Authors: Jessica Gunhammer
A few hours later Brent came up to switch shifts with Tori. I was hesitant to leave because I wanted to be there if and when Nate woke up. But other
than him squeezing my hand, there were no signs of it happening anytime soon, so I thought it’d be best if I went home and tried to get some decent sleep.
I was woken up by a phone call. I looked at the clock and realized I had slept for eight hours!
“Hello?” I answered sleepily.
“Hey
, Summer,” It was Tori. “I have a huge favor to ask you.”
“Yeah?”
“I was wondering if it would be possible for you to go spend a few hours with Nate? I wouldn’t ask but I’m not feeling good and I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be up there if I might be coming down with something. It would just be long enough for Brent to grab some dinner and sleep for a couple of hours.” I glanced up at the clock again.
“Sure. When do you need me to be there?”
“Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Whenever you can.”
“Okay, give me a half hour and I’ll head up there.”
“Okay. Thanks again.” I hung up the phone and stretched my arms above my head. I was a little nervous about the fact that I was going to be alone with Nate again. Instantly I felt silly, he’d be sleeping, he won’t even know I’m there.
I ran downstairs, grabbed something to eat
, and explained the situation to my parents. Luckily, they were okay with it. We hadn’t talked much after the blow out we had the other night and I was happy about that. I was too emotionally exhausted with everything else to have to try and deal with all that right now, too.
When I go
t to the hospital I walked into Nate’s room and saw Brent sitting in the chair Tori had been sitting in the day before.
“Hey.” When he l
ooked at me I saw the dark circles under his eyes.
“Hey. You didn’t get much sleep last night
, huh?”
“Nope.” He shook his head. “Thanks for doing this,” He stood up from his chair and grabbed his backpack from the floor. “I’ll be back as soon as I grab something to eat.”
I walked over and put my hand on his shoulder. “Brent, don’t worry about it. You need to go home and get some sleep. It’s not going to do you or Nate any good if you’re this exhausted when he wakes up.”
He nodded and started to walk out the door. “Brent
…” He turned around and looked at me. “Go home and get at least a couple hours of sleep.”
“Okay
,” he said hesitantly.
“You promise?” I knew he wasn’t one to break a promise.
He sighed. “I promise.”
***
I spent the next few hours surfing the web and flipping through the channels on the TV. Tori was right, there was nothing on basic cable. I glanced at the clock and three hours had passed. Brent must’ve kept his promise and finally gotten some sleep. I kicked the footrest up on the chair I was sitting in and leaned it back. I might as well get comfortable while I’m here. I finally found a movie to watch and started to relax. I reached over and placed my hand on Nate’s, like I had the other night. It didn’t take long before my eyes started to get heavy and before I knew it, I was fast asleep.
When I started to come to
, I could feel something rubbing my hand. I laid there with my eyes closed a few moments longer before I realized what was happening. Nate’s thumb was rubbing my hand. I immediately shot up out of the chair and looked in his direction. His piercing brown eyes were looking right at me.
“You’re awake!” I practically yelled.
He chuckled. “I am.”
“Oh my God. When did you wake up?”
He smiled. “Just a couple of minutes ago.” I watched his smile fall. “Summer, I’m sorry about the other night.” I moved my other hand so I was gripping his hand with both of mine.
“
That’s not important right now.” I could feel my eyes starting to get a little watery. “What matters is that you’re awake. Do you know why you’re here?”
“I think so.” His eyes looked like they were getting heavy.
“Don’t fall asleep yet.” I rubbed the top of his hand. “I’m going to get a doctor.” He nodded but his eyes were still closed. I ran out of the room and grabbed the first nurse I saw. While she was going to grab the doctor, I ran back into the room but Nate was already sound asleep.
I walked over and grabbed my cell phone out of my bag and quickly texted Brent. I thought about calling him but I didn’t want to wake him
—I knew that if I did and he was sleeping he would want to bolt down here. It was best that he got his sleep and there would be no point for him to be here now.
I held Nate’s hand again and whispered
to him, “I’m going to be here every step of the way. I promise.” It may have been all in my head but I swore I saw the tiniest smile form at the corners of his mouth.
I tried my hardest not to fall asleep
in case Nate woke up again but I failed, because the next thing I knew Brent was waking me up. I glanced over at the window and guessed by the lighting outside that it was early morning.
“Hey
.” Brent smiled at me. His energy was completely different than it was the day before and the dark circles under his eyes were no longer noticeable. “I’m sorry I didn’t come back last night. I set my alarm but I ended up sleeping through it.”
I stood up from the c
hair I was sleeping in and started folding the blanket I had covered up with. “No problem.” I yawned. “You look a lot better. You needed the sleep.” I smiled at him.
“So how was he last night? Did he say anything when he woke up?” The small conversation between Nate and I ran through my head.
“He wasn’t up too long. I only had enough time to ask him if he remembered why he was here, he said he thought so and then he was out.”
“Did he wake up again?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Al
l right.” I could tell that Brent was a little upset that he wasn’t the one that was here with Nate when he woke up. “You better get home and get some sleep.”
“Yeah. That chair isn’t very comfortable.” I grabbed my things and started out the door. “Oh, how’s Tori doing? Do you need me to come back tonight?”
“She’s still not feeling up to par but it’s all right. I’ll stay here tonight.”
“Brent
—” I started to argue but he interrupted.
“Really
, Summer, it’s fine. I’ll just sleep here tonight.” I could tell that this was something he really wanted to do and I wouldn’t be winning the argument.
“Okay
.” I nodded my head. “But you be sure to call me if you need anything. Even if you just have to run down the street and grab food. I’ll be here if you need me.”
He smiled at me again. “Thanks
, Summer. I’m glad Tori found you, you’re a good friend.”
When I got down to my car I was sad that I was leaving. Nate was so close to waking up for good. I knew it, I could feel it, and I promised him I would be here for him. I glanced in my rearview mirror, my hair was a
mess and my eye makeup was smeared from sleeping in it. Well, it wouldn’t kill me to go home and shower. I needed to clean myself up and change into a fresh pair of clothes.
I didn’t realized how much sleep I hadn’t got until I got home and floppe
d down on my bed. My eyes immediately started to get heavy. Thoughts of Nate flooded my mind. His smile, his bike, the day we were on his bike together, the kiss we shared. But then I felt it, the sick feeling in my stomach, the guilt. I felt so guilty for thinking that he had blown me off the other night when really he was laying by himself, bleeding, in a ditch. I felt like such a horrible person.
Then I remembered what Brent had said about Nate’s parents. I know nothing about him. Nothing. Here I w
as, too busy being all whiny and crazy about what he thought of me and why he didn’t like me and wanting him to get to know the real me. But did I ever make an attempt to get to know him? No, I didn’t, I was too busy being a brat.
Now he’s lying in
a hospital bed—he could have died that night. I hated to think that way but it was the reality of the situation. If it wasn’t for Brent going back and finding him he could have bled to death and died. Suddenly the life I was living felt too short. There were so many things I wanted to do with my life and Nate just showed up and reminded me not once but twice of all the things there is that I want to do. But I had realized one thing. The order of the things I wanted to do has changed. The number one thing on that list now…was getting to know Nate Thompson.
Not just learning about his family life and where he went to school and if he played sports. But I wanted to know him as a person. What he loved, what he hated, what set him off. These were things I wanted to know.
That night I dreamt about Nate and me riding through the hills on his bike together. I could smell his cologne again mixed with the outdoors. That was a smell I would never forget, it made me feel warm inside. It made me feel safe and protected. It made me feel like I belonged. That was one thing I’ve never had in my life. The feeling of belonging and knowing that this was where I’m meant to be, and most of all, who I’m meant to be with.
The next afternoon I stopped and grabbed Brent some food before I made my way back up to the hospital. Tori was feeling better and told me I didn’t have to come up today but after my realization last night
, I knew that I wanted to be there. Not to mention, that was the only place I was allowed to go while I was “grounded.”
I walked
into the room and was surprised to see Nate had woken up. Brent sat in the chair next to his bed, and from the smile on his face, I could tell they were back to their easy going selves. Nate looked up and smiled at me.
“You’re awake again!”
“I am.” He nodded and continued to smile. I had forgotten how amazing that smile was.
“He woke up early this morning. I would’ve called but it’s been kind of hectic with all the doctors coming in and out and asking questions.”
“No worries.” Honestly I was a little hurt I wasn’t here with him when he woke up but I couldn’t be mad at Brent. They were best friends and he was like family to Nate. I’d only met him a few weeks ago.
“Thanks, you didn’t have to do that.” He took the coffee and bagel from me.
“It’s not much but I thought you might be hungry.”
“Looks like the party’s in here!” Tori came in the door with a trail of balloons following
behind her. One of them was shaped as a crown and the word “princess” was scrolled across it in pink script. “I brought you some balloons!”
Nate immediately burst
into laughter. The look on his face and the holding of his stomach indicated he must still be sore from the accident. “Does that balloon say princess?”
Tori laughed. “Yes
, but it was either “It’s a boy” or “princess” and I thought “princess” suited you the best.”
“How do you figure?” Brent asked
, trying to stop from laughing.
Tori’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know! I was just trying to be nice!” Even I couldn’t
hold back my laugh any longer. “At least you guys got a good laugh out of it. It’s been too depressing these last few days.” She walked over and tied the balloons to the small table next to the bed.
“Thanks
, Tori.” Nate laid his head back down on his pillow. I could see that he was already getting tired. “This hospital stuff really takes it out of you.” I think he was talking to everyone but he was looking right at me.
“Are you hungry?” Tori asked him.
“No. I just had that weird stuff they called lunch a little bit ago. I’m mostly just tired.” I felt awkward standing at the end of the bed but I didn’t want to stand on the opposite side of the bed as Tori and Brent because they didn’t know about everything that was going on between Nate and I and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for them to know yet.
“Well, I’m getting hungry
. I saw a food court downstairs, so Summer and I will go check it out and let you get some sleep. Do you want us to sneak you anything back up here?”
“No
, I’m good, thanks for asking.” I gave Nate one last smile before I turned to follow Tori out the door. “Summer,” I heard him say my name. The sound of my name leaving his lips gave me butterflies. I turned to him. “Thanks again, for everything.” I wasn’t sure what the “for everything” meant. I had only stayed with him that one night that he knew of, and all I did was sleep next to him. I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I kept it short and sweet.
“Of course.”
***
“So how do you think your brother is doing?” I asked Tori when we fi
nally had our food.
“Good now that Nate’s awake.
I was really worried about him there for a while.” We made ourselves comfortable at one of the small round tables. “I wanted to tell you thank you for making him promise to get some sleep the other night. I know that’s the only reason he actually stayed home. He was turning into a walking zombie and my mom or I could hardly say two words to him without him lashing out at us.”
“Yeah
, I could tell he was getting pretty worn down.” I took a bite of my salad. “How are you doing?”
“Bett
er. It still freaks me out to think that could have been Brent. It even freaks me out to think about Nate lying there in the ditch, but I think it’s slowly started to fade away and that whole night is starting to feel more like a dream, ya know?” I could see Tori’s eyes staring at me as I was zoning out.
“Are you okay?”
she asked. I saw the concerned look in her eyes. I didn’t realize that mine were filled with tears. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked up at the ceiling in an attempt to make the water in the rims of my eyes disappear.
“Yeah
, I’m fine.”
“No
, you’re not.” She scooted her chair closer to me and gave me a hug. “Tell me what’s wrong.” I was relieved I was able to make the tears disappear.
“I don’t really know. I guess I just feel kind of…guilty?”
“Guilty? Why do you feel guilty? Nothing that happened that night had anything to do with you.”
“I didn’t tell anyone
, but when he woke up that night, one of the first things he said to me was that he was sorry. He had just been through all that and almost lost his life and the first thing he wants to tell me is he is sorry.”
“Sorry about what?”
I proceeded to tell her what was said and what had happened that day at the restaurant. Then I told her about the fight with my parents after telling them I wasn’t going to school. She just stared at me. So much had happened that I had forgotten to tell her anything about what was going on in my life. But that didn’t seem important to me anymore. None of it did. All of my problems seemed so little compared to someone almost losing their life.
“I…I don’t understand it
, Tori. I don’t understand how one person can come into my life and change everything. The weird thing is that he’s encouraged me to finally have that life I’ve always wanted but have always been to afraid to go after. But…” I paused and looked down at my food.
“But?”
“But I want him to be a part of it. Do I sound crazy? I do, don’t I?”
“Yes.” I looked up at her and she smiled at me. “I’m totally kidding with you! No
, you don’t sound crazy and I’m like super excited right now!”
“What? Why?”
“Because! You and Nate would be the perfect together!” Just as she said it, I saw Brent behind her. He turned around and left the room. “I’ve told you this before and I’ll tell you again and again. You need to go after him! Especially after all that’s happened, it just goes to show you life is too short.” She looked over her shoulder. “What are you looking at?”
“Brent was just in here
, then he turned around and left. He looked kind of upset. Maybe something happened to Nate? Should we go find him?”
“Um…” Tori’s tone suddenly changed and I could see that she was feeling a little uneasy. “Why don’t you finish eating and I’ll meet you upstairs in the waiting room
.” Before I could even say anything she was out of her chair and heading out the door the same way Brent had.