Within You

six

- Kylie -

Cody runs into the room with tears streaming down his face. The fear in his eyes slightly fades as he notices the nurse drawing blood from my left arm. Cody quickly pulls up the patterned lime green chair close to my bed. "Baby," he whispers, gently grabbing my hand and pressing his forehead against it. He closes his eyes slowly, taking a deep breath and letting it out and plants a gentle kiss on the bruise.

The nurse smiles at us and then quickly leaves without saying a word. Cody's eyes are filled with tears as he scans my injuries. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here quicker," he shakily whispers. I give him a reassuring nod and manage to tell him to hand me my whiteboard.

I can't talk because I have significant injuries to my lungs, I'm sorry.

Cody lets out a quiet sob. "Baby," he begins, I sensed that what he was going to say next was going to break me. "Lexie... She's in a coma," his voice trails off as he holds my hand in his. "Paula, she is paralyzed from the waist down so she can't play anymore, and your friend Tara..." Cody's voice trails off.

"Baby, Tara passed away tonight..." He says, his voice trails off.

"No," I manage to say, but my voice doesn't come out of my mouth. I continuously shake my head no, sitting up in my bed. I started crying and I kept trying to rip off the tube that was helping me breathe. "Help me," I hoarsely plead. "I can't do this." The nurses came in and held me down as they fixed the tube back into its place. "I need to see my friends," I coughed, feeling the oxygen flow through my throat. "Kylie stay down! You can't unplug this!" They injected me with a sedative to put me to sleep.

My eyes slowly opened to the bright white light above me. Shit, did I die? I continuously blinked my eyes and the hospital room appeared before me. Cody was sleeping on the sofa bed with an ugly green blanket draped over him. He looked uncomfortable. I began to cough a bit, waking up Cody. "Hi baby," he whispered, walking around my bed and sitting in the chair by my bedside. I motioned for him to grab my white board. Cody quickly hands it to me.

I hate this and I wish I could talk to you. I love you so much.

Tears slowly rolled down my cheeks as I looked up to the ceiling, revealing the message I had written to him. I couldn't stand to be like this, I dind't want to be like this. Cody grabbed my hand and gently kissed the back of it, letting out a quiet sob. "I love you," He says, finally. I managed to look at him. "I'm so glad you're okay, Ky. I don't know what I would do without you..." He sobs.

I looked back up to the ceiling, clenching onto his hand with whatever strength I had left in me. I wanted to hear Lexie's stupid laugh and screaming that she met a cute guy. Talk to Cody again! She would always tell me with that big goofy smile on her face.

*Flashback*

"Have you talked to Cody since you left?" Lexie questions, slamming her book shut and checking her phone. She quickly looks up from her screen, her hazel eyes sparkle with curiosity and hope that I would say yes.

I let out a heavy sigh and put my book down. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Lex, but I haven't spoken to him in months." I shrug my shoulders and continue reading the book. I wanted to send him a text or call him so I can hear his voice.

"You know what Vegas, you need to talk to him because he's been asking about you," she admits, putting her textbook away.

I sighed and looked at her, sitting up from my bed. "He's always asking about me, he's always wodnering how I'm doing. Why doesn't he ask me himself?!"

Lexie laughs and sits on her bed. "Cody has always liked you, do you know that? He always had this look whenever he would talk to you, a genuine sparkle in his eyes. It's crazy."

I smiled and thought about it for a while. I liked Cody, well I love Cody.

I wanted to talk to Lexie, see her reaction seeing Cody sitting by my bedside. The tears roll down my cheeks, dampening my hair and the pillowcase. I turn away from Cody who ended up falling asleep on the chair. I hoarsely sobbed as I cuddled close to my extra pillow.

"Mijita," My mother greets, running in and throwing her military backpack down. My father stepped in slowly and I can see the fear and sadness in his brown eyes. "What happened?" My mother nervously questions, kissing my right hand. Cody handed me the whiteboard and I wrote everything that happened. My dad stepped out of the room to compose himself, he never lets anyone see him cry.

The tube pushed air into my throat and lungs, helping me breathe. My mom shook her head, grabbing my hand once again. She began saying a little prayer.

"How long do you think you'll be in here?" I shrugged my shoulders and slowly pointed to the tube in my throat. My mom looked at me puzzled and then her eyes move to Cody who was sitting on the sofa bed. "Mijo, have you heard anything?"

"Yes ma'am, they haven't given me a definite answer about her being here. They said it's most likely when she starts breathing on her again, she'll be able to go home and start rehab."

She nods, looking back at me and then at him. "Are you coming to live here?"

Cody lets out a sigh and shakes his head. "With all this baseball stuff going on. I can't move her with me. I could try to get her a place in Rancho, but I can't have her live with me."

My mom nods, her eyes glare at me and then back at Cody. "Her father and I can get her a small apartment and her aunt would be able to move there with her. I just want her to live in a place that's going to allow her to heal at peace and I know she wants to be close to you."

"Okay, that works and if her aunt can't stay with her my mom will be able to help."

His eyes widen as he looks at me and my mom's emerald green eyes look toward me.

Rancho Cucamonga here we go...