Adeline Street, chapter 12
I woke up later hooked up to more machines than I could count right off. Billie dozed on the couch next to me. I was having trouble breathing. My breathing was labored. My body was weak. I didn't even feel like I had a body.
A nurse came in quietly and saw me.
"Hi," she whispered as to not wake Billie up. "You doin' ok?"
"I'm having trouble breathing," I told her.
"That's expected. You are extremely malnourished. I brought you lunch. If you eat, eat slowly and don't drink too fast or too much at a time. Do you want me to wake him?" she asked, nodding toward Billie. "He's been in shambles for all these weeks."
My stomach dropped.
"Weeks?"
"You have been in a coma. About 5 weeks actually. You came around yesterday and he's been in here ever since. You didn't seem to notice anyone was here."
Coma. 5 weeks. That was all I heard. I can't imagine all that I had missed.
"I'll wake him up for you." She walked over to the couch and shook him. She whispered something to him and he sat up sleepily.
"I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes." She smiled and left the room. It was just us again. The last memory I have of us being alone together we were fighting. I was tired of fighting.
"You had 2 heart attacks," he said, rubbing his eyes.
"Heart attacks?"
"Yeah. You almost died." He gulped hard. "Your mom's on her way. And your sister is pregnant."
Holy shit I had missed everything.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah. News media has been harping for an interview. I told them to let you decide if you want to do that."
I didn't care. I didn't want people thinking I was going all Lindsey Lohan anorexic on them, but whatever they thought, I didn't care. I just nodded.
"There's something else too." He said. He pulled out a small award from the black bag next to the couch.
"You won New Artist. Mike and Tre picked it up for you. I thought Mike was gonna collapse up there when I watched it on tv."
"What about the performance?"
"There wasn't one. They announced what happened to you and there was a moment of silence."
A moment of silence? I couldn't believe it. I looked up at the tv after I heard my name. They were talking about the VMA incident and hoping for the best.
"That's all they ever say," Billie said, staring down at his shoes.
"Didn't know everyone cared so much."
"Well, now you know." He smiled softly. I did too. I was tired of always being the one every one worried about. This was the last time I would ever see a hospital bed, I promised myself. Whether I kept that promise or not is for another time...
A nurse came in quietly and saw me.
"Hi," she whispered as to not wake Billie up. "You doin' ok?"
"I'm having trouble breathing," I told her.
"That's expected. You are extremely malnourished. I brought you lunch. If you eat, eat slowly and don't drink too fast or too much at a time. Do you want me to wake him?" she asked, nodding toward Billie. "He's been in shambles for all these weeks."
My stomach dropped.
"Weeks?"
"You have been in a coma. About 5 weeks actually. You came around yesterday and he's been in here ever since. You didn't seem to notice anyone was here."
Coma. 5 weeks. That was all I heard. I can't imagine all that I had missed.
"I'll wake him up for you." She walked over to the couch and shook him. She whispered something to him and he sat up sleepily.
"I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes." She smiled and left the room. It was just us again. The last memory I have of us being alone together we were fighting. I was tired of fighting.
"You had 2 heart attacks," he said, rubbing his eyes.
"Heart attacks?"
"Yeah. You almost died." He gulped hard. "Your mom's on her way. And your sister is pregnant."
Holy shit I had missed everything.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah. News media has been harping for an interview. I told them to let you decide if you want to do that."
I didn't care. I didn't want people thinking I was going all Lindsey Lohan anorexic on them, but whatever they thought, I didn't care. I just nodded.
"There's something else too." He said. He pulled out a small award from the black bag next to the couch.
"You won New Artist. Mike and Tre picked it up for you. I thought Mike was gonna collapse up there when I watched it on tv."
"What about the performance?"
"There wasn't one. They announced what happened to you and there was a moment of silence."
A moment of silence? I couldn't believe it. I looked up at the tv after I heard my name. They were talking about the VMA incident and hoping for the best.
"That's all they ever say," Billie said, staring down at his shoes.
"Didn't know everyone cared so much."
"Well, now you know." He smiled softly. I did too. I was tired of always being the one every one worried about. This was the last time I would ever see a hospital bed, I promised myself. Whether I kept that promise or not is for another time...
