Someone who loves me (Lams)

Memories

"Take him to the ER."

"Second degree, maybe third."

"John, mon ami, hang in there."

"Il est réveillé!"

There's a scuffle, and I open my eyes to see Lafayette's face grinning above my head. His eyes have dark circles beneath them, and his hair is let down, which is a first. Someone gets up from a chair, and Herc joins Laff beside me. He's not in much better shape. There's a constant beeping from my right.

"Where-" I sit up, looking around the room. My bed sheets are white, just like the walls. There's an IV in my arm, and I flop back onto my pillows, exhausted.

"What happened?" Lafayette and Hercules share a look, Herc shuffling around awkwardly.

"You were at Henry's, and, um, we found you on the driveway..." My head hurts, I try to think back. Laff puts his hand on my arm, and I flinch away, why does it hurt so much? I look at my arm, it's red and full of blisters. It burns where he touched me. Burns.

Slowly, things begin to sort out in my head.

Cake. A trunk. My sisters. Yelling. Fire. The van.

Memories come back to me, I feel a tear roll down my cheek, this was my fathers doing.

"It's been 3 days, John, we were worried about you."

"Herc and I, we've stayed here the whole time. Do you want us to call your sisters?"

I nod my head yes, half processing what they say. Nothing feels real.

Soon enough, the room is full of people, and I am crowded and questioned. 

"Are you okay?"

"Does it hurt?"

"When are you leaving?"

"Girls, lets give John some space, he's had a rough week."

"What's wrong with you?" I look down at Adrianna, who's holding onto Ellie's hand. I hold out my hand to her, and she hesitates before taking it.

"There was a fire, but I'm okay now."

"Is that's why dads gone?" I look at Ellie, unsure of what to say.

"Er-, yeah." I sigh. "What'd I miss?"

"We got to stay with your friends!" Olivia smiles from her chair, and I look questioningly at Laff.

"Non, not us mon ami, we've been with you."

"Then who-"

"Come on in girls!"

"Make way for Angelica."

"Eliza." 

"And Peggy!"

"The Schuyler sisters?"

"You bet! And we brought you something." Peggy giggles, in her hand is a striped bag with tissue paper puffing out the top.

I pull out the tissue paper, rolling it into a ball and bouncing it off of Laff, who gives me a playful glare. I peer into the bag.

"A sketchbook! Nice!" I smile at the sisters, holding up the paper pad and a box of pencil crayons. At least now I have something to do while stuck here. 

The rest of the week drags on, I'm hardly allowed to leave my bed for the first few days. After what feels like an eternity, I get some good news, I can head home tomorrow. I'm just not sure where home is anymore.