The Flames of Medicine

17

ILY AND IM SORRY IN ADVANCE -- @NataliaTheWeirdo @doesntknowwhyshehere @lukescurlsenthusiast

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Ashton POV:

Claire was laughing. Hard.

I looked up at Calum and Michael and we were all shocked. We had a look of "i don't fucking know" and we just looked at her. 

"Claire?"

"i'm -- i'm sorry" she kept laughing. 

"I just -- I just -- I --" and she kept laughing. 

Michael snickered in his chair a bit and shuffled a little as he sat better, trying to hide his little laugh. 

"I just -- I can't believe -- he's -- he's" more laughter. 

Michael laughed a little and looked up at Claire. Claire looked at him and more laughter erupted, now from both. 

"What is going on?" Calum giggled a little seeing his best friend die of laughter and Claire, just losing her shit laughing at something she couldn't spit out. 

"did you smoke something?" I asked looking at Michael.

Claire just laughed a lot more uncontrollably than before as Michael got up to be able to breathe.

Calum now started to laugh too. 

"what --" but I couldn't finish as I too, myself started to laugh. 

Claire stretched out as she gasped for air from laughing too much. 

"you guys --" 

"wh--what?" Calum said as he bent forward in his chair trying to catch his breathe as well. 

"thank you." she dried some tears in her eyes as she continued smiling. 

"I know this week has been one of the toughest, worst, shocking, painful week you guys might have lived, and I was only adding to it, and being selfish by not sharing and talking to you guys, when all you guys were doing was watch over me instead of processing what happened to Luke." 

She reached out for our hands and held us together. 

"I want to thank you for being there for me. From the beginning of this new... thing.. this new..." she struggled for her words "life. This new life... because that's what this is for me." she finishes and looks up at us. 

"and even though we're missing the man that, literally, gave me his oxygen when i was dying in that cage, I know he's in here with us." 

I nodded and smirked a little at the thought of Luke creeping in the room with his silent walking.

Calum got up and walked out of the room. 

"umm..." Claire was taken back and so were Michael and me. 

"did I.. did I say something - i didn't mean to disrespect or hurt you guys--"

We were interrupted by Calum walking back inside and closing the door behind him. He turned around and we just let out a sigh of relief when he handed out 3 cartons of kids apple juice.

Calum laughed at our faces. 

"oh my god. I thought I had hurt you and made you walk out!" She laughed and hit Calum with her blanket. 

"nah, I just went for some apple juice. But we have to drink them fast because I think I saw nurse Patricia stare at me when I tried to sneak them in." he said as he quickly sat down and opened his juice box with the straw.