Hey guys! Hope you had a happy new year! This is the SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER! :O But not to worry, there WILL be a cliffhanger epilogue, followed with ANOTHER SEQUEL! Almost everyone wanted a sequel, so I'm brainstorming ideas for it now :) Will have the last two chapters up today, and, most likely, the epilogue will also. Thank you ALL for sticking with me so long, and I hope you enjoy the happy conclusion of Concrete Angels! :) 3
~ Mik Mik
Bridgette's POV
I sighed as I turned over once again in the uncomfortable hospital bed. My shoulder wound had almost healed, but it still hurt when I moved it. The doctors said it may never be the same. That scared me, and I asked them if I would ever be able to surf again.
"Not to worry. It'll heal up over time. A few more months on the painkillers should do the job, as long as you don't try to lift heavy things or do something to strain your arm too much." My doctor, Dr. Harriman, told me earlier this morning while he was checking on me.
I glanced at the clock that barely said 11:00 am, and gave another exasperated, long sigh.
School had started back three days after the incident in the forest. Duncan's knife wound had healed faster than expected, and he went back to school on the third day. Geoff was reluctant to leave me, trying to convince the school and his parents to send our schoolwork to the hospital, but since Geoff was completely fine, save for a few bruises, they made him come to school. It was the second week of school, and I was still stuck in this stupid, boring place.
Donovan also had to go back to school, under the teachers very watchful eye, as they had to be informed about Donovan's condition with Adam and his abuse. Don didn't want to leave me either, but he had to go too, and now I was stuck here in the hospital, alone, staring blankly at my Algaebra 3 and Spanish 2 homework, along with prompts of two or three papers I still had to write and turn in.
Jeez, high school really sucks. I thought to myself as I put the school-work on my bed-side table. I dozed off for awhile after that, only waking up once as Nurse Talley came to change my bandages and check on me. I woke up around 3:30, and tried to straighten up my hair before Geoff and Donovan got there. Our school got out around 3:20, and it took them about 20 minutes to get to the hospital.
But they never came. Ten minutes passed. Then half and hour. Then an hour. I started getting worried. They'd never left me alone for so long when they were out of school. I tried texting Gwen, but she said she was busy getting stuff for a party and couldn't talk.
A party. Gee, this really DOES suck. I can't even go to a stinkin' party.
"Ugh!" I groaned out loud and flopped back onto my pillows, suddenly angry and upset. I tried to watch T.V., but quickly gave up. I tried texting Geoff and Donovan, but they didn't answer either.
What if Adam- No! No! He's in jail! He couldn't hurt them!... Could he?
I dozed off fitfully once again - laying in bed all day makes you really tired - until I heard a knock on the door around 6 pm. Nurse Talley poked her head in, a wide grin on her face.
"What's up, Talley?" I asked, sitting up straighter.
"You have some people here to see you." She giggled, waving for the visitors to come inside. What I saw blew me away.
Geoff came in, dressed in a nice, almost dressy polo shirt and jeans, carrying a bouquet of tiger lilies and smiling wide from under his wide-brimmed cowboy hat. He would probably still be wearing that thing at his own wedding. Donovan followed next, carrying a wrapped box tied with a ribbon. Gwen came in, holding a giant cookie-cake box, and Trent came after, carrying a butt-load of balloons. Courtney, Duncan, DJ, Leshawna, Cody, Beth, Owen, and pretty much everyone from the Total Drama shows, excluding Alejandro, Chef, and Chris.
It was amazing how everyone fit into the room, but they managed and find places for the cookie-cake, the few small boxes, the flowers, and themselves. Geoff made his way over to me and sat on my bed. He leaned forward and pecked me on the lips, smiling his signature, childish grin.
"Surprise!" He yelled, laughing.
"Guys, what are you all doing here?" I asked, astonished.
"We're here to have a poker tournament. What do you think?" Noah sarcastically said, not holding a book to hide his nose in for once.
"Shut up, book-worm." Leshawna joked, laughing as she "lightly bumped" into Noah's side, sending him a few feet across the room.
"Told you I was getting stuff for a party." Gwen teased as she came and sat on the other side of my bed while the others mingled. Donovan came and sat at the foot, smiling like I hadn't seen him smile in years.
"Now that the party people are here, and the party girl's here, and now that the party stuff is here, let's throw a party!" Geoff whooped. Everyone cheered, and Nurse Talley slid out of the room, not wanting to stick out at the teen's 'Get Well' party for Bridgette. Someone brought out an iPod dock and iPod out from somewhere and started blaring some LMFAO song that everyone seemed to love. I chatted with the people who came over to my bed, laughing and joking and thanking them for caring about me enough to come.
Heather slinked over shyly and stood awkwardly by my bed. I waited for her to talk first, and when she did, I was surprised at the sincerity in her voice.
"I'm.. I'm sorry about what happened. With your step-dad and everything. I had no idea..." She looked down guiltily. "I mean, I don't really like you all that much - no offense," She added as I cocked an eyebrow at her. "but I wouldn't have wished this on you. Or anyone really. I know how it feels to be... Um, I'm just.. I'm... Well, like, I mean..." She slowed down and trailed off at the end, but I knew what she was trying to say.
"Thanks, Heather." I smiled, patting her arm. She looked up at me, gave me a weak smile, then jumped as her phone rang. She pulled it out and looked in disgust as she saw who the caller was.
"It's Al. Gotta go. Bye, Bridgette." Heather said as she answered her phone, harshly whispering as she stalked out of the room in a heated arguement with her "boyfriend".
"What was that about?" Geoff asked as he came back to sit by me. He had been mingling with everyone as I talked, keeping up the tunes and making sure everyone was having a good time.
"Heather was saying she was sorry, but the Devil called and she left." I said, grimicing in distaste at the thought of Alejandro.
Geoff patted my hand and gave me a smile. He hated Alejandro too, but for a different reason than I did.
"Who's idea was this, anyway?" I quickly asked, eager to change the subject.
"Who do you think?" Geoff winked at me, coming up and sitting next to me on the bed.
"By the way," He added. "if you were a pirate, would you put your parrot on this shoulder?" He tapped the shoulder closest to him. "Or this one?" He stretched his arm around me to tap my other shoulder. I laughed at his cheesey pick-up line and snuggled up next to him, laying my head on his shoulder.
The party was at a high for awhile until Nurse Talley came in about two hours later to give us a thirty minute warning to leave. Everyone groaned, but eventually, one by one, everyone came over to me and talked for a minute, then left. By nine, everyone had gone except Donovan and Geoff. And me. Duh.
"Man, I haven't thrown a party like that since school got out!" Geoff exclaimed, flopping down on a chair next to my bed.
"Not even the bonfire we had down at the beach?" I joked, as only three other people had shown up, and Geoff forgot his lighter, so we pretty much just went home.
"Okay, maybe that's a close second." Geoff laughed.
Donovan was in the corner, leaning against the wall on the floor, dead asleep, as he hadn't gotten much sleep since I got in the hospital.
I heard Nurse Talley about to come in - the door had opened a crack - when she stopped and started talking to someone.
"I'm sorry, sir, but visiting hours are closed, and altough her condition is better than it was, she still can't see too many people." Talley argued at the visitor. That's when I became on my guard, as did Geoff.
"Don't think I didn't see all those kids flood out the lobby earlier, talking about 'what a sick party for Bridgette that was!'." The man argued back. His voice was vaguely familiar, like from a dream or an old movie, but I couldn't figure out from where.
"Sir, I think you should leave." Talley argued, stepping away from the door.
"No, please! Let me see her! Just once, and I won't bother you again if Bridgette doesn't want to see me." The man begged.
"How does he know my name?" I whispered to Geoff. He shugged, then turned back towards the door as it opened, and Nurse Talley's nervous face popped in.
"Bridgette, there's a man here to see you." She said, looking puzzled and worried.
"Is it another officer?" I asked. I couldn't think of anyone else it could be, besides a distant relative or, I don't know, Gwen's mom or something.
"No, he says he's not. Are you up for one more visitor?" She asked.
"Tell him to go aw-"
"Geoff!" I cut him off.
"What if it's Adam, or a hired assassin? Or Chris McClean? Or-"
"Geoff." I said, staring at him. My calm stare startled him out of his rant. After a moment, he asked if I was sure.
"I can handle it. Adam's in jail, Chris is.. Well, Chris, and it's probably just another friend or something." I smiled at Geoff reassuringly. "Send him in." I said to Nurse Talley, and she backed out of the room with a nod.
"Bridgette, do you need me to stay here? I can kick someones butt if I have too." Geoff whispered, staring at me.
"It's probably alright. Just stay, just in-" I started, then cut off as I saw the visitor enter the room.
He was tall, about 6'5, with copper brown hair that was faintly highlighted with silver streaks. He looked as if he had been through more than he should have for a man his age. He was sunburned, but still tan in most places that I could see. After that, more stand out-ish details came to my mind, like the Navy uniform he wore, or not having a left arm from the elbow, or where his elbow would be, down. His eyes were a blue color, a cerulean almost like the ocean, that were wide in shock and had almost an eager look.
The man opened his mouth to say something, then closed again as he looked over and saw Donovan as he stirred in his sleep. His eyes widened even further, then he looked straight at me, and I instantly knew who this man was.
"Bridgette...?" The man whispered, standing awkwardly beside the door. My eyes teared up, and I sat up from my lounging position, staring at the man I had been longing to see for almost eight years.
"...Dad?"
He's not dead! :D If you remember Chapter 8, Tom, their father, was "missing in action" while in the Navy (re-read that chapter for more details, if ya' don't remember). I'm writing the next chapter and epilogue right after this, so stay tuned! :D
~ Mik Mik