Fakely HIS

Chapter 19

The past few days have been better on me. I had managed to get in a good night sleep for most part of last week. My shifts in the café have become easier now that Charlie has managed to hire two more waitresses – that meant that our workload would be divided and we got to have some breathing time.

Hunter has been less difficult to handle the past week too. He apologized to Brody and that was shocking because my brother hates having to accept his mistakes. Slowly, everything about him was changing. He's still adjusting to everything and is still an ass sometimes, but at least he's apologizing when he realizes his mistake – that's a start right?

A part of me knew that I may never actually understand what Hunter was going through, but I was trying, so give me some credit. I realized a long time ago, the kid that went into the coma and the kid that came out of it were two different people, and I may never get to see my little brother the way I remember him from all those months ago. The trauma that he had undergone has changed him in ways unimaginable and I was not going to hold it over him anymore. I decided that my brother was learning and growing up, the way he can best see fit, under the circumstances and I was going to support him no matter what.

Taking in a deep breath, I pushed open the door and stepped aside for my brother to enter first. He passed a smile my way, before thanking me and stepping inside. Once he was inside, I gathered up all the courage that I had to take a step inside the building that has got to be my most visited place apart from work in the past two years.

Willowman Private Hospital.

There are a thousand things in this world that I am not really ready for. And this was one of it. As promised, I brought Hunter to the hospital with me so that he can visit Alana. A part of me was scared. A part of me was numb. I didn't know which part to pick and stick with.

Guilt gnawed at my heart suddenly when I realized that it had been a few weeks since I actually came for any of my regular visits here. I had been too invested with my job at the café and with Hunter that I had actually forgotten my sister who was still here. Not just that, I had also skipped going to visit mom at the cemetery the past few weeks.

I made a mental note to myself to go visit mom tomorrow and to make sure to visit Alana more often. Familiar faces passed my way when as we made our way to the reception. Some nurses waved, some ward boys smiled. It suddenly hit me that I've known these people for the better part of two years and I was familiar with most of the staffs here. The thought for some reason made me a little sick.

"Hi Anita," I smiled at the middle-aged woman sitting at the reception.

Anita looked up from her computer and a friendly smiled flitted across her face. "Hayley!" her eyes crinkled, "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," I motioned towards Hunter, and Anita's smile widened, surprise flashing across her face as if she had just realized that I had brought company "I was wondering if we can go visit Alana."

"Oh, my! Hunter!" She smiled more enthusiastically at my brother, "It's so good to see you."

"Um," Hunter looked between the receptionist and me, looking slightly awkward, "Nice," he finished, not knowing what to actually tell her.

I had to bite my lips in order to not laugh out aloud, but Anita didn't have to. She let out a short laugh, giving my brother a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, dear. You don't actually know me. The few times that we met, you were sleeping."

Hunter's eyes turned a little sad when he heard her. We all knew what she meant when she said 'sleeping'. Not wanting to dwell too much deep into it, my brother forced a smile on his face, "Oh, good," he let out a breath, "I thought I got memory loss too after that accident."