Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Star
Being discharged felt less like leaving and more like being handed off.
The nurse repeated herself while she unhooked monitors, her voice calm and practiced, like she’d done this a thousand times before and knew exactly which parts I was going to forget.
“No driving. No stairs unless you absolutely have to,” she said. “And someone needs to be with you at all times for the next week.”
I nodded even though I was already tired of hearing it.
Cole stood a few feet away, arms crossed, watching like this was a briefing he planned to memorize. With each instruction, I could feel his attention sharpen.
Someone with you at all times.
That part had already been decided.
When the nurse finally stepped out, Cole moved closer without saying anything, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him at my side.
“You ready?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
Standing felt strange. Not painful, just wrong, like my balance hadn’t gotten the memo that we were leaving. Cole stayed close, not touching me but not giving me room to fall either.
I hated how much I needed that.
He helped me into the wheelchair, and the nurse pushed me into the elevator, down to the lobby. Everything felt louder out here. Brighter.
Cole held the door for me, and the nurse guided me outside, where my mom’s car was waiting at the curb.
Nickel and Karmen stood nearby, with Nickel nodding along while Karmen talked with her hands.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Cole called to them.
Nickel shrugged. “Just wanted to make sure that you guys were good.” His eyes connected with mine. “You good?”
I laughed. “Getting there,” I said.
“We’re just going to follow you guys home, but don’t worry about entertaining us, okay? Something tells me you are going to need a good nap once you get home.”
I wasn’t even off the hospital property yet, but I knew that was true. “Yeah, who knew that after lying in bed for a week, all I want to do once I get home is sleep?”
Karmen helped me into the passenger seat while Cole got behind the wheel. The car smelled faintly like Mom, but it was jarring to see Cole in the driver’s seat.
As we pulled away, I watched the hospital disappear in the side mirror.
I wasn’t going to miss it.
The drive was quiet but not uncomfortable. Cole didn’t turn on the radio. Didn’t ask a bunch of questions. He just drove, steady and alert, like he was responsible for more than just getting us home.
“How’s your head?” he asked after a few minutes.
“Still attached,” I said. “Which feels like a win.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “We’ll take wins where we can.”
I leaned my head back against the seat and watched the trees blur past. My body just felt heavy. My body wanted sleep, but my brain kept replaying moments I didn’t ask it to.
“I’m not going to hover,” Cole said suddenly.
I glanced at him. “You already are.”
He didn’t deny it. “I’ll try not to hover more.”
That made me smile.
Mom’s house came into view sooner than I expected. I had only been in Weston for a short bit before I made the hospital my residence for a week, so I still didn’t know where everything was.
Cole parked in the driveway and came around to my side, opening the door.
“I can open my door,” I said.
“I know,” he replied. He held his hand out to me. “I was just being nice.”
I looked at his hand. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be… bitchy. I just…”
“Need to rest your eyes?” he laughed.
I put my hand in his. “Yes, I think that will help.”
He helped me out of the car and slammed the door shut.
Nickel pulled up on Cole’s bike and parked it at the curb. Karmen pulled up right behind him. They both waved, and Nickel climbed into the car.
“She wasn’t joking when she said we didn’t have to entertain them,” I laughed.
We made the short walk to the front door, and he helped me in.
Inside, the house was quiet but not empty.
“Star?” Mom called from the kitchen.
“In here,” I answered.
She appeared a second later, her eyes scanning me from head to toe, relief flashing across her face before she masked it with a smile. “Look at you,” she said. “Out in the wild.”
“Barely,” I teased.
She stepped in and hugged me carefully, like she was afraid to squeeze too hard. “Your room’s ready. Mine’s upstairs.”
“I know. I have a concussion, but my memory is still good,” I laughed.
Mom laughed. “You were only here a little bit. I moved a few things so you wouldn’t have to reach too much in your room,” she added. “And I set all of your stuff out in the bathroom. I tried to make everything easy.” She turned to Cole and gave him a quick rundown of the house.
The house wasn’t small, but it wasn’t like it was a sprawling mansion.
Cole nodded. “Got it.” He hitched his thumb to the couch. “I’ll just need a pillow and blanket.”
Mom nodded. “I’ll get that for you once I pull dinner out of the oven.” The timer sounded right on cue. “I hope you like ham and cornbread. It’s Star’s favorite.”
“I like anything,” he smiled.
“Oh, please,” Mom said as she made her way back to the kitchen. “I’ve eaten Carnie’s cooking. I know you guys have very high standards.”
“Uh, do you think I could lie down for a little bit before dinner?” I asked. Just standing there was exhausting.
Cole moved close to me and gently held my arm. He looked down at me. “You okay?”
I blushed and nodded. “Yeah, just learning that lying in bed for a week did not help my stamina.”
“Take a nap, honey,” Mom called. “I’ll heat up a plate when you wake up.”
Cole helped me down the hallway and into my room.
I sat on the edge of my bed while Cole leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, his eyes steady on me.
“You sure you’re okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I was trying to get up and walk in the hospital, but obviously, I didn’t do enough. Don’t worry about me.”
He thinned his lips. “That’s kind of what my job is right now.”
I rolled my eyes and lay down. “I know you enjoy watching me sleep, but I really think you can get something to eat, and nothing will happen to me.”
“I’ll be just down the hallway,” he said. “You need anything, you call out.”
“I know.”
“And keep your door open.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“So I can hear you.”
That shouldn’t have made me feel anything.
It did.