I Think I Kinda, You Know | Joshua Bassett

69 - Broken Ankle

I wake up in a really bright room. Well it's not that bright but the light is right above me. It's not my room. It's not Josh's room. I mean, why would I wake up in Josh's room, we're literally enemies right now. And it's not Abby's room, isn't it? No. Totally not. Where am I?

My vision is still kinda blurry. I can't see anything except this really bright light right above me on the ceiling.

"RACHEL! OH MY GOD!"

A girl's voice beside me makes me jump. It's Liv.

"Girl are you okay?? How're you feeling?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah yeah I'm fine," I chuckle.

I look down to see my left hand wrapped in bandages. I can feel my head is also wrapped in bandages and I have that oxygen pipe thing in my nostrils. I start scanning the room. There's no one here. Wait, there's no one? Only Liv came? Where are my parents?!

"Your parents are checking on Josh. Abby texted me saying she's on her way here," she explains like she could totally read my mind.

I nod.

Okay, I know it's probably a bad idea since we're still on bad terms, but I really wanna ask about him. Like how is he? Is he dead or what? Did he break his leg? I really don't want to ask her but something in me is like pushing me and threatening me to do that!

"How's he?" I ask in a whispering tone, hoping she doesn't hear me. But since there's only the two of us here and the room is pretty quiet, she obviously heard me.

"Oh um... He got stitches on his forehead and the doctor said something about his um... Ankle..."

Ah, yes. The broken ankle.

"...But yeah other than that just some minor scars and bruises. Nothing too serious. He's fine, don't worry about him."

Thank god.

The door then swings open, revealing my mom and dad. Their facial expressions change when they see me awake.

"Oh my god Rachel!" My mom runs to me.

"Hey mom."

"Sweetie are you okay?" She hugs me.

"Yeah mom I'm okay."

She pulls away and move to one side, revealing my dad in the doorway with Josh in a wheelchair in front of him. He has a square piece of bandage taped on his forehead and a cast on his right ankle. He has a bunch of other marks and scars here and there. His hair is messy and it looks like he's been... Crying. We both make a brief eye contact and I quickly look away.

My dad pushes his wheelchair so that he's right next to me.

He looks at Liv, signaling something with his eyes. Liv immediately knows what's going on.

"Um... W- We're gonna give you two some time alone," she says. The three of them leave the room, leaving just the two of us.

The door shuts behind them. Silence starts filling the room.

"Hey," he says very quietly.

He's staring deeply into my eyes but I can't look at him in the eyes. I just can't.

I sigh. "Hey," I shortly answer.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

This is so uncomfortable.

He awkwardly nods. Gosh this is sooo awkward and uncomfortable.

A few seconds have passed where none of us is saying anything.