Life of A High School Student

Chapter 13: Recovery

12th Week of School

I don't remember exactly what happened after that, I felt my body being carried onto a gurney than I was put into a vehicle, I heard a familiar voice saying it was going to be okay but I couldn't make out who it was, and I couldn't control my body in the way I wanted it to work. I was still in a state of unconsciousness yet I'm aware of what's happening around me.

A Few Hours Later...

I finally start feeling the strength to come back to me, I start moving my fingers slowly and open my eyes to adjust to the light.

The brightness makes me close my eye lids tightly, but once fully adjusted I look at my surroundings and as I expected, I'm in a hospital room.

The wall is plastered with a dull blue colour and to my left there's a washroom with a small nightstand beside the bed. I turn my head and my eyes widen seeing Jake on a couch beside the bed keeping his head down not noticing I was awake.

Not wanting to scare him, I reach out and lightly tap his shoulders. He jumps up in surprise but once he seems looking at him he smiles softly having a relieved expression.

"Hey, how do you feel?" Jake asked nervously, he didn't want to say anything that I wouldn't want to relive, and I'm grateful for that.

"I'm o-okay...how b-bad is it?" Surprised by my stuttering, I look to Jake and he starts to look Panicked.

"Sorry, Cousin...I don't know. They only let me in here because we're family, they wouldn't let Dante, Andrew, Irene or Maria in. Also, your parents can't get out of work right now so they asked me to watch over you, but I would've done that even if they didn't ask me." He takes a deep breathe, and then continues to walk. Making eye contact looking regretful.

"Look...I'm really sorry about what happened with Nathan, I should've taken you more seriously when you first told me about him. Honestly I'm glad Dante punched him in the face, I would have done the same if I was there."

Jake I remember had a rehearsal, so he hadn't been there when it happened. Maria probably told him though before they dragged me away.

"It's alright, I-I'm g-glad you're h-here. But w-why am I s-stuttering?"

"Don't panic, but the doctors say you might have a concussion, you hit your head fairly hard, and to top it off that bastard threw you at the metal door. That thing weighs tons of pounds!"

Jake always worried about me when we were young, he was the older than me so he treated Mathew and I like siblings, he loved my brother deeply but we got along much better because of our small age difference. He used to come by my house often for my mom to hang out with us, and while he was here he helped me with my homework and played with me.

About the possibility of me having a concussion, I didn't have time for a major head injury right now.

I knew enough about concussions to know the symptoms, memory problems, difficult concentrating and dizziness and headaches. I had school, I have my Math, I need to really focus on and a music Test. P.E. And English I don't have but I have to worry about it another time. But thinking backtracking, I had no trouble remembering my current schedule, so maybe it's not as bad as they think?

I stay quiet and look at him. I know he's just looking out for me, but I'm smart enough to know that the doctors will come in here sooner or later and start testing my mental state, and that's something I'm not looking forward to. Before I could even respond we hear yelling from outside the room and we turn around.

"I don't care if I'm not family! I have a right to be in there with her!"

"Sir...I know she's your friend but we don't even know if Miss Brookes is awake right now, let alone well enough to have more guests."

"Please...just before you start doing the examination, I won't bother her."

I hear a sigh from the presumed nurse that's talking with the person outside. Wondering who it was I motion for Jake to check who's outside and he nods walking towards the door.

"Excuse me, is there a problem?"

"Jake! Thank God can you please tell this lady to allow me to see Kiara?! Andrew had to take her friends home and I'm the only one left here!"

"Mr. Miller, hows your cousin doing? Is she still unconscious?"

"Umm...no actually. She's awake."

"WHAT"

I hear rustling outside and I see a nurse pop her head inside the room and surprised by my conscience state she rushes to go get the doctor. Maybe Jake should have gotten the doctor first when I woke up, but he probably didn't think of that.

"Come on in, before she comes back."

Jake enters the room again and behind him is Dante.

He had a navy blue denim jacket on with his dark brown hair slightly ruffled. A look that surprisingly suited him well. His eyes softened once they made eye-contact with me, but a look of doubt appeared as I made no movements.

"Kiara I'm going to go get you a cup of water and go to the washroom. Dante will keep you company." Once my cousin finishes his sentence he rushes out the door and starts sprinting to presumably the washroom.

I realize he probably hadn't gone ever since I got here not wanting to leave me alone. I was grateful though, Jake was surely the one who accompanied me to the hospital since they only let family members go.

One Jake got farther away I shifted my focus to Dante who was looking uncomfortable and nervous now standing in front of the bed.

"Kiara..."

"Y-you don't need to, say anything, I'm a-alright."

"A lot of things went through my mind at that moment. But above all, I'm Sorry, I should have checked on you before letting my anger get the best of me."

Although I didn't want to relive what I had been through, Dante wasn't the type of person to apologize, that meant he really did feel bad about what happened and wanted to make it up to me. I smile softly at the thought and reassure him that he doesn't have anything to worry about. I sensed he didn't believe me though and I redirected the conversation and asked him what else had happened after I hit my head.

He had to go the principal's office for punching Nathan but once they found out why, Dante didn't get in trouble and the attention was put on Nathan. They're waiting for my say on what they should do about him and promised to keep him far away from me as possible.

I didn't trust him, and I never had a good feeling about him. But I still felt attacked physically and mentally from what he did, he knew so much about me in a way where it became possessive, uncontrollable. With my stress this will only make things worse for me.

Like I had thought, Maria had texted Jake that I was unconscious and got most people to leave the scene without me getting as much attention.

I think to myself and softly touch the back of my head but winch feeling a sharp pain making me dizzy.

Moments later, Jake came back with the glass of water. I thanked him drinking as much as I could.

The doctor came in shortly after and had to usher for the two boys to leave my room so we could talk. They insisted that they stay with me, and in the end the three of us had to play rock-paper-scissors with each other. If Dante won he would stay and vice-versa with Jake, if I won I get to pick.

I knew them both well rough that they both have a habit of doing rock first so when I pulled out paper, and I was delighted to see I had won.

"O-okay, guys I appreciate that y-you're here but I n-need you two to l-leave. You both have school tomorrow and it's getting late, i won fair and scare and do as I ask. P-please."

Reluctantly the two boys made their way outside saying goodbye and once again my room was filled with silence.

It takes About 7-10 days to recover from a concussion depending how bad the injury is...let's see how I do from here.