding around like he usually does. But it hurts I feel a slight throbbing pain where I've been stabbed.
"Haha, ow." I realise that I haven't checked my wound yet.
"Wait, you've been here for hours?"
"Well, it' been more like days... but yeah. All of us have been."
"All of you?"
"Yeah. Verity, Isola, Steve, Sky, Kiki and me. Oh, and Hannibal."
"Hannibal's here?" I ask in astonishment.
"Yeah, he kept babbling on about how you saved his life and that he owed it to you or something like that." He waves his hand, dismissing it.
"We've been taking turns inside the room really. And we take turns in going home. Yeah hours I've been in here waiting."
"Garsen... you didn't have to do that." "I know, but I wants to, we all wanted to. We couldn't just leave you." I smile, thinking for the millionth time how awesome my friends are.
I decide to check my wound. I slowly lift up the sheets like if I move it too quickly I'm going to scare something that's sleeping under there. I have a bandage wrapped around me that has a bit of blood where I've been cut. I lift it up and see that my knife has been removed and has been replaced with stitches. I count them and I have twenty in total. I place back the bandage and just lay there staring blankly at the wall. Seconds later Sky comes quietly in looking at Garsen while she does so.
"How is she doing?" she asks. I notice that she has dark circles under her eyes.
"I'm fine" I answer. She looks at me and her face just lights up.
"Oh My Gosh! Your Awake!" she says delighted running towards me for a hug. She pulls away from me and slaps Garsen.
"WHY. DIDN'T.YOU. TELL. ME?!?!?" She asks sternly slapping him on each word.
"She just woke up!" he says defending himself. She looks at him not believing his story. She glances at me and I nod my head, telling her that he's telling the truth.
"Ok. So how are you feeling?" she asks me. Sky is awesome. I mean all my friends are awesome, but you get the picture. She's always thinking of others.
"Alright, I'm a bit thirsty though." I reply. She nods and grabs the glass of water on the bedside table. I take it and have a sip. The smooth water makes me feel cooler which makes me realise that I'm quite warm. I gulp the rest down and place the glass back down on the side table.
"Thanks."
"I'll go and get the others."
Garsen and I just chat for a few minutes when Sky returns with Steve.
"Hey how are you?" I have a feeling that I'm going to be asked that a lot.
"I'm fine."
"Fletcher came and picked up the reluctant Kiki and Isola a few minutes ago. Both have family things they need to go to today." Sky explains.
"And Verity is asleep in the waiting room." Chimes in Steve.
"Take her home." I tell him.
"But she'll kill me..."
"Take her home." I say in a forcing tone. Steve and Ekkia are a couple. I see them being all lovey dovey and I think 'ew romance'. He looks at me guiltily. "look, you guys must be exhausted and I appreciate you waiting for me. But Verity pushes herself too hard. I am fine. Take her home."
He looks at me for a second and then gives in.
"Alright. Get better soon." And like that he left.
"You guys too."
"What?! No!" argues Garsen.
"What?! Yes!" I reply mimicking him.
Sky decides to join in. "How about I stay here and Garsen goes home."
"But..."
"Garsen. You haven't left her side for three days. Go home and take a shower!"
"You haven't left my side?" I ask in astonishment.
"Fine." He says getting up, glaring at Sky.
"Feel better Alice."
"He hasn't left my side!?" I re-ask this time directing my question towards Sky.
"Yeah, Verity only left to do necessities like take a shower but Garsen insisted on staying. It's been hard for us girls, none of us have really been able to sleep."
I sit there in silence letting all of this information sink in. I have amazing friends.
"Thank you." I state.
"For what?" Sky asks muddled.
"Being the fantastic friend that you are."
There's a quiet knocking on the door before it is opened and two people come in. One is a tired and pale Hannibal, the other a doctor.
"Hi I'm John, your Doctor. So Alice, how are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling alright, but I'm still a bit thirsty."
"That's normal for someone in your condition. You lost a lot of blood and so will probably feel a bit dehydrated for a few hours."
"When will I be able to go home?"
"Well, if you keep well you will be able to go home at the end of the day but you will have to stay at home for a week. You can go back to school after that and come back to have your stitches removed."
"Ok, thank you Doctor." He leaves and that's when Hannibal decides to speak up.
"Alice, I just want to thank you for saving my life yesterday."
"Hannibal..."
"I mean if it weren't for you I would be dead right now."
"And if you weren't there I would be dead right now." I answer.
"yeah, but..."
"Hannibal can we not talk this right now. I am seriously not in the mood."
"Okay. How's your wound?"
"It's alright, throbbing a bit but I'll be fine."
