First Day of My Life

Chapter 4

"Ready, honey?" FP asked quietly.

"No," I answered in a whisper. My right-hand fingers were tapping against the armrest of my wheelchair restlessly, and I kept moving my ankle making sure it wasn't just a dream that I was able to do that again.

After a few days of doing physical therapy, I woke up able to move my toes. When that happened, my throat got all choked up and I started sobbing happy tears. My left hand continued in the cast and my left foot wasn't able to move or feel anything. Maybe never would be.

"Do you think you're going to win?" I asked, looking at FP who was sitting on the seat next to me, my grandma from my dad's side sitting a few chairs away. I had never talked to her often. She never liked me or my siblings much either. I couldn't understand why she wanted me and Olive to stay with her. I definitely didn't want to go with her. Even now, she had only given me a quick hug and said she was sorry. That was it.

"I hope so," FP answered quietly and turned his head to peek at me. "Do you?"

I breathed out shakily. "I hope so, too," I mumbled quietly. Grandma had a blood relationship with us while FP had a teenage kid, a car, and a lot of experience that hadn't expired 20 years ago. It could've gone one of two ways.

When FP pushed my chair into the hospital room, both of the boys' heads turned to look at us with exciting faces. "So?" Jughead asked in a hushed tone, my little sister sleeping in the crib next to my hospital bed, an oxygen mask added. I frowned at the last fact, but knowing she had problems with the breathing after the accident, I didn't question it.

"Come on, tell us. FP?" Charles asked.

"Yeah, I guess you're gonna have to drive even longer now to see your sisters," the man grinned. At that, both of the guys' faces lit up, making me giggle as they abandoned the cards they had been playing with, and hurried to me, leaning down and hugging me tightly, together.

"Ow," I murmured with a smile, which made them both let go immediately. No one wanted to hurt me, so instead, I managed to push my chair to the machine next to my bed and got myself the nasal cannula. It made the oxygen catching easier, and I was used to it already. It was okay.

"So," Jughead started, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "When are we going home?"

"The other council will be in three days," FP said. "But we'll never know how that goes. I'm pretty sure it will be longer than just one day. The police are going to be questioned, too."

I nodded a little, as did the boys. FP was the best person to ask these things from; he was a sheriff himself. "And Betty?" I turned to look at him, rolling the wheels all by myself—my hands had gotten stronger over the days. "Do you want your old furniture? Or are you going to keep it in there for the new people?"

"Uh... I don't really care. If you have an extra bed in Riverdale, it's fine too."

The man rolled his eyes. "I'm asking you if you want to get new furniture for your room or are we going to keep the old one."

I sighed. "I really don't care. If you have a guest room—"

"Betts, you're gonna be living with us. You won't just get a guest room, it'll be yours," Jughead said softly. "Dad would never let you just sleep in an empty room."

"I mean if you have money for it..." I asked carefully.

FP nodded with a smile. "We'll get you a new one." I gave him a small thankful smile and looked at my sister sleeping. She was so tiny and adorable. It still fucked with my mind how she was an orphan now. I was, too. How stupid and idiotic was that?