Always Him (Always #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

                                                                                      Sadie

The next few days were the longest days of my life. Test after test, x-ray, blood work, more pokes, and prods than were probably necessary were done to me. New bruises replaced the ones that had faded. The bed was uncomfortable. I wanted to walk around; I wanted to do things by myself.

It was embarrassing to have help going to the bathroom. To be told to go in a bedpan, yeah, no, I was not about to let that happen. The alternative, while still embarrassing, was better. A nurse and Jasper, he refused to leave, and as he worked at the hospital, no one really said much to him; he helped me into a wheelchair, then escorted me to the bathroom where I had to have help moving myself to the toilet.

It took an incredible amount of persuasion and begging to be allowed to be the only one in the bathroom. Most times, the nurse was either Leia or Brittany, and Jasper stood outside the door, which was cracked open; I wasn't to be a hundred percent alone. I had a permanent blush on my face when the bathroom trips happened.

My parents visited daily before and after they went to work. Carly came to visit.

"My girl!" she had screamed, running to me. She held a rose in her hands; it was nearly crushed as she leaned in to hug me. She was careful of my arm and ribs; both were still severely tender. "It is so good to see you awake!" her eyes roamed the room; I knew who she was looking for.

With a laugh, I pulled back from the hug. "As much as he tries to work on the tablet alone, sometimes his boss requires him actually to attend meetings and such. He grumbled as he went to his lab slash office thing."

"It's good that he's working, getting his mind off of things."

"I wouldn't say that exactly. Jas' been working on a prosthetic leg for me. Wants it to have my complete approval."

Carly's gaze had gone to where she sat, where my leg was supposed to be. A sad look crossed her face; she shook it away quickly, though, not wanting me to see her unhappy. She plastered a warm smile on her face. "That's so sweet of him."

It really was. When he showed me the day after I woke up, I had broken down in tears again. It took a while for me to get the tears under control. He'd showed me multiple designs, and I'd loved them all. Then I had cried again because I needed one; I hated that I needed one. He'd consoled me the entire time, reassuring me that things would be okay, that I'd still be the same Sade's he's always known. Whether the leg was real or not, he loved me all the same.

"We finally decided on one," I whispered. "I think that's why he finally relented and went to the lab. He was happy that we had one he could start on but unhappy that he had to be away from me. I told him to go, though; it's nice to have a moment where worrying people do not surround me. I get why they're worried, but sometimes, I still need my alone time. Does that make sense?"

"Of course, baby, of course." Her hand gently held mine, her fingers ghosting over the bracelet, admiring it. "It's good for the soul. Good for the mind as well. Having alone time is good in a relationship."

I nodded. "Yeah, it's been a little crazy having him here all day and all night. I love him, love him so much, more than I knew I ever could." Carly's wide beaming smile wasn't for my own benefit; it was for both of us. A blush rose to my cheeks. "You were right, Carly, and so was Blaine, and so were my parents. And I think I hate you all?"

She laughed then, a long and hard laugh; it was contagious enough that I joined in. It stopped after a moment as my ribs began to ache in protest; I held them tight. Carly stopped laughing, a panic look setting in.