Part 11

In front of the hospital…

I hide in a small alley, when the Bandits leave the hospital. That's good, now I can be sure that none of them are with Michael at the moment. I know that I shouldn't go inside. Max or someone else could come back at any time. But I have to see him. I have to see him alive with my own eyes.

Will they let me see him? I'm not a relative.

"Excuse me," I speak to the woman at the nurse's station, "where's Michael Guerin's room?"

She checks her computer for several seconds. "Sorry, no more visits for him today. He needs rest."

Shit. But I won´t give up so quickly.

"Only for a minute, please."

"Who are you?"

"His girlfriend," I answer directly. "I know, I'm not a relative, but he doesn't have any family. I had to work until now and I couldn't get here any earlier. Wouldn't you want to see your husband, if this had happened to him?"

I got her with that one.

She leans forward a little. "Okay, but only five minutes. He's in room number 245."

I smile. "Thank you!"

***

I slowly open the door to his darkened room. My heart constricts painfully as I see him in the bed. He hasn't noticed me yet because his face is turned to the window. I walk over to him quietly.

His eyes are closed. I wince when I see all the machines he is connected to.

"God, what'd he do to you?" I whisper to myself in shock and have to turn around for a moment.

"Maria?" His weak voice comes from the bed.

I rush to his side.

"What're you doin' here?"

"I wanted to see you!" I blurt out. "How do you feel?"

"I feel great, can't you tell?" he says, his tone ironic.

"God, I'm so sorry," I sob, "I should've known about this! I should've prevented it!"

He manages to take my hand in his. "It's not your fault. There's nothin' you could've done."

"I thought you were dead, Michael!" I cry.

He squeezes my hand slightly. "I´m not. But how did you find me?"

"I went to Liz at the Crashdown and she told me that you were here. Then I waited until the others left and told the nurse that I'm your girlfriend… I was working late and couldn't get here any sooner."

A weak smile reaches his lips. "You're a very brave girl."

"No, I was just scared."

"You don't have to be scared anymore. Go home now. And promise me that you won't come here again. It's too dangerous and I can't protect you right now."

"Okay, I promise," I whisper.

He releases my hand and I slowly walk to the door.

"Stay away from him," Michael urges with all his strength.

"I just don't know how," I admit. "He'd come after me."

I lie in my bed tonight and shiver. It only gets colder and colder, I don't know what I'll do in December. So I close my eyes and try to remember the meeting with Michael this morning. I try to feel his warmth again, how I felt when he hugged me. I can´t stop thinking about him.

The present

November 16th, 2007 – Friday - 3:30 pm

It's been almost two weeks since Michael was hurt by Billy. I haven't heard or seen him since that day in the hospital, but I think about him every day. I want so badly to know if he's okay, but I can't do anything. I went to the Crashdown on Monday, but the nice old woman told me that Liz took a vacation.

At least I was in school every day. Kyle and Lonnie haven't been there since the fight. In the afternoons I hung out at the skate park with the others, but I didn't once go with them to Billy's. We haven't run into the Bandits the whole time. Maybe they won't show up until Michael is back to his full strength. They aren't very strong without him; I don't think that this Alex-guy is a real bad ass.

I'm glad that school is over now and I've made the decision to stay at home the entire weekend and study. But first I have to do a job interview at a supermarket. It's not a really great job; I'd have to unwrap food and place it in the shelves, but at least I could earn some money on my own. I applied on Monday and the manager asked me to come in today.

"Miss DeLuca, it's nice to meet you again. As you know, my name is Mr. Charles."

"Hi, Mr. Charles."

"So, you're still a student, right?"

"Yes, I'm in my senior year."

"Have you ever had a job before?"

"Um, no."

He asks me some more questions, they aren't really important and I wonder why he wants to know so much – but maybe it's just a formality thing.

"Okay! We´re almost done. Well, I would like to have you here, Ms. DeLuca."

"Wow, thanks, that's great."

"But first you have to bring your father or mother with you. You're under 18, so one of your parents will have to sign a consent form."

Shit.

"Uh, I don't have a father and my mother works all day. Maybe you can give me the consent form and I can give it to her to sign."

"No, sorry, she has to come here."

"Oh… okay, I'll try," I lie. I'm never gonna ask her. Damn it!

"If not, come back when you turn 18. That's in December, right?"

I nod. "Yeah!"

***

I walk home depressed.

Permission from a parent. There is no way I could take my mother with me. She wouldn't do that... and if she would do that, she would be drunk. No, thank you.

"Maria!" Someone whispers my name.

"Huh?" I turn around but can´t see anyone.

"Over here!" The voice appears again.

I blink. "Liz?" I ask surprised. "What're you doing here?"

"I've been following you since you left school."

"Why?"

She looks around nervously. "Uh, can we go somewhere else first?"

"Okay!" I take her hand and pull her into the backyard of my house. "Nobody will see us here," I promise her. "Why are you here?" My heartbeat pounds against my chest with the hope that her visit has something to do with Michael.

"Michael got home from the hospital on Wednesday," she starts.

"Wow, that's great. I was at the hospital that day... you know..."

She nods. "He told me. I wanted to ask you for a favor." Liz hesitates.

"Go on!"

"I've been so scared since the day Michael got hurt by Billy," she confesses, "and all I can think about is: What if he does something to Max, too?"

"I totally understand, Liz. But what can I do?"

"I want to ask you to call me when Billy plans something like that. I know, that's a tall order, but I can't help myself. Sorry, it was a stupid idea." She wants to leave but I hold her back.

"It's not stupid." I lay a hand on her shoulder. "But Billy won't talk to me about things like that and even if I pick up on something... I don't have a cell phone and I don't have money to use a payphone."

"Michael gave me something for you," she interrupts me.

"What is it?" I ask her, startled.

She rummages around in her bag. "Here."

"A cell phone?"

"His number is already saved in it and he loaded 20 dollars up, so you can call him in case of emergency."

"I... I don´t know what to say."

"He wants to protect you, Maria. But he doesn't know how. Max isn't aware of the fact that I'm with you now and I have a guilty conscience about it. But Michael trusts you and so I am."

"Thank you," I whisper.

"I have to leave now. Take care!"

"Liz, wait. How's Michael doin'?"

"He's okay. He wanted to come by himself to give you the cell phone, but he had a doctor's appointment today."

"Tell him thank you, okay?"

***