Skyler
There are multiple voices around me, but I can only make out a few because there’s too much noise. I hear Logan talking to someone and I think it’s Jonah. Though I want to open my eyes to see where I am and who’s around me, I just can’t manage it. I’m scared. Why can’t I open my eyes? Why do I hurt?
I drift back into a darkness I don’t even understand why I’m in.
I try to groan, so I can get someone’s attention. I feel someone on the side of me. It hurts to open my eyes, so I’m not even sure who is here until I hear his voice. It’s Logan, and he sounds like he’s been crying. I want to tell him it’s okay, but I can’t manage the words.
“You're going to be okay, my love,” he whispers. “Rest. I’m here for you and I love you.” I feel him kiss my hand before I drift off again.
I wake to more voices.
“Doc, she started to grumble before but didn’t really say anything. When do you think she’ll wake up?”
“It’s hard to say. From the x-rays we took, it appears she was hit over the head pretty hard before she was placed in the bathroom. Give her a little more time. She’ll wake when she’s ready. She’s lucky you have a good sprinkler system and the fire department got there when they did.”
I will myself to wake up. I have questions because I don’t remember any fire or being hit on the head. I can’t open my eyes. I squeeze my hand the best I can to let Logan know I hear him and I’m not giving up.
Sadie is crying, asking Logan how someone could do this to me. She takes my hand. “Skyler, please wake up! So many people love you and want to hear your beautiful voice again.”
“I’m sure my voice is not sounding so beautiful right now,” I manage in a low, gravelly tone.
“Oh thank God, you’re awake!” Sadie cries, squeezing my hand.
“You’re making my hand soggy.”
“I’m sorry.” She giggles with excitement. “Be right back.” I hear her run to the hall and call, “Logan, she’s awake.”
He comes running in with Sadie. “Sky?” he questions, and I can hear panic in his voice.
“I’m here, sweetie,” I whisper.
“Oh thank God.”
“Welcome back to us, Miss Jones,” the doctor says. “Do you know where you are?”
“Hospital.”
“Good. Do you know why you’re in the hospital?”
I shake my head and instantly regret it. “Oh, that hurts.”
“I’m sure it does. Miss Jones, do you remember anything from the other night?”
“Other night?” I ask in panic. “How long have I been here?”
“Miss Jones, I need you to calm down. If you don’t remember, that’s okay, but if you get worked up I may have to sedate you, and I would rather not do that.”
I take a few deep breaths. “Fine. How long have I been here?”
“You’ve been here a few days now, and once you stay awake and we’re sure you have recovered from your concussion, I can send you home.”
“Okay. Can someone tell me what happened?”
“As long as you promise to remain calm. If your monitors start to beep, I’m kicking everyone out.” I nod and he tells me he’ll be back in a bit.
***
Logan
“I’m so glad you’re back, Sky. How does your head feel?”
“My head and chest hurt a bit, but that’s it. Will you tell me what happened?”
“We were closing the bar the other night,” I say quietly. “Somehow Billy got through security. Troy had tried but Jonah caught him and told him to hit the road.”
“Who let Billy in?”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s been fired. Anyway, he planted a small bomb behind the bar you were working. We assume he was figuring once it went off, the entire club would go up.”
I pause, watching her take a few deep breaths. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, keep going.”
“Before he set it off, he hit you on the back of the head and dragged you off to the ladies room, probably figuring we wouldn't notice you missing until it was too late. He wasn’t accounting for you telling me you were heading that way.”
Sky takes a few more deep breaths. She’s having a hard time listening to this, so I wait until I see she's composed before I continue.
“The police found his truck up the street from the club with all the equipment he used to make the bomb in the back of it. He’s been arrested and will be fully charged with arson and attempted murder. You’ll never have to worry about him again. They think Troy is also involved but don’t have the proof they need just yet to arrest him, though they’re pretty sure Billy will flip once they start talking to him.”
“Hawaii,” Sky says.
I look at her in confusion. “What do you mean Hawaii?”
She chuckles. “That's where I want to go. I want to go to Hawaii. Please tell me you'll take me there?”
“My love, I’ll take you to the moon if that's where you want to go. Hawaii it is. As soon as you’re well enough to travel we’ll head there.” I smile down at her and brush her hair away from her face.
“Logan, I want to go home and rest in my own bed.” she says, opening her eyes.
“There are those pretty eyes,” I say with a huge smile as Sadie walks back in with Jonah.
“Sky, I’m so sorry this happened.” Jonah sighs in frustration. “The guy who let Billy in has been fired. He wasn’t paying attention and allowed him to walk in with a hooded sweatshirt on so he was able to hide the bomb in his front pocket.”
“Jonah, this isn’t your fault, and I won’t have you beating yourself up over it. Which bouncer was it?” Skyler asks curiously.
“It was Nick, why?”
“Isn’t he the same person who let Troy in the night that Logan had to kick him back out? I'm wondering if he let Billy in on purpose.”
“You're right, Skyler. It was Nick that let him in. He said he didn't know what to do because Troy was putting up a stink, but I bet he did it on purpose,” I tell her, confirming her suspicion. “I bet Troy and Billy paid Nick to let them in the club, and Troy would have made it in if Jonah wasn’t at the door to stop him.”
Kyle, Shauna, and Kelly all walk into the room.
“I’m so glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?” Kelly asks with a big smile.
“Thanks for coming, guys. The doctor said I may be able to get out of here in a few days, which will be nice. I want to get into my own bed and onto the vacation I was supposed to be planning this week.” She winces. “Sorry, my head still hurts. I have to remember to talk slow and low.”
Kelly rubs her leg. “We’ll whisper, though I have a feeling the doctor is going to kick us out because he was giving us looks as we walked in.”
“I’ll tell him I need a few more minutes with you guys and then I’ll get my rest.”
“You need to eat too, Sky. It’s already after lunchtime. When he comes back we’ll see what you can have for dinner and then you can go back to sleep.” I’m hoping she’s hungry and will be willing to put some food in her stomach.
A few minutes later, the doctor comes walking in and wants to kick everybody out. Skyler begs for a little bit more time with her friends, and the doctor agrees to ten more minutes. I take the opportunity to ask the doctor about what she can have for dinner. She hasn’t eaten in days. He tells me he'll be back with a dinner menu in ten minutes when it's time for everybody to leave.
Exactly ten minutes later, the doctor walks back in. “Okay it's time for everybody to go. Skyler needs her rest so she can be sent home tomorrow or the day after.”
Everyone hugs her and says goodbye as they head out the door. Skyler looks tired from the visit, but she also seems happy to have had a few minutes with her friends. Only Sadie and Jonah are left, and he’s trying to convince me to go home and shower, telling me they’ll stay with Skyler while I go, but I don’t want to leave her side.
“Maybe after she eats I’ll go.”
“Logan, go home and shower.” Sky yawns. “I don’t want a stinky boyfriend.”
I burst out laughing. “Oh, so now I'm stinky, am I?”
“I tried to tell you, man, but you don't want to listen to me. Listen to your girlfriend. Go take a shower.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll go home and shower. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Is there anything you want from home?”
“Yeah, I would like a toothbrush and a fresh-smelling boyfriend.”
“You’re funny now, huh? I’ll be back as soon.” I kiss her on the forehead. “I love you, Skyler.”
“I love you too, Logan.”
She closes her eyes, exhausted from her short visit with her friends.
“Jonah, keep an eye on my girl and don’t let anything happen to her.”
“You got it. Sadie and I’ll be right here, and if her dinner comes before you get back, we’ll try to get her to eat for you too.”
“Cool, thanks.” We bump fists and I run out the door. Yeah, I literally run because I want to get back to the hospital as quick as I can. I’m so whipped.