Antiseptic and rubbing alcohol, Sam's favorite.
Sam came to her senses, and the first and foremost was the overwhelming hospital scent.
Her eyelids fluttered open, focusing on the soft sunlight steaming into the room through the slanted blinds.
She reached her arm up, intending to rub at her eyes when the faint crinkling of the medical tape caught her attention. She glanced down, and she took her time looking over the bandages decorating her arms.
Sam had quite a few stitches, the tiny twists flowing up her arms like clothing seams. The wounds that had been shallower than the rest were wrapped in gauze.
Gingerly, as if she were touching an infant, she traced her fingertips down the edges of the bandages on her face and neck.
Her eyes widened as she took in the deep purple splotches that splattered over and around the backs of her arms down to her wrists, and she figured she must have inflicted them in the car.
Suddenly remembering why Chris had rushed her to the hospital in the first place, Sam smashed her hand down onto the small remote sitting on the side of her bed.
Josh was here, somewhere in the hospital. Unless her hallucinations were right and he really was dead, but she didn't want to think about that right now.
Right now Sam needed to pull her shit together long enough to get out of there so she could return to Josh's side.
The door clicked open, and a tiny brunette nurse bounced into the room. "Hi there honey, nice to see you're awake."
Sam forced herself to smile back. "Yeah, I'm feeling much better."
"The doctor will be happy to hear that! Is there anything I can get for you right now?" The nurse smiled widely, the freckles on her cheeks standing out in the bright hospital light.
Clearing her throat, Sam nodded. "Some water, yeah? That would be great actually."
"Sure thing! I'll be back in a minute." The nurse gave her one last smile before spinning on her heel and heading out the door.
Sam stared at the wall, doing her best to wait patiently for the nurse to return.
Before Sam got to consider staring the paint off the wall, the nurse returned, the soft click of the door signaling her arrival.
"Here you are honey!" The nurse extended her arm, showing Sam the hospital standard white styrofoam cup, bendy straw and all.
Sam took the cup, nodding her thanks.
"My name is Jeanie, and I'm one of your nurses! Is there anything else I can do for you?" Jeanie beamed at her, as Sam sipped slowly from her cup.
Sam swallowed her small mouthful of water, nodding. "Actually, yes. I was told that I would need to see a psychologist before I'm allowed to leave. I'm really feeling better, so I'd like to know when I'd be able to see him?"
"I'm so happy to hear you're feeling better! I'll go and discuss this with your doctor. In the mean time, you stay here and keep yourself occupied for a bit."
Smiling gratefully at Jeanie, Sam returned her focus to her cup of water.
Sam picked at her nails and sipped her water for the next fifteen minutes, before the door clicked open again.
A kind looking man who appeared to be in his 40's knocked softly, his dark blonde hair shining in the sunlight as he stepped into her hospital room. "Hello, Samantha. I'm Dr. Martinez. I'd like to check your bandages, if that's okay."
"Go right ahead." Sam's eyes crinkled as she gave him a genuine smile.
Dr. Martinez carefully peeled back the numerous bandages on her, replacing them with the kind of ease that told you he's been doing this for years.
"Your friend Chris told me these were all self-inflicted. Is this the first time something like this has happened?" His eyes met hers, two green pools of honest concern staring back at her.
Clearing her throat, Sam nodded. "I thought that Josh was going to die, and I guess I just sort of lost it."
"I see. Is this Josh your boyfriend or are you two just friends?"
Sam opened her mouth, her pale pink lips forming a small 'o' before her cheeks ignited a bright rose. Hearing the doctor give a small chuckle, Sam snapped her mouth shut before she could embarrass herself further.
"I see. So Josh is very special to you, am I correct?" Dr. Martinez chuckled again, grinning knowingly at her.
Nodding once, Sam smiled as she thought of the kiss she had shared with Josh in the garden.
"I've also been told that you and your friends had quite a scary weekend. This, combined with your fear of losing someone so precious to you is what must have triggered your panic."
Sam scrunched her brows; she had never been one to panic. "I'm not prone to panic attacks, and nothing like that has ever happened before."
"Sounds like you're suffering from some anxiety. Chris told me some about your weekend, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's causing you to suffer mentally." Dr. Martinez scratched his nose, and then nodded as if he were answering an unspoken question. "Chris also told me that you were talking about seeing something. Hallucinations, I presume?"
"Yes. In short, I saw Josh and a few of my other friends, dead."
Dr. Martinez resituated himself in his chair, licking his lips as he thought of a response. "Sometimes after someone goes through something very traumatic, they can suffer from some anxiety and sometimes even hallucinations afterwards. Since you've said that this is all new to you, I think that this is just your mind suffering from what happened to you this weekend."
Sam went back to picking at her nails as she processed the information. She really hoped that the hallucinations had been a one-time thing.
Pursing her lips suddenly, she turned to the doctor. "Dr. Martinez, I don't mean to be rude with this. Aren't you just a doctor? I mean, you're really going above and beyond the criteria for a doctor right now."
Chuckling, Dr. Martinez grinned at her. "I got a degree in psychology, and worked as a psychiatrist for five years before I went back to college to get my medical degree. Unless a patient is in need of a psychiatric hospital, I'm the one that talks with them to assess if they're stable enough to leave or not."
"I hope I didn't offend you by asking!" Sam glanced sheepishly at her lap, her cheeks heating as the embarrassment settled over her head.
"Not at all, dear. Now, if you have no more questions I'll go and arrange everything for your release." Dr. Martinez waited a beat for her to speak up, and when Sam didn't he stood and patted her leg softly.
Dr. Martinez spun on his heel, crossing the room. He stopped as he reached the door, and looked over his shoulder at the tiny blonde who was currently wrapped in hospital blankets.
"Samantha, I don't mean to alarm you. But the anxiety will probably stay with you for a while. But if the hallucinations and self-damaging behavior continues, please contact us, yeah?" The doctor gave her a soft smile and a nod, before turning back to the exit.
After the door shut behind him, Sam nearly choked on the air going down her throat.
She had never been an anxious person, and hallucinations were nothing she had ever personally experienced until last night.
Sam gulped as she thought of Josh.
Josh was psychotic, and without proper medication his hallucinations were the devil on his shoulder, following him at every turned corner.
The next twenty or so minutes passed relatively quickly, before Jeanie marched into the room. "You're all set! Let's get you out of those clothes now, yeah?"
Jeanie removed all the wires and IVs, before handing Sam her clothing. "You can change in the bathroom if you want to honey." Jeanie pointed at the bathroom door, ushering Sam forwards.
Sam locked the door behind her, before looking at the clothing that was now slightly bloodstained.
Sighing, she pulled on the red sweater and her leggings. She ran her finger over the darker splotches, exhaling softly.
Exiting the bathroom, she smiled as she met Jeanie's eyes. "I washed your clothing for you, but there was only so much I could do. Your sweater especially, it was heavily stained so this is a vast improvement compared to what it was."
Running her finger over the stitching in the sleeve, Sam's eyes twinkled as she smiled gratefully. "Thank you for washing this. It's Josh's and it's probably my favorite sweater. Thanks, Jeanie."
"Oh, Josh huh? Is he your boyfriend?" Jeanie wiggled her brows, smiling widely.
Sam blushed, glancing at the floor. "I guess you could say that. It's kind of complicated, and we're not official or anything."
Jeanie scoffed, her eyes widening. "A beautiful girl like you, and your man won't even officially be your man? I've lost hope for the world."
Sam gave a half-smile, tilting her head as she thought of the best way to explain her and Josh. "We've been best friends pretty much our entire lives, and I guess we're trying to be slow about everything."
Nodding, Jeanie shuffled her feet. "That makes sense."
Sam smiled, thinking again of her day in the garden with Josh.
"All right, now let's get you out of here. This way please." Jeanie gestured happily towards the door, before turning and walking out.
Sam followed behind Jeanie; though she was much more focused on her thoughts of Josh than keeping up with the bubbly freckled nurse.
Was Josh okay? Chris would have made sure she knew if he wasn't. Still, she was worried.
Jeanie suddenly ducked around a desk, and Sam watched as she stacked a few papers together.
Suddenly hearing laughter echo softly behind her, Sam froze. She knew the voice and the laugh, and she felt her knees wobble in anticipation.
Sam turned, her heart racing. That's when she saw Chris and Ashley both walking, pushing someone in a wheelchair between them.
Josh.
Giving a small squeal in shock, Sam inhaled roughly before racing down the hall.
She crashed to her knees in front of Josh, her hands coming up to grasp at his jeans as she gasped.
Ashley and Chris had both stopped talking, and were now watching the small reunion of their favorite unofficial couple.
"Josh, I.." Sam's voice cracked, and she broke off as she panted.
Josh stared back at her, his eyes wide and his curly hair messed up as if he had just rolled out of bed.
His forearm was thickly bandaged, and Sam's eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she realized what he had done.
Josh's hand suddenly made contact with her jaw, and she flinched, as it was so unexpected. Josh wasn't deterred in the slightest however, and he softly caressed her cheek.
Sam squeezed her eyes shut, her tears slowly soaking Josh's palm. She brought her hand up, and she squeezed his wrist as he continued to stroke her face.
"Sammy, look at me." Josh's voice spoke in a tone that she had only heard in very rare intervals, mostly when he would address his sisters during times they were hurting.
Hearing Josh speak to her with such a level of care and concern was all it took for her to launch herself at him.
Sam was very mindful of his injured arm, and his legs, as she didn't want to squish him. She maneuvered herself as best she could, until she could comfortably wrap her arms around him.
Josh returned her embrace eagerly, and he laid soft kisses to her temple as she dug her face into his neck. His arms encircled her, and his fingers dug into her shoulders as he held her tightly to his chest.
"I should've been here. Josh, I'm so s-sorry." Sam's voice shook, and she pulled herself even closer towards him.
Josh shook his head, kissing along the side of her face. "We can talk about all this later, okay?"
Sam nodded frantically, before angrily wiping at her cheeks and pulling away from him.
He kept a hold of her hand, and he smiled up at her with all the love and care he possibly could.
"Alright Cochise, now I'm ready to leave." Josh looked over at Chris, grinning.
Sam furrowed her brows, and turned to Chris as she waited for an explanation.
"Josh was just released, and we were on our way to come and see you." Chris laughed, his hand rubbing at his neck. "He refused to leave without seeing you."
"It was really sweet, actually." Ashley piped up softly.
Josh's wheelchair resumed its slow roll forward, as Chris and Ashley returned to pushing him. Sam and Josh's interlocked hands floated in the air between them, and despite everything Sam found herself grinning.
As they passed the front desk, Jeanie nearly ran right into them. She jolted backwards with a squeal. "Sorry!"
The four friends all laughed, Chris more than the rest, before Sam gingerly stepped forward. "Are you okay Jeanie?"
"Yeah, yeah! I'm alright!" Jeanie straightened her scrubs, chuckling. "Here's your paperwork Sam! I just need a few signatures."
Sam took the offered pen from Jeanie, and then quickly scribbled on all the needed lines before stepping back to Josh's side.
Josh took her hand again once she was close enough, his eyes twinkling as he stared up at her.
Jeanie's brows shot up her forehead as she gazed at the two, her gleeful smile confirming that she knew who the man in the wheelchair was.
Fighting to contain the overly happy smile, as it wasn't often that a nurse was this happy to release a patient, Jeanie again straightened her work outfit. "You're all set Sam! I'm so glad you're feeling better."
Jeanie turned on her heel, and set off back down the hallway.
She stopped after a few steps, glancing over her shoulder. "It was nice to meet you too, Josh!"
Sam's legs twitched in shock, and she tried to look very interested at her sneakers.
Josh chuckled, incredibly entertained. "Kind of funny that she knew who I was, huh Sam?"
Sam nodded tensely, though she couldn't fight back the grin.
"My sweet little birdie can't even go a few hours without talking about my rocking bod' and smooth moves." He nudged her, as his shoulders shook with laughter.
Eyes widening, Sam blushed knowing she had been caught.
Josh grinned widely, as he gave her hand a squeeze. "I think it's cute that you talk about me, Sammy."
Chris spoke up then, the humor from Sam's embarrassment evident in his voice. "Time to get down to business now, you lovebirds."
"I'm not allowed to be alone for a while. So, who's up for a slumber party with the great and holy Josh Washington?" Josh wiggled his brows as he grinned.
Chris caught Sam's eye, and he winked.
Sam didn't need to be persuaded, she was already thinking of where exactly the extra blankets were in her closet. "You know you're always welcome at my house, Josh."
Ashley whistled, winking at Sam. "Sammy and Joshie, alone and together at last."
"Oh, shut up Ash." Sam blushed again, her lips twisting into a smile.
Chris ran forward to hold the hospital door open as Sam pushed Josh through the door. Josh stood once they reached the car, and he spent a few minutes stretching his limbs.
"I didn't even need that damn thing." Josh reached for the door handle, lunging his legs as he did so. As he opened the back door to Chris' parent's car, he turned to Sam. "In you go, my lady."
"Your fake British accent is atrocious, Josh." Sam laughed lightly, before giving an over exaggerated bow to him. "Thank you so very much, my kind sir." She took his offered hand, and he helped her into the car before shutting the door and jogging to the other side.
Sam burst out into hysterics as Josh suddenly smashed his face against his window, making faces at her.
He climbed into the back seat with her, looking incredibly confused. Josh glanced around, even stared down Chris and Ashley as if they would have an answer for him. "What's so damn funny, Sammy?"
Still laughing, Sam's shoulders shook as she nudged his arm lightly.
Josh was now fighting to keep the smile off his face, and he turned to face her. "You usually only laugh like that when I do this!" At his sudden exclamation, Josh dove across the seat and began tickling her sides and stomach.
Squealing and gasping, Sam did her best to keep a hold of his fingers as they fumbled over her skin. "Ahh, ahh! Josh st-stop!"
Ashley laughed gleefully at the sight of her two friends. "Get her, Josh!"
Finally, Josh paused his movements. "Do you want me to stop, Sammy?" At her nod, he sighed. "Alright. One condition though, you have to hold my hand the whole way home."
Sam's heart fluttered, and she locked their fingers with no hesitation.
Chris' voice suddenly belted out, shocking the two so badly they nearly jumped out of their skin. "Alright you damn kids, seatbelts!" He glanced over to Ashley as he started the car. "Kind of feels like babysitting, huh?"
"You'd be lucky if your kids turned out like us." Josh laughed lightly as he clicked his seatbelt on, Sam following suit.
Sam watched him out of the corner of her eye as Chris drove them towards Josh's house. Even though he would be staying with her, he needed to get a few of his own things before heading to Sam's.
She watched his lips twist and curl into his trademark grins. His curls bounced lightly when he'd gesture wildly, and then dissolve into laughter. His eyes would flicker with emotion, as he'd look over, and find her already gazing at him.
Oh, Sam felt like such a lucky girl. Not many would have the privilege of holding Joshua Washington's hand.
She hoped she would be the only girl to ever hold his hand, hold him even, like she got to.
Despite the weekend and Josh's attempt, Sam decided that for right now everything was okay. There would be time for talking later.
Right now, to Sam, everything felt right in the world.
/
Chapter eleven, here we are!
I already have a few ideas of how I want the next chapter to turn out like. I want to thank you guys for all the reviews especially! A few of you have been giving me ideas of what you'd want to see in future chapters and that helps me out so much. Sometimes I'll read an idea from one of you, and I can actually envision it happening and it just gives me a burst of motivation!
Guys guess what! I bought a Playstation 4 a few days ago, and it should be here before Friday! I'm so stoked, I haven't played a video game in nearly two months!
Also, because some of you have expressed concern and well wishes about my living situation, I want to keep you guys updated. I'm currently back at home, with my dad and his girlfriend. Unless something else happens between her and me, or her and my dad, I'm planning on staying here for the time being. I've missed my Daddy and I need to be around him, but I will not hesitate to leave if she does something else.
On a happier note, I have a pretty good idea of how I want to write the next chapter! Get excited! :)
I hope you guys are still enjoying! ~Ash