Chapter 9

Lacey knocked on the door. A deep hoarse voice answered "Yes.". Lacey slowly walked in with Clara close behind. Lacey had never seen a luxurious hospital room. It had wood flooring and a cherry wood wardrobe that was connected to cherry wood counters on the right side of the room. Danny was on the left side of the room laying down with the head of the bed slightly raised. He was the only patient in the room. He was looking out the window which showed Green Grove city lights. Lacey smiled as she walked closer to his bed.

"Danny?" Danny turned his head to Lacey. A grin slowly appeared on his face.

"Hey." Danny's voice was groggy. Danny noticed Clara."Hey Clara." Clara nodded with a smile. She didn't know Danny well.

"Danny are you ok?" Lacey took a seat on the recliner pulling the chair closer to the left side of Danny's bed placing the pie she bought him at his feet.

Danny raised the head of the bed higher to he can sit up."Lace I'm fine. I never thought you would have came." Danny smiled. Clara awkwardly watched as they smile at each other.

"Um Lace I'm going to watch TV in the waiting room." Lacey glanced over to Clara with a sweet smile. Clara can she was really happy to see Danny which made her happy.

"Ok. I will come check on you in a few." Clara waved at Danny and told him it was good to know he was okay. Danny said thank you in return. After she left, Lacey focused back on Danny. He was given normal saline intravenously in his right arm. Maybe he passed out because he was dehydrated. He was wearing the generic light blue hospital gown. Lacey snickered when she imagined Danny's butt hanging in the gown. Danny looked at her amused.

"What's so funny?" Lacey shook her head no and looked down to her hands. Although Danny was thrilled to see Lacey, he was extremely nervous. He had a lot to say, but he didn't know where to start and he didn't want to upset Lacey by saying the wrong things.

"Have you spoken to the doctor? Do they know why you fainted?"

"Um they said I had an anxiety attack and-"

"What? Do you know what caused it?" Danny looked at Lacey with doleful eyes. He immediately looks away from Lacey when he came back to reality. Danny forgot all of his troubles when Lacey came to his side with concern for him. Lacey was his solace. Lacey grabbed Danny's left hand and put it between hers. She rubbed the top of his hand."Danny please. Something is going on with you. Let me help you." Lacey pleaded.

Danny wasn't sure what to say first. That he was miserable because he lost Lacey or the whole truth about him killing his father and Aunt Tara. Danny was broken and hopeless. He wants to be with Lacey, but he knows he will only cause her misery and turmoil. He can never be the person Lacey wants him to be which pains him the most. Danny contemplated if he should tell Lacey his troubles or not.

''Lacey it hurts me that we are not together. It hurts me even more that we are not friends."

"Well I don't think your girlfriend would be okay if we were friends."

Danny furrowed his eyebrows."What girlfriend?"

Lacey's heart jumped a little. She bit her lip to prevent her from grinning.

"Well it going around you and Jo are together." Lacey said innocently.

"Jo?!" Danny shook his head no."No. She's not. I don't even see her that way. She is like my sister."

Lacey was glad to hear Danny say that, but she still had her suspicions. If he seen her like a sister, why did they keep secrets from her?

"I am sorry for hurting you. The lies, the secrets. I was wrong. I keep thinking 'What if I'd been honest with you? If I told you everything when it happened?'. We would still be together." Danny chuckled as a tear dropped from his eye. Danny's heart ached as he spoke."I am so broken. I am beyond repair. I am lost, confused, and I have been so unhappy especially when we were together and I was so unfair to you. I was a horrible boyfriend."

Lacey squeezed Danny's hand. Lacey can see the pain in Danny's eyes. Lacey didn't know what to feel. She bit her lip hard to prevent the tears that was about to pour from her eyes.

"I don't..deserve you in my life Lace." More tears fell from Danny's face. He bit both of his lips and shook his head from left to right.

"Danny." Lacey surprised herself when she kissed Danny's knuckles. A Danny stared at Lacey who stared back at him. Danny lost all control of his body and went right for Lacey's lips. Danny thought Lacey was going to slap him. Instead she slightly opened her mouth giving Danny the green light. Soon it was deep and passionate. Lacey, with their lips still locked, cupped Danny's wet face with her hands, stood up and leaned over the bed. Danny felt restricted by the IV on his right arms, but still placed his hands on Lacey waist and pulled her closer to him. The thought they were in a hospital with the door unlock did not cross their minds.

A nurse knocked on the door and walked in on Danny and Lacey.

The nurse gasped."Oh my gosh." Lacey jumped off out Danny and wiped her lips with her thumb. Danny covered his growing friend with the thick blankets on his bed."I am so sorry. I just came to check on you, but I can see you are well taken care off." The nurse smirked and walked out.

Lacey plopped herself down in the recliner. She grabbed one of the many pillows on Danny's bed and put it to her face and let out a muffled scream. She was elated, but still conflicted about how she would go about her friendship with Danny. Danny couldn't help but laugh. He reached over and grabbed the pillow from Lacey's face. Lacey quickly covered her face with her hands with embarrassment and giggled. Danny laid back on his bed and took pleasure in Lacey's laughter.

For the next hour Danny and Lacey talked and laughed. Lacey completely forgot about Clara.

"It is getting late. I have to take Clara home."

"Nooooo." Danny pleaded."Please don't go Lacey." Danny grabbed Lacey's hand and kissed it. Lacey stood up and Danny pulled Lacey on top of him.

"Dannnny!" Lacey slapped Danny on his shoulder.

"Oww." Lacey stood up straight."Thanks for coming Lace."

"Well I needed to make sure you were okay. Are you ok?"

"I'm just really weak and tired. I ate and took a nap, but I still feel tired."

Lacey folded her arms across."But did you see a doctor?"

"Yea, but that was a couple of hours ago. Supposedly they are still running test."

"Well I will check on you tomorrow. Ok?"

Danny yawned and smiled."Ok."


Lacey couldn't process what happened with Danny. Parts of her wanted to hate him, but she couldn't. Lacey was on a high when she was with Danny and she couldn't shake it away. Lacey laid in her bed in a fetal position. Butterflies invaded her stomach hours after seeing Danny. Even after the lies and secrets she wanted to give Danny a second chance. To be friends first of course. Judy walked in to Lacey's room and told her they would be leaving tomorrow morning to Toronto to visit her Aunt and would be staying the night. Lacey wanted to go school, but she didn't want to upset her mother. Lacey packed up a few items in her Victoria Secrets tote.

The next morning Lacey woke up extra early to see Danny in the hospital before she leaves. Lacey found her mother downstairs brewing some coffee. She didn't feel like having the conversation about Danny, so she lied and said she was going to Phoebe's to drop off homework.

Lacey was giddy through out the car ride. She couldn't wait to see the look on Danny's face. She reached the hospital and went through security. They gave her a sticker which she placed just above her heart. Gift shop was next to the elevators so she bought Danny 2 "Get Well" balloons.

Danny was on the 6th floor in room 601. Lacey didn't knock and went straight into the room. She let go of the balloon when she saw Jo in Danny's bed. Jo's head was Danny's chest and they both were under covers. Lacey felt like she was hit by a truck. Danny played her like a fool. Lacey walked out leaving the heavy door open.

In the elevator she was numb. She was screwed over by Danny and Jo again. Her eyes stung as tears formed.

"No Dammit. I shall not shed another tear for that manipulative asshole." The elevator stopped on the second floor. The doors opened a two gentlemen in scrubs walked in and smiled at Lacey. They said good morning and stood in the elevator in silence until it reached the 1st floor. Lacey bolted to her car when the doors. Lacey drove home think how Danny almost pulled her back to games.

At home Lacey found her Mother in her bathroom packing toiletries.

"Hey Mom. Do you think I can go straight to Vancouver tomorrow?"

"Why? What about school?" Judy asked zipping up her luggage.

Lacey shrugged her shoulders."To get a head start on my vacation." Judy pursed her lips and put her hand on her hip. Judy smiled.

"Ok. But you would have to go alone. Clara said she has been present on the last day of school." Lacey kissed her Mom on the cheek. Her smile immediately disappeared when she walked out of the room. Lacey wanted to get away. She really didn't want to go to school and bump into one of those backstabbers.

Lacey had a window seat on the plane . She text Sarita and Phoebe there was a family emergency and her family had to fly out to Canada. Just when the flight attendant closed the cabin doors Lacey receives a call from Danny. She ignored the call and shut off her phone.


Danny woke up extremely tired. He couldn't understand how can he be tired after 7 hours of sleep. He yawned 4 times and couldn't stop. Danny had his eyes closed the whole time. He smiled remembering Lacey sneaking into his bed. Someone whispered his name and told him to scoot over. He was so weak and tired he assumed it was Lacey and did what she asked. Little did he know.

Sunlight began to shine in the room. Danny opened his eyes and seen blonde hair. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again.

"Jo?" Jo moaned and smiled up at Danny. Danny was mortified. He quickly jumped out of the bed."Why are you in my bed?!

Jo sat up."I didn't want you to be alone while you were in this place. You know a normal person would have just thanked me." Jo pouted and folded her arms across her.

"Do your parents know you are here?" Danny asked angrily. Jo shook her head no.

Danny ran his hand through his hair. Danny was bemused. He couldn't comprehend exactly what was going on. Suddenly Karen walked in the room with a bag of Johnny Cakes.

"Oh my."

3 Months Later