The Beginning, The Middle and The End (COMPLETE)

Chapter Twelve

About a week rolled by and Toby was, happily, released from the hospital. His right arm was in a cast and he was led outside by his mother. They stopped to a counter to sign some papers and they officially got to leave. Once they reached the automatic sliding doors, fresh summer air whiffed into Toby's face. The weather, today, was bright and sunny. Very much unlike the day when he got injured.

The two padded through the parking lot and finally made it to their car. Natalie couldn't visit him today and she didn't have to. He was free now.  He was just excited to get back home and to hopefully start clean again at school. Toby had grown a bit tiresome, ever since he was hospitalized. But he was glad that everyone was calm, that he was okay. Toby hated being the center of attention. Especially, when it was bad attention.

Next to him, was his uniform. Connie had managed to bleach out his crimson mess and stitch it back up. He, carefully, kept his damaged and casted arm close. Even though, he wouldn't feel it. Toby remembered how confused he felt about his condition, when the doctors explained it to him. He had to watch his damn blood sugars now. 

"Hun, would you like to get something to eat?" Connie asked, while re-adjusting the rearview mirror. The vehicle reversed out of the lot and began driving out. Toby twitched. 

"C-Can I have t-the breakfast combo? W-Waffles with the best s-syrup too?" Toby's eyes beamed a little. He hadn't had anything, apart from the salad sandwiches and glasses of ice-cold water, the hospital provided him. 

Connie smiled, tiredly. "Alright, son.."

"W-Where's Lyra?" The teen asked, looking away from his window. There were unfamiliar neighbourhoods, that blurred into other sceneries, as the car drove on. The shadows of the trees danced past and the fresh wind blew into Toby's face, stroking his hair like an invisible hand. 

"At school, hun. She's got an exam test today." Connie responded.

Later that morning, Toby and his mother ate their breakfast at the fast food joint. Some girls, that were there, stared at him, as if he were an alien on the wrong planet. He tried to not look at them. Maybe it was the hospital clothes. Yeah, that was probably it. Along with cast wrapped around his arm. Even some of the employees that served their meal, stared at him. But tried not to. Understandably, they didn't want to appear rude. 

Despite all of this, Toby's face, soon, turned into cute pleasure, his cheeks full of waffle.

"This is so good!" He proclaimed. Mrs Rogers smiled again. Everything cute that Toby did, she couldn't tell if that was intentional or not. She was such a tired working woman and yet, she was blessed to have such a happy son. 

But then the mother frowned. "Son, why weren't you watching the road?" She asked, sternly, He twitched as his happy demeanor deflated like a balloon. "I-I..." He trailed off. The corners of the woman's lips began curling into a smile. She began laughing. Toby stared for a little, confused. "Jeez, son, you're so serious sometimes." Connie laughed. She leaned over and rubbed her son's shoulder. "I was just playing you, hun."

The young dark-haired teenage boy smiled again. "O-Okay, since when did y-you start p-pranking me, ma?" 

The mother sighed after awhile. "But, seriously, my boy, you really have to be careful next time, okay? We really thought you died, Toby.."

Connie's son nodded, taking a bite out of his breakfast waffle. "I-I know, ma. W-We weren't thinking then. And that's e-exactly what Natalie said." Toby said, through chews. "Did y-you and Natalie talk or something?"

"Oh dearest, you should've seen the poor thing.." Mrs Rogers remarked, playing with her fork. "When your sister and I got there, she was crying all over you. I had  to give that girl a hug, son." It was then, Toby stopped eating and turned his full attention on his parent. "W-What do you mean?" Connie looked confused. "Huh? Didn't she tell you or something?"

"No, well, y-yeah, she did tell m-me she was scared f-for me. But she n-n-never told me that she cried  for me, ma." 

The middle-aged lady sighed. "Girls these days.. They never really like to tell guys how they feel, until it's too late. Natalie really was crying for you, son." She admitted, recalling the nights back. Her old motherly brain didn't seem to process her memories properly, even though she wasn't that old. But dear lord, did she feel like it. But the mother couldn't find it in herself to blame her own being, Toby kicked a lot. 

When it reached around to 12: 20, the family members soon began heading out. Hopping back in and securing their seatbelts, the car took off again. With a full belly, Toby felt a sudden wave of sleepiness wash right over him. He rested his head on the window, his eyes drooping. His usual train of thoughts flooded his mind, then people's faces began flashing in his head.

Brendan...Mrs Roberts...Lucas..

Natalie...