28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Tage
A low, rhythmic beeping sound forces its way into my head, making it throb. My eyes are heavy and I can’t open them. Everything hurts. Achy. Sore. I feel like I was hit by a damn bus.
I try to open my eyes, but it’s too hard. I’m too tired. Too weak. What is wrong with me?
Now’s the time I would panic because what the hell? So why aren’t I panicking?
Am I dying? Am I dead?
Everything just goes black again, and then I’m sleeping.
When I wake next, my body feels slightly better, but my head is still throbbing, specifically on the left side above my ear. I still feel so weak and tired though. My eyes are still heavy, but I manage to open them just a little.
Everything is blurry and the light hurts but I fight through it because I want to know what the hell is going on. I can’t remember anything. I don’t even know where I am.
In my head, I speak. I open my mouth and ask where I am, but I hear the words that come out and they sound more like the adults from that Peanuts show.
I hear something else that sounds like that too, then a blob moves in front of my vision. It leans closer, and I’m able to see that it’s not a blob. It’s a person. Someone I don’t recognize with big green eyes. Female. Blond hair pulled back neatly.
I blink a few times when I see her lips move and hear sounds but can’t make out the words. She smiles kindly, and when she speaks again, I’m able to read her lips.
“How are you feeling?”
“Tied…” is what comes out, though I meant to say tired.
She nods. “Sleep more, if you need.”
The words make a little more sense but not fully.
Maybe I should go back to sleep, but I want to know what is going on, where I am, and what the hell got me here.
“Nuh… No…”
The woman moves, taking a small step away and I get a better view of her. I see a magenta-colored outfit and a name badge hanging from a pocket on her shirt.
Nurse? Am I in the hospital?
She brings a small cup and straw toward my mouth.
“Sip. Just a little,” she says, and I hear it that time. Loud and clear like my ears finally remembered their job.
I take the sip, and even though it’s water, it’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted in my life. I didn’t realize how dry my mouth was. I lick my lips and take a breath.
“Where am I?” I manage to ask as I blink some more, my vision clearing with each one.
“You’re at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. You were in an accident. Do you remember any of it?”
I wrack my brain and don’t recall an accident. I know I spent the weekend with Lane, but that’s the last thing I r—
“Lane,” I blurt out. “He okay?”
“He’s waiting for you outside the room, along with your parents.”
Fuck.
“Once you’re feeling up to it, I’ll let them in.”
“Just Lane.”
“All right. I’ll let him know.” She smiles, tucks me in a little better, checks a few of the machines, and then she’s gone.
A moment later, I hear the familiar slap of Lane’s expensive shoes on the floor. He comes around the same side the nurse was just on.
“Tage—”
“You’re okay,” I say, looking into his deep brown eyes.
“So are you. Fuck, I was so worried about you, Tage.” He takes my hand, squeezing it.
I frown, noting not a single scratch. “We weren’t together?”
He frowns. “No, we weren’t,” he says carefully.
“What day is it?”
“Monday…”
I blink a few times. I could have sworn it was Sunday.
“It’s okay,” he says with a sigh. His shoulders relax a little, too. “They said it was normal for you not to remember some things right away.”
“What happened?”
He nearly growls the words. “Some asshole ran a red light. T-boned you. Caused four people to get rushed into surgery. He was drunk.”
I groan, closing my eyes. Now I know why it feels like I got hit by a bus.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek. He looks me over, his hand mid-air like he wants to touch me but isn’t sure where. “I was so worried. I… didn’t know what to do with myself.”
“I’m okay,” I say.
“Are you in pain?”
“Achy,” I answer. “What’s wrong with me?”
I look down my body the best I can but even moving my neck hurts. I take note of all the stuff I’m hooked up to and that my left arm is in a cast.
“You had a ruptured spleen that they fixed. Three broken ribs on your left side. Broken left arm. Concussion. Five staples to the left side of your head. They expect a good outcome.”
That’s… wow. That’s a lot.
“Explains a lot.” I huff a laugh, and my eyes fall closed again.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispers, and I feel his forehead carefully press against mine.
Neither of us says anything for a while.
Just our soft breathing and the beep of the machine, which will get annoying real soon, I’m sure.
Lane breaks the silence though, saying something I don’t want to hear.
“Your parents are just outside the room.”
“Yeah,” I say with a sigh. “Nurse told me.”
“I don’t understand why you hid something like that.”
“Didn’t hide it.”
“Okay, you’re right. You didn’t hide it, but you never wanted to talk about it.”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it doesn’t matter, Tage. At least not in the way you’re worried about.
I love you regardless of who your family is, but everything makes a little more sense now.
” I keep my eyes closed and don’t say anything.
This is the last thing I want to talk about right now.
“I’m not mad, and I understand you don’t want to talk about it, but they are worried.
I think you should let them come see you. ”
“No,” I say with a slight shake of my head.
“Tage, they mean well. Letting them in to see that you’re okay isn’t letting them back into your life. I’ll tell them they can see you for five minutes tops. I’m sure they’ll be on the next flight back to Boston right after that.”
“Yeah,” I say, tears burning in my eyes. “That’s exactly the problem.”