COURTNEYS POV
"thank you!" the cit had chimed to the retail worker, grabbing ahold of the chocolate milkshake and bag of fries. with a faked smile, the woman had waved her out and slammed the drive-through window shut.
wow. okay. courtney? buying food for duncan? visiting him at the hospital? alone? dont let it get in your head.
those had been the words the brunette had scolded herself with as she gripped harshly onto the steering wheel, sneaker pressing against the gas pedal as she drove her way out from the mcdonalds.
lost in a world of thoughts that she probably shouldn't be having, courtney drove mindlessly through her town, route to the local hospital memorized. her older sister had gone into the nursing field, and courtney had to often drive her to her apartment if she had worked a long shift.
that, and also this wasnt the first time duncan had injured himself and had to get treatment. somehow, courtney always winded up being the one to lay him a visit.
he was so reckless at times.
it sounded pathetic, but sometimes courtney had envied how her friends had lived in the moment. did things for enjoyment only. solely focused on their movements as of now, not the homework they had due the next day. not the degree they had to work hard to achieve. not every single possible consequence for every single action theyd make.
living so carefully and on the line was definitely the smarter thing to do for the future courtney had planned out, but she could tell you that studying for an optional online class final wasnt very fun while you knew all your friends were out partying and having the time of their lives.
...was she just wasting her life away? shed be a lawyer, and for what? to get money for the family shed never have? to get money for the friends she had pushed away?
no, stop it. duncan wouldnt be droning on and on about how he wanted to be like others. get ahold of yourself, courtney.
with all thoughts discarded, main focus being set on the concrete ahead of her, courtney had set her eyes back on the road and continued to drive.
///timeskip///
"you can pay him a visit now. down that hall, third on the left." the receptionist gestured to her right, a plain and long white hall reaching out to a boring gray couch at the end, a multitude of doors carefully placed on each wall.
with a nod, courtney had turned towards the chair next to her and picked up the mcdonalds food, along with a chained necklace she had spotted at a hot topic a week ago when she went with gwen.
courtney didnt buy anything for herself.
items in hand, the teenager sat up from the cushioned chair and headed down the hall, shoes clacking emptily against the white tiled flooring. grimicing, the cit had recalled a horror movie duncan had showed her at the playa, set in a hospital. yeah, no shitting, this place was creepy as hell.
her palm gripped around the cold door handle, the temperature sending a shiver down her spine as her fingers laced the metal. taking a deep breath in to calm her nerves, she had swung the door open and took a glance inside.
a nurse was sitting at a desk on the opposite side of the room, tapping away at a computer. a longer glance had revealed that the woman was not infact taking notes, but instead playing a game of solitaire. admirable.
duncan was laying lazily on the hospital bed, a prominent purple bruise on the side of his temple and some brown o his knuckle. he had been staring at his phone prior to courtney entering, but as they had met eyes, a grin had spread onto his lips, the smile contagious and lighting up courtneys face as well. a joyous glitter was twinkling in his aquamarine depths, perked head position catching the glare of sun from the opened window.
