Salvation | Billy Hargrove

Chapter 1: Thank you.

The clear sky seemed to be locked up in a tiny window, like a shoddy painting given by some distant relative and put on the wall, in the moment when Billy opened his eyes. The thin light hightlighted the details of that room, in this way the boy knew where he was.
Every limb was immobilized, he noticed it when he tried with a lot of difficulty to move his torso so that he could get up from that damn hospital bed. A huge pain hit him, forcing him to lay back again.
Shortly after he groaned of pain, closing forcefully his eyes.
Billy believed to have his tongue attached to his mouthfeel, since every word (right or not right to say) were swallowed by the inability to open his mouth.
The pain faded as the minutes passed living the boy disorientated and confused. When the tears came out he regretted that he had woken. He felt weak, and those heeling were familiar to Billy.
That strange silence, both inside and outside his room, increased the intensity of his thoughts, a strange conversation created in his mind.
"You're awake" a small figure appeared, entering the room with a Coca Cola in one hand,
"Glad to see you"
Billy decided not to reply to their affirmation, as if he could.
Yes, he was awake, but he would have wanted to sleep for a long time. The person sit on the chair next to the bed, drinking their soda and looking at the ground. Endless minutes later, the figure spoke:
"You know" their voice was unsure "I was afraid I lost you there"
Billy didn't respond, he avoided their look, turning to the tiny window, instead of concentrating on Max's hurt look. He didn't have the courage to face the one he had hurt for so many years.
He cursed himself again, when he erased the tears that wanted so desperately to come out.
"Not just me..." Stop, he would have said. He just nodded and rested his head on the pillow behind him.
The girl sigh, getting the chair close to the bed and taking his hand. A gesture that surprised Billy more than he thought, since it was something new for both of them. Max noticed her brother's concern, but she didn't leave his hand.
"Thank you for saving my friend, Billy. I own you a lot"
You don't have to worry about anything, kid.
No matter how hard it was for Billy to smile, he forced himself to mention a miserable but silly smile that made Max laugh.
"You're goofy" When she stopped mocking him, she returned the smile, squeezing a bit more his hand.
The ginger girl made no question about why he didn't speak and the boy appreciated her discretion.
Being immobile was a torture for the blond, who tried to move just to stretch his legs that he didn't feel anymore "Don't move, Billy or-" he didn't force back a loud lament "Or you might hurt yourself..."
He vaguely remembered about what happened and what happened to him, same for his bad injuries in his hips that forced him to stay in bed.
"The doctor said you must move as little as possible" Max informed him, blaming him.
Her brows were furrowed and her expressions remembered him of Susan's face, his stepmother. Sometimes she got mad at her daughter because of some mischief.
"They're trying to let thing be as tolerable as possible, try not to exaggerate" she continued.
Billy huffed noisily.

There was an half hour left before the end of the visit and Max almost felt asleep on that uncomfortable chair. Susan arrived some time later, surprised to see her stepson awake (but still badly injured). But then she had to leave to buy something at the grocery store, she said. His father, differently from them who had become his family step by step, didn't show himself. He was not surprised by his choice, understating that he probably was a delusion for the one who had grown him.
"Neil is a bastard" a grumbling voice echoed in that silent room, leaving Billy taken aback by her words. The girl was smart, aware that her mother had leaved the room. She knew that sentences like that were susceptible for the woman who, unfortunately but because of her decision, had married his father.
"But I'm happy he's not here, at the moment"
Me too Max, me too.
Time passed, also thanks to the company of his sister who tried to have a conversation with Billy, minutes seemed like hours, hours seemed like years... Billy's only desire was to leave that place as soon as possible.
And he also wanted a damn sigarette, but that remained in the second place.
A nurse knocked at the door before entering, "The hours for the visited are up" warning the skateboards lover, and then leaving. Max stared at her stepbrother for some time before whispering to him a "See you tomorrow, Billy" taking her empty soda. More than a goodbye it was a promise. And Billy, in his heart, he knew she would have kept true to it.