Chapter 10 Corner turned

Bright and early the next morning Hunter nervously made his way to Jamie's room, he was assured that no one was staring at him and no one was thinking anything bad. Hunter breathed through it and tapped on her door. Jamie brightly called him in, laying back against the pillows watching cartoons.

"Hey Button-eyes, how are you?"

Jamie giggled, "I'm really good, did your nose get smaller?"

Hunter chuckled sitting by her bed, "Yes it did. Sorry I haven't been in earlier, I've been busy at work"

"I know, I've been watching! Hey how come you don't like that guy with the missing tooth?"

"He has my gold Jamie"

She just looked at him blankly not knowing what that meant. Hunter however let it go and went on with his visit. "So how are you doing? Stupid question I know, but it feels right to ask"

Jamie shrugged "I don't know, so far today I'm doing fine. They are going to let me have real food soon, see if I hold it down. So fingers crossed"

Hunter crossed his fingers for her making Jamie clap her hands with joy, "Yay!"

"Jamie, can I ask you a question?"

"Ooh I love questions!"

Hunter figured that meant yes, "Do you remember who I am? Other than your uncle?"

Jamie's eyes darkened for a moment, "I don't know your name, I'm so sorry"

She had sarcasm down even if she didn't know it, Hunter took her hand gently, "I didn't mean to upset you Button-eyes"

Jamie smiled at that, Button-eyes was her nickname that only he was allowed to call her, even Raven wasn't allowed to call her that. Jamie could remember in snippets how it happened, she was four and she was crying because she couldn't sleep, Hunter sang to her, a silly melody that he made up, he called her Button-eyes which made her little face light up with bright chuckles, she liked the sound of it.

"I remember when I was little you played dress ups with me, your dress was so pretty. I remember you singing to me and calling me button eyes. But I don't remember your name, I think it starts with a Q but don't trust me on that"

Hunter let the smile come to his hard face, long term memory seemed fine, a little hazy but fine otherwise. Short term however was shot to shit, he was just glad that she was alive.

"Why did you leave me?"

"When Button-eyes?"

"You came with me to the hospital but you left me straight after-wards, why?"

What could he tell her? I didn't come back because they thought I had raped and beat you. "I had to go and tell everyone where you were, and tell them that you were still alive"

"Oh I thought you were mad at me because I wasn't strong enough to stop the accident,"

"No way! I think you're stronger than ever, you're gonna hold down that food you're given, you're gonna walk again and when you do let me know, I feel like playing fashion parade"

Jamie's face lit up again, "You remembered!"

"Course I did, I can only go down the runway in my purple dress when your with me in your red one"

"Ha! It was blue!"

"Jamie all that matters is I have a purple dress I look pretty"

"Hehehe yeah"

Hunter stayed with her until mid-morning and her food showed up, Hunter kissed her cheek, "You will hold it down Button-eyes, I gotta go but I'll be back next week and I'll even bring Oily Dave"

"Yay!"

"Alright Jamie, we have three foods for you too try, you can choose your favourite" The nurses tried to put the food out in a new way each time, it was better than the young girl just seeing it and wondering if she could hold it down. It was like a game, Jamie had always loved games.

"So what do we have Nursey?"

The young nurse removed the covers, "First we have bananas,"

Jamie wrinkled her nose up making the blonde giggle, "And now we have cooked pumpkin"

"No thanks. Orange food don't agree with my tummy" Jamie informed her as the door rattled again "C'mon in"

Her face lit up again as Punk hobbled in, "Hey, sorry are you busy?"

The nurse shot him a look, usually Jamie didn't like company when she did this. ""Nah, we're testing food. You can stay if you like"

Punk took a seat next to her, the nurse was still shooting him bad looks, "So what food are you testing?"

"Banana, orange food and a mystery item, Nursey please reveal the mystery item"

She pulled it up to reveal a few bits of chocolate. "Would you like to try the chocolate Jamie?"

"Yes please!"

The nurse pulled the other foods aside and put the few bits of chocolate on the tray, "Now Jamie, remember chew and swallow. Make sure the food is chewed up properly before you swallow. Just remember to go slowly."

Jamie popped it in her mouth and slowly began to chew. Of course Punk had to ask a question while she was eating.

"How will you know if it works?"
"Sometimes it will come back up straight away, sometimes it will take a little longer to come back, the longest its been down is three minutes, if the food is down for longer than fifteen minutes then we know its going to stay down and be digested"

It was like waiting for a pin to drop, Jamie sat there still like a statue. Nothing happened but the sweet taste lingered on her tongue. The nurse gave her the metal pan to throw up in, it usually came to that.

"I think its staying down" Jamie whispered in hopes that she didn't disturb her system too much. The nurse's pager beeped making Jamie's head turn in all angles to search for the noise.

"I'll be back shortly to see how we're going alright Jamie"

"Okey-dokey"

Once she was gone Punk turned back to Jamie, his face all serious. "Jamie I wanted to say I'm sorry, I didn't mean for Maria to be a bitch to you"

Jamie shrugged "It wasn't your fault. Why was she so mean anyways?"

"She's like that, I'm sorry she embarrassed you."

"As long you don't be mean to me about it, I'm kinda sensitive about it, its not my fault I can't control my bladder"

"Of course its not and I give you my word that I would never do something like that to you"

"Good because your nice and nice guys shouldn't be jerks"

Jamie took a deep breath waiting for the chocolate to come back up. Instead it stayed where it was and Jamie breathed easy, for now anyways. "Now I wanna ask you something and feel free to say no if you like"

"Ok"

"Why are you with her? I mean she's really pretty but if she's really mean to people then why do you still like her?"

Punk had to think about that one, to Jamie it was all so simple and easy, Maria was a bitch so why be with her?

"I guess that I love her"

Jamie's eyes rolled back in her head, her whole body jolting up and down the machines beside her buzzing loudly, Punk would never forget this part ever, she grabbed his hand and looked him in dead in the eyes, her unfocused eyes boring into him.

"She doesn't love you Phil, she's cheating on you."

Nurses came down the hall and ushered him out, it was a short choatic scene the lasted seconds but it felt like forever. Jamie was fine then she was jolting and spouting off weird messages, her eyes unstable, Jamie came back to their realm of life with no memory of anything except that she had managed to keep the chocolate down.