Chloe
“Chloe!” Mum said, rushing through the door and almost knocking Logan over. He’d been pacing, trying to keep himself awake because he refused to sleep until I did and I wanted to wait up for my parents. It was half past one in the morning. Jace, Cassie and Nell had been kicked out an hour ago. Well, Nell had been kicked out half an hour ago because on the first round of kick outs she hid under the bed.
“Hey, Mum, Dad.”
I was wrapped in two pretty tight but very careful hugs and inspected thoroughly. They must have decided I really was okay because they breathed a sigh of relief and sat back on the edge of the bed.
“How are you feeling? I’m so sorry we were so far away, love.”
“Mum, chill. It’s fine. I’m fine. Morphine’s kicked in and I’m being looked after,” I said, looking up at Logan. The only times he’d left my side was to get me fresh water and I was sure he ran to get it because I wasn’t even alone for thirty seconds.
“God, we were so worried. Don’t you ever do that again,” Dad said. I’d not seen him cry before. I didn’t like it.
“Dad, really, I’m okay. Tired but okay.”
“Sleep if you’re tired. We’re not going anywhere,” he replied, kissing the top of my head the way he’d done since I was little.
As tired as I was I didn’t want to sleep. I was shaken up about the accident but Logan was being a baby about sleep so I knew if I wanted that stubborn boy to sleep I had to.
“You have to sleep, too,” I said, raising my eyebrow, challenging him to disagree.
He nodded and patted the chair. “Got my bed ready.” Leaning over, he gave me a soft, chaste kiss and settled in the chair.
The ward was as dark as it could be and it was quiet. Dad left after twenty minutes because there wasn’t room for a fourth person to sleep in here and I was too exhausted to stay awake any longer.
Logan had pretended to be asleep as the nurse told my parents that only two people could stay so one of them had to leave. I tried to keep a straight face as I watched Logan sit still as a statue and breathe in and out evenly.
“Get some sleep,” Mum whispered, kissing my cheek. She sat back and wrapped a blanket over her lap.
“Night, Mum.”
“Good night, Chloe.”
***
I woke up just as the sun was rising. Logan and my mum were still asleep in the two high back chairs on either side of the bed.
I pushed myself up with my arms, careful not to put any pressure on my stomach muscles. Jace gave me a lovely visual about stitches ripping open yesterday so I was extra cautious about moving slowly and not having the sealed cut on my stomach bursting.
It took me a little while to sit up but I managed it and instantly felt a little better, a little less helpless.
Beside me, Logan stirred, his head at an awkward position. He groaned and rubbed his neck. He went from sleepy to wide-awake in an instant as he must have realised he was in hospital. Striking blue topaz eyes took me in.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked, moving from the chair to the side of the bed. “Been awake long?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just woke up. How did you sleep?”
He smiled, not answering my question so I knew that meant awful but he wasn’t about to complain about it.
“Think you could speak to a nurse for me, I’d really like to be able to go to the toilet.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, sweetheart.”
I took a deep breath. There was nothing I wanted more than to have this catheter out and I was promised this morning it could go. No one was going to convince me to have it in for another second. “Logan, I swear if you start talking about this I’m going to jump out of the window. Please, just go and get a nurse.”
He smiled, amused, and kissed my forehead. “Sure. Do you want a coffee? I’ll run to the machine too.”
“The machine or Starbucks across the road?”
He chewed his lip nervously.
“Come on, my mum’s with me and you need to get out of this hospital, even if it’s just for five minutes.” I pouted. “And I could really do with a decent cup of coffee. Please, Logan?”
“Okay. I’ll get a nurse and then run down there.”
“You’re the best.”
“Don’t forget it.”
“I love you.”
I wasn’t sure what I loved more, hearing him say it back or his reaction to when I said it. He looked so happy it made every part of me ache.
“I love you, too,” he said and kissed me. “I’ll be ten minutes, max.”
“See you in a bit.”
Mum woke up just as the nurse had finished removing the catheter, which was a particularly hideous experience.
“How’re you feeling, love?”
“I’m fine, need a wee though, can you help me up?”
She was off her chair and by the side of the bed before I’d swung my legs over the side. I held onto her until I’d steadied myself, letting the initial head rush from laying and sitting for so long pass.
“Thanks, I’m okay now.”
She didn’t let go though; she walked with me to the bathroom. “Where’s Logan?”
“Starbucks. I needed him gone while the catheter was being removed and I need a decent caffeine hit.”
Logan was back when I’d finished in the bathroom. “Want help?” he asked.
“I can walk fine,” I teased. “You’re going to get an ulcer with all that worrying.”
He shrugged and held his hand out. I let him because it was a lot easier than arguing. Logan helped people, he fixed things and if he couldn’t he felt crappy about it.
When I was back in bed I was handed a large cappuccino. Mum watched us from her chair, sipping her skinny latte with a smile on her face.
“You spoken to Dad?” I asked.
“I texted him while you were in the bathroom. He’ll be here at eight.”
“How was your trip? You ready to tell me yet?”
I grabbed Logan’s arm as he went to move away from me to go back to his chair. He took the hint, wrapping one arm around me as he sat on the bed. His other hand retrieved his coffee and he watched me and Mum, absentmindedly tracing circles on my forearm. It was really nice and very distracting.
“It was lovely, right up until we got the call telling us our child was in hospital, then a holiday was the last place in the world I wanted to be.”
“Sorry.”
I knew Logan would be frowning at me but I kept eye contact with Mum. “Don’t apologise, Chloe! We’re just so glad you’re okay.”
“Have the police been in touch?” I asked, looking at Logan.
“They spoke to me and Jace while you were in surgery and might want to talk to you today, if you’re up for it. Don’t worry about that now,” he replied, kissing my shoulder.
“But I do worry about it,” I said.
“Okay.” He took my hand and squeezed. “The boy has admitted everything so he’ll just be charged.”
“That’s good then.” I think. I wasn’t so sure. The driver deserved to pay for leaving after he’d hit me but it wasn’t intentional. I smiled. They would want him to be locked up.
I took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts away. My whole life in the last few months had been a lot to take in and my brain was scrambled from trying to make sense of it all. I was pretty much ready to wake up from it or have Ashton Kutcher jump out and tell me I’d been Punk’d already.
“He won’t get away with it. Everything’s fine, Chloe.” He kissed my hand and added, “I love you.”
That was exactly what I needed to hear. Smiling, I mouthed I love you, too.