Chapter 18: Chapter 17. Amazing How Much Can Happen in Just a Short Time, Huh?

CLAIRE

~Three Hours Later~

The first thing I noticed as I stirred was the absence of the searing pain in my lower belly. There was still a dull ache, but it was nothing compared to the sharp, stabbing sensation I’d felt before. I was sure it was due to the reopened stitch and the invasive tools that had been used on me.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I was in a different room. The walls were white, the bed was a cozy twin size, and a small nightstand was cluttered with magazines and a telephone. Bright light was streaming in through the curtains.

I glanced down. A blanket was pulled up to my chest and something was clipped to my finger. The IV was still in my arm and I was a bit scared to lift the covers and see the fresh scar from the surgery.

Then, a realization hit me. ~I survived!~

I couldn’t help but smile. There had been a tiny, nagging thought in the back of my mind. The fear of dying. But I guess everyone has that small fear when they go under the knife.

Just then, the door creaked open and in walked Nancy, looking completely worn out.

She let out a sigh of relief and managed a smile. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were bloodshot as if she’d been crying, her nose was red, and her cheeks were flushed.

She quickly came over and hugged me tightly. Despite the twinge of pain in my stomach, I smiled and hugged her back.

I was glad she was here. I hadn’t really expected her to stay, but then again, this was Nancy. She was kind, loving, elusive, caring, feisty, and funny. She would never leave me alone in a situation like this.

“How are you feeling?” she asked softly, pulling back and sitting in the chair next to my bed. I shrugged and nodded.

“Not too bad. There’s a bit of pain in my stomach, but I guess that’s normal. I did just wake up from surgery with a fresh scar,” I replied, managing a half-smile.

That seemed to bring a faint smile to Nancy’s face. She was relieved to see me still cracking jokes. I noticed a glass of water on the nightstand and pointed to it.

“Could you get that for me?” I asked.

Nancy nodded and handed me the water.

My lips were dry and my throat felt parched. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was until I saw the inviting, refreshing water.

After finishing the glass, I set it back down and rested my head on the pillow. Just as Nancy was about to say something, the door opened again and in walked Dr. Kelly.

She smiled when she saw me awake and smiling.

She came to stand in front of me, a faint smile on her face. “Well,” she began, glancing down at her clipboard.

“The surgery went very well. I managed to stop the bleeding just in time. Your colon is all fixed and not bleeding anymore. You did very well, Claire,” Dr. Kelly said, smiling.

I nodded, smiling back. “And when can I leave?” I asked, eager to get out of the hospital. Despite having just had surgery, I was still terrified of hospitals and hated being in them.

Dr. Kelly grinned. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Nancy let out a sigh of relief. “I want to go now,” I said, sitting up fully, ignoring the pain.

Dr. Kelly nodded. “Nancy just needs to sign you out, you need to get dressed, we need to remove the IV, and you need to be wheeled to the front where your ride will be waiting,” she explained.

It sounded like a lot, but I knew it would only take about fifteen minutes.

“Can we get this IV out now?” I asked, pointing to the needle still stuck in the crook of my arm.

It felt really uncomfortable having a needle in me. I had thought it would be gone by the time I woke up, but apparently not.

Dr. Kelly nodded and put down her clipboard. She came over, gently took hold of my arm, and removed the gauze around the needle.

She then took out some disinfectant wipes and carefully removed the needle. She set the needle down on a table and quickly wiped up the small amount of blood that had seeped out of the tiny hole in my arm.

Once that was done, she pressed a cotton ball against my skin and taped it in place.

I smiled, relieved to be able to bend my arm again.

“Your clothes are in the corner. When you come back, a wheelchair will be waiting for you. Nancy will help you and please, be careful.

“You’re still healing from the surgery so your stomach will be a bit sore,” Dr. Kelly warned as Nancy gently helped me up.

I bit my lip to ignore the sudden pain and slowly stood up, leaning on Nancy for support.

Dr. Kelly nodded and left the room.

“Alright, let’s get you out of here. I know how much you hate hospitals,” Nancy said, grinning. But I could see in her eyes that she was just as eager to leave.

She walked slowly and steadily towards the bathroom, my clothes in her hands.

When we reached the bathroom, I tried to speed up a bit, eager to get dressed.

“Claire, slow down! You’ll hurt yourself!” Nancy scolded, giving me a stern look.

I chuckled, despite the sharp pain in my stitches. It was getting easier to ignore the pain.

Nancy carefully untied my hospital gown and helped me out of it. I shivered as the cold air hit my bare skin.

As strange as it may sound, Nancy and I were completely comfortable being naked in front of each other. We knew we wouldn’t judge each other—after all, what was there to judge?

I carefully pulled on my jeans, making sure not to stretch my upper body too much. I didn’t want to risk reopening the stitch. Once my jeans were on, I slowly pulled on my long-sleeved purple shirt.

A twinge of pain shot through my stitches, but I ignored it and pulled my shirt down, covering the ugly scar.

After I had put on my black boots, Nancy helped me out of the bathroom. As expected, a wheelchair was waiting for us.

As much as I didn’t want to use it, I knew I had to. Nancy helped me sit down and once I was comfortable, she wheeled me to the front desk to sign me out.

A sudden thought popped into my head. “Nancy, do you know what time it is?” I asked. I’d lost track of time since we arrived at the hospital.

Nancy glanced at her wristwatch. I didn’t need to look to know she was squinting at it.

“Um…” she mumbled. “It’s six-thirty-seven p.m.,” she announced, pausing at the front desk to sign the papers Dr. Kelly had given us.

I nodded. Six-thirty-seven wasn’t too late. But I really needed to get home. My parents must be worried sick. They hadn’t seen me in two days!

Sensing my urgency, Nancy quickly signed the papers and handed them back to Dr. Kelly.

“Thank you so much,” Nancy said, pulling Dr. Kelly into a quick hug.

Dr. Kelly returned the hug with a smile. “No problem. I owed you one anyway.” She laughed.

Nancy nodded and came back to me. She wheeled me out of the hospital, where her car was already waiting.

Nancy helped me up and into the car, while a man wheeled the chair back inside.

I knew it would hurt, but I didn’t have much of a choice. I slowly pulled the seatbelt across my body and clicked it in place.

The seatbelt rubbed against my skin through my shirt, making my stitches itch and burn.

Nancy got into the car and looked over at me. A flash of pity crossed her eyes as she saw me squirming in my seat.

“Just a few more moments, Claire. I know you’re eager to see your parents.”

I nodded.

“So, I’ll drop you off there. Just, please be careful, Claire.” Her light blue eyes pleaded with me to avoid getting hurt. I couldn’t blame her. I’d been getting hurt a lot lately.

I nodded. “I’ll try,” I promised her.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then opened them again. Her eyes were light and happy now.

I knew she was putting on a brave face for me. She knew I hated pity and being treated like a fragile doll. But I’m not a doll! I’m just a regular teenage girl who knows how to take care of herself.

Soon, Nancy was parked outside my house.

We chatted during the ride. I promised her I’d be extra careful and that we’d hang out more since I couldn’t train until spring.

Nancy made me promise to act like a normal teenager who goes out and has fun—instead of staying cooped up in my room studying or training.

The more I thought about it, the more I agreed with her. This was my last year in high school. I only had a little over six months left, so I might as well make the most of it.

I gave Nancy a side hug and slowly got out of the car. I waved goodbye as she backed out of my driveway and drove home.

I let out a sigh and closed my eyes for a moment. It was hard to believe everything that had happened in the last 48 hours.

I’d been betrayed by James, shot at, blacked out, woke up in Blake’s house, got stabbed, and had surgery so I wouldn’t die. It’s amazing how much can happen in such a short time, huh?

“Are you okay?” I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the voice behind me.

I spun around, my eyes wide as I stared at Blake. He’d nearly given me a heart attack!

I swallowed hard and tried to slow my racing heart. I had no idea why my body was reacting this way to him. It must be because he’d startled me, even though it’s usually hard to sneak up on me!

I swallowed again and nodded. “G—” I shook my head and cleared my throat. “Good, good,” I said. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

He grinned and took a step forward. His hands were shoved in his dark blue jeans that hung low on his hips. A black shirt clung to his torso, showing off his biceps and toned chest.

“I was wondering if you were hungry?” he asked, smirking as he caught me checking him out.

I felt my cheeks heat up and looked away, mentally scolding myself for blushing! ~Get a grip, Claire! You don’t blush!~

I coughed slightly and nodded. I was just realizing that I was hungry. I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday.

Ever since Selena stabbed me, I hadn’t been able to eat without feeling sick or in pain.

“Yeah, actually I am.” I nodded.

A grin spread across his face as he took another step forward. “Great. I was just about to go grab something to eat. Want to come?” he asked.

I took a small step back, not trusting myself to be so close to him right now. I didn’t know why I was suddenly feeling this way. It must be the aftereffects of the anesthesia. It messed with my thinking!

Before I could stop myself, I nodded and said, “Sure. I just have to tell my parents,” I was yelling at myself inside. I wasn’t supposed to get close to anyone!

He nodded and stepped aside. “I’ll be waiting.” He said with a cheesy grin.

I nodded and quickly walked to the door, ignoring the pain in my stomach from moving quickly.

As soon as the door shut, I heard shouts.

“Claire! Oh, my God, there you are.” I was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug by my mother. “I was so worried! I thought you had run away!” My mother cried into my shoulder.

I stood there, stunned, despite the pain surging through me as my mother hugged me tightly.

Finally, I snapped out of it and hugged her back. It felt good to hug my mom again. It had been so long!

“Mom, I’d never leave you guys. What made you think that?” I asked, playing dumb. I knew I’d scared her, but I was telling the truth when I said I’d never leave them to fend for themselves.

My mom sniffled and pulled back. Her teary brown eyes were glazed over, her cheeks were red, and her nose was sniffling. She was wearing a black t-shirt and black yoga pants.

Her eyes were shadowed with dark circles, a clear sign of sleep deprivation. Her long, brown hair was a tangled mess, as if she’d been anxiously running her fingers through it.

“I—I came home yesterday and found your note. I was so pleased that you’d made dinner for your father and me. I waited for you to come home so I could thank you, but you never showed up.

“I eventually fell asleep, and your father woke me this morning. I asked him if he’d seen you, but he hadn’t. I was so worried!

“I called the school, and they said you’d left with someone. I was terrified you’d been kidnapped!”

Tears streamed down her face as her body shook with sobs. A heavy wave of guilt washed over me as I realized the distress I’d caused my mother.

When they’re sober, they’re the sweetest, most loving parents you could ask for.

I interrupted my mom’s tearful rant with a tight hug. She immediately quieted and hugged me back, her tears soaking my shoulder.

Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. “Claire!” my father’s voice echoed before I was once again enveloped in a bear hug.

I smiled into his chest, taking a deep breath. For the first time in a long while, both of my parents were sober—at the same time!

“We were so worried,” he murmured.

A slow grin spread across my face, and tears welled up in my eyes—tears of joy and relief, not pain and anger.

“I was just with a friend. I’m sorry I didn’t call, I completely forgot.” I squeezed them both tighter as I whispered my apology.

I felt him nod against my shoulder. All the pain was forgotten, and even Blake was momentarily pushed from my mind.

When I pulled back, I gave each of them a quick kiss on the cheek and grinned at them. I could hardly believe this was happening. They hadn’t shown me this much affection in years!

“I love you guys. And, I’m sorry,” I said.

They both shook their heads, giving me a sad smile. “No, honey, we’re the ones who should be sorry,” Mom began.

“We’ve been so wrapped up in our own problems, we haven’t given you the attention you deserve. We may not always say it, or show it, but we love you. We really do,” my mom choked out, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

I smiled and wiped away my own tears, a small laugh escaping my lips. My dad just hugged me again.

“I love you, kiddo. I’m sorry I haven’t been the father I should be, but I’m trying now—for you and your mother,” he mumbled.

At this point, I didn’t think anything could wipe the smile off my face. “I love you both so much,” I said, suddenly remembering Blake.

“And, I know this is a long shot, but I was wondering if I could go grab some food with a friend. I promise I’ll be back in about an hour or so.”

I referred to Blake as my friend because I didn’t know what else to call him at this point.

My mom and dad exchanged a glance. “Yes, sweetie. But please don’t scare us like that again. Call us if you decide to go somewhere else,” my mom said softly.

I grinned and nodded. “Alright.” I gave them each another quick kiss. “I’ll be home soon. I promise.”

With that, I headed back outside, my grin wider than ever.

Blake looked up and grinned back. “What? Happy that you’ll be spending time with me?” He asked with a cocky smirk.

I chuckled as I followed him to his 2012 Ford Fusion. “No. Just, a dream come true,” I mumbled, thinking back to the smiles on my parents’ faces.

Blake nodded, looking at me with a strange expression. “You know, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you genuinely smile,” he said, grinning.