Logan

102. Roses, Part 4

*Natalie's POV*

I looked like hell... I looked in the mirror to see the bags under my eyes, the amount of sleep I lost talking to Aeron, and Raleigh, and the inability to check my phone... oh shit.

My phone.

I was going to have to buy a new one...where the fuck was I going to get the money for that?

I mean... I could ask Kellan, but I didn't want to depend on him for things. I limped with my cane back to my bed, and mulled it over. Finally, I picked up the bedside phone and called Alex.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. I need a phone."

"Okay, but Natalie... it's like 7am."

"Your point?" I asked, wincing when I barely got myself up onto the bed. Any more strain and I was bound to rip some stitches.

I heard him sigh, "Okay, okay, I'll come over asap with a new phone."

"Thanks, you can use my debit card, it's in my-shit never mind. I'll call the bank and let them know you're picking up some money."

I heard him scoff in the background, "I can buy my sister a phone. Talk to you later."

I'd laid in the bed for only a few moments, waiting for Raleigh to come back from the cafeteria before my eyes drifted shut.

*Raleigh's POV*

I saw the amount of calls I'd had from Babs, I was in trouble. I put the phone up to my ear and braced myself for the seventh voicemail.

"DESMOND CARMINE GIOVANNI RALEIGH YOU BETTER CALL ME RIGHT NOW! This is babs. I did not RAISE you to stay out all night like some hooligan!"

They all sounded like that.

I saw my screen light up, it was babs.

"Hello?"

"DESMOND CARMINE GIOVANNI RALEIGH, you better have a good reason why you haven't been answering the phone all night? You told me you were going to see a girl and then you were coming right home, where in the world are you?"

"Babs."

"I mean it, Desi. You better have a good reason."

"I meant to come home, promise. I rested my head for a second, and before I knew it I was asleep, then it was 3 am and some guy was coming in her room. I didn't know what to do, I didn't think she should be alone, so I stayed."

I heard her mutter in Italian to herself, something she did quite often, "You could've called me."

"My phone died, I forgot my charger at the firehouse, so I was using a nurse's charger."

"That was nice of her, but you could've used their phones, Desi."

I shrugged, "I didn't think of it, Babs, please don't be mad at me."

I heard her sigh, "Just the opposite, I was worried. You know how I worry."

"I know, babs. Did you manage to get some sleep at least?"

"Bah, sleep, what do I need sleep for? How much longer are you going to be at the hospital?"

"I'm going in for another 12 hour shift at 8:00, so in about a half-hour I'll be going over there."

"You should be sleeping."

"What do I need sleep for, babs? I'll call you when I'm on lunch, I love you."

"Ti voglio bene, tosoro." *(I love you, honey)*

She ended the call and I stood there, smiling. No matter how long our family had been in America, she still insisted on speaking Italian until her dying day.