After Dark: A Story About Lucy And Niall

Chapter 18: Niall

While Lucy and I were in the hospital, Minerva and America were in the land of the lost.

Lucy was peacefully awake, not making a sound, when the doctor came in.

"Hey, I have some news for you guys, but first, may I ask: how are you feeling?"

Lucy said, "I feel okay. I mean, aside the fact that I probably hurt something other than my ankle, and my whole body hurts, I am feeling alright."

"Tough girl. Alright, well we need to do some x-rays to see exactly what happened to your leg. Those will be done in about a few minutes. I need to talk to you about something serious. Both of you sit tight."

"Alright " Lucy and I both said at the same time.

The doctor grabbed a chair and sat down. "What exactly are you feeling?"

"So much pain . . . in both of my legs. The pain is kind of all over my body, but it is stronger from my waist down."

"If you were still asleep, what would you think would be on top of you?"

"Um, a bunch of needles stuck in my legs and hips."

"Can you move them?"

"Do I have to try?"

He nodded.

"But it hurts too much to move."

"Alright then that's okay. Well, I might have some bad news for you, but to confirm my suspicions, I need to do some x-rays. Is that alright?"

"Yeah."

"Would you like to go right now? Or would you like to eat something first, and relax?"

"Um . . . if you don't mind, I would first like to eat."

"Alright then, you can use the phone. The menu is under your cup of water. I will come back in a few minutes."

"Ok."

The doctor left. Lucy tried to reach for the phone, but she couldn't reach it, so I had to give it to her.

"Aren't you going to see the menu first?"

"Nah, I already know what I want."

"What if they don't sell it here?"

"They do."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because, it's just a snack. It's not like it's a super big meal. Besides, it's like the healthiest snack on earth. If they don't sell it here, then what kind of hospital is this? A hospital that sells junk food, not likely."

She grabbed the phone, and dialed the number. She looked up at the ceiling and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello? Can I have some fruit and some apple juice? But the plate of fruit has to have more peaches and mangoes and cherries. Not so much grapes and strawberries. Or, you know what, bring me separate plates. Three big ones for the peaches, mangoes, and cherries, and some smaller ones for the rest of the fruit. Oh, and aside from the juice, can I also have some water? Oh and can the cherries be like the ones you find in the freezers of Walmart?"

She waited.

"No, I'm not that hungry. Just probably a few hours ago, I had a nice big meal, so this is just my snack."

Some more waiting.

"Alright."

She waited some more, and the sighed.

She covered the bottom of the phone, where you talk into, and asked, "Niall, what room is this?"

"I think it is room B61."

"You think?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"You're pretty sure?"

"I'm sure."

She turned back to the phone. "I think it's room B16 or somewhere around there. If it isn't, it's not my fault. I apologize beforehand if you have trouble finding it. I was unconscious when they brought me inside the room, so, you know how that is."

There was silence.

"Alright."

She looked up at the ceiling again, before hanging up. She turned towards me and smiled.

Her smile could lighten up the room. Though, that was a little bit impossible because the room was already pretty bright, but you get the idea.

Her dimples reappeared and the corners of her lips. She looked flirty without trying to. Her face was free of makeup, and she looked pretty tired, but she still looked perfect.

"What?"

I realized that I had been staring at her. "Um, no nothing. Lucy, do you remember what happened?"

There was silence while she thought about it. "There was a big crowd of people that came into the mall, so we decided to leave. I didn't know you were following me until I stopped and you asked if I had seen myself and America. We were going to cross the street, and you saw a car coming, and then you pushed me aside, but apparently, I hurt myself. After that, who knows."

I was about to say that she was right, when the door opened once again. There was that one nurse from earlier, with a tray of food on a cart with wheels.

She was smiling the way she had always smiled ever since we had arrived at the hospital.

She brought the food closer to Lucy, and then put it on the tray that was above Lucy. Immediately, Lucy started eating.

So much for not being hungry.

The nurse asked if we wanted something else, but we were fine.

After the nurse left, I had no other option than to watch Lucy eat.

The way she grabbed her fork and bit into the fruit. The way some of the juice from the watermelon dropped on her lips. The way she licked it off. Just every little thing from her made my day.

I think I have decided who I want in life.