It's been a week since Alison and I got into our fight. She hasn't been back, that I know of. I've been sleeping a lot, only because of the pain medicine. It makes me very tired, and I fight to keep my eyes open. Dr. Green did some more tests on my eye, and they weren't really the results that I'd hoped to hear. She said I'll probably be blind, but I could try surgery to try and get some vision back. She said we had to wait a few days before they could operate. The swelling around my eye was still too much. Dr. Green told me about the rehab I would need for my knee. She set my rehab up in Rosewood. That's going to be a pain in the ass. She said I won't be able to regain full range of motion, but she did say I would be able to walk again.
She told me that I may be able to go home at the end of the month. I don't have a home. What am I supposed to do?
—
Dr. Green comes in my room to examine my eye. She tells me that I am ready for surgery. She scheduled it for tomorrow morning at 9 am. When she leaves I feel myself starting to drift away.
When I wake up I am really hungry. I didn't eat all morning. I haven't really been able to eat very much but I definitely needed some food in my system, especially before surgery. I go to press the nurse button, when I suddenly stop in my tracks.
"Alison?"
"Hmm?" I don't think she was expecting me to be awake, because she looks totally shocked. "Hey. How are you feeling?" Her voice is sweet.
"I'm okay, really. I get to go home soon." Please don't ask. Please don't ask.
"And where is home?" Her eyebrows raised as she questioned me.
How did I know she would ask me that? I can still catch her brainwaves after all this time.
"Umm...I don't know..maybe I'll get a hotel or something. Just until I find something more permanent."
"That won't be necessary Em. I've already made a room for you at my place. They won't discharge you if you have no place to go, or anyone to look after you. Even more so with your eye surgery tomorrow."
How do I say no? How do I say yes? If I stay with her, I think I may actually go insane.
"Oh. How'd you know I have surgery tomorrow?"
"We've been over this already Em, I'm your emergency contact, they tell me everything." She winks at me. Oh no. I can't help but get nervous. I have to say something, but I can't make it awkward if I'm going to be living with her for a while.
"Oh yeah." I let out a small laugh. "Ouch." I grab at my ribs. The pain is starting to go away, but it's still there. It'll always be there.
"Be careful there killer."
"Don't call me that. Don't ever call me that again Ali."
I can't be called that. I can't. And I just slipped up, I'm sure it won't be the last time.
"Oh..um...s-sorry." She starts fidgeting with her hands. We spend a few minutes sitting in silence.
"Do you want to watch a movie and get some food? I've only got a few hours before I need to stop eating and I'm starving." I don't even care to watch something, I just really need some food.
"Sure Em, I'll go get us something to eat. I'll be back." She gives me a warm smile and leaves the room.
I turn the TV on and I feel my medicine start to kick in again. I try fighting the imminent sleep, I'm very hungry. I know that I'm about to lose this fight.
My eyes flash open, and my whole body is being shook. I panic. My body instantly freezes. I see a pair of blue eyes, and a hand lands on my cheek.
"Em. Em. Em, it's okay. It's me, Ali."
"S-s-sorry. What's going on?"
"I went to go get us food, and you were sleeping when I got back. I let you sleep as long as possible, you still have a little time to eat."
"Oh. Sorry. Thanks." I reach for the brown bag next to my right leg. It looks like my leg has doubled in size. "Mhhhhmm. Smells good. How'd you know I was craving a cheese burger?"
"A cheese burger is always a safe bet with you Em."
"Have you talked to Hanna? How is she doing?"
"Emily, we should talk after you're done stuffing your face." She laughs after her comment. Wow, have I missed that laugh.
After I've finished 'stuffing my face' she finally answers my Hanna questions.
"I've spoken to Hanna everyday since you enlisted in the army. Nothing has changed, we worried about you everyday."
"Why would you worry about me?"
"Emily, I still care about you. I don't want you to die. That's the last thing I want."
You'd think that would be the greatest new I'd received in a very long time, but somehow, it kind of hurts. She he still cares about me? Well how could she not?
What if she doesn't care like she used to before? I'll have a lot of time to figure out how she cares about me. She'll probably never let me out of her sight until I'm capable of being on my own...
And I am okay with that.