"Uh-umm…Well…" Reese stammered.
He took a deep breath and started over.
"Khaila-" Reese was suddenly interrupted by the yell of happiness he heard behind him.
"Kay, you're awake!" Jessica said excitedly.
She stuck her head out the door and yelled for Sam and Simone to come in the room. Sam came barreling through the door. When he saw Kay's open eyes he ran to her bed and enveloped her into the biggest hug he could give her fragile body.
"Mika, thank God you're awake." Sam whispered as he hugged his daughter.
"What did you call me?" Kay asked, surprised, "You called me Mika. You haven't called me that in years."
"I know. I just realized that I have no idea why I ever stopped calling you that. You don't mind do you?" Sam asked.
"No, Dad, it's fine, really." Kay assured him with a smile. She felt special when her father called her Mika. It made her think they had something private, for just the two of them to share.
Looking up, Kay saw Jessica and Simone staring at her with tears in their eyes. Smiling, she gestured for them to come closer. They both gently hugged her and told her how happy they were that she was awake. Looking around, Kay noticed that there were some people missing.
"Where's Mom and Charity? Where's Miguel?" she asked.
The four other people in the room shifted uncomfortably and mumbled incoherently.
"Don't tell me. I already know. Their not here, are they? They probably haven't been to see me at all." Kay said bitterly.
"Now, Kay, don't worry about that. All you need to think about is getting better." her father attempted to dodge the question. Noticing Kay's eyes drift slowly shut and her fighting to open them he realized that even though she was awake, Kay was still incredibly weak and needed rest.
"OK, guys, let's go. Kay needs her rest." Sam said to Jess, Reese, and Simone. Kay smiled gratefully at her father.
"Wait Reese, could you stay? I need to talk to you," she said, grabbing his hand as he turned to leave.
"OK, what is it?" Reese asked, settling back into the chair that had become his permanent residence over the last week.
"No offense, but you look really awful. Your eyes are all droopy and you look as tired as I feel. What's wrong? And were are your glasses?" Kay questioned, trying to work up to the questions she really wanted to ask.
Reese suddenly realized he hadn't had his glasses on since he first walked into Kay's room. What surprised him even more was the realization that he could see quite clearly.
"I have no idea where my glasses are. I took them off about a half-hour ago. I wonder where they are?"
In answer to his question, Reese heard a loud cracking when he shifted his feet.
"There they are," he said, wincing, as he picked up the broken frames.
Kay stifled a laugh at the look on hi s face. Reese's eyes instantly lit up and for a moment he just stared at her.
"What? What is it? Don't look at me like that." Kay said even though she suddenly wished he'd never look away. She had gotten her first good look into Reese Durkee's eyes. They were so beautiful. Kay could see herself getting lost in the azure lakes for days. She snapped out of her reverie when Reese's voice broke through to answer her question.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. It's just…I haven't seen you laugh in a long time. It makes me happy when you do."
Kay was shocked. He had noticed she didn't think anyone had anyone had notice dhow unhappy she had become in the last few years. But apparently Reese had. Reese "the geek" Durkee had been the only one to pay attention to her feelings and not just the good ones, all of them. Reese "the geek" who suddenly didn't look so geeky.
His soft blonde hair fell haphazardly over his eyes. Evidently, he had been pushing his hand through it repeatedly. His eyes were so beautiful and even from her position on the bed she could see the well-defined muscles through the old, tight T-shirt he had obviously just thrown on. Kay forced herself to stop thinking like that and realized that he hadn't answered part of her question.
"Why do you look so tired?" she asked him again.
"Do you really want to know?" Reese replied.
At Kay's nod, Reese continued, "I look like this because I haven't eaten or slept in about eight days.'
Once again Kay was shocked, "Why?"
"I've been worried about you. You see, I'm the one who found you. You had your accident on the street in front of my house. Ever since then, I've spent all my time here or at school. When visiting hours are over, I go home and spend all night doing my homework. That's why I look so tired." Reese finished.
"Oh Reese. I can't believe you did that." Kay said, truly touched by the caring he had showed for her. Looking into his tired eyes she decided that her questions about her face and whether or not her mother, cousin, and supposed "best friend" had actually been in to see her could wait. She had wanted to ask Reese specifically, because she knew if she did he would be completely honest with her. But seeing how tired he was she decided to wait.
"Reese-Reese." Kay said, realizing he had dropped his head in embarrassment of her reaction to his confession. Taking his chin in her good hand she raised his eyes up to meet hers.
"Go home. Sleep. Eat something. I'm fine now. I want you to take care of yourself." Kay said softly.
Reese nodded reluctantly.
"But I expect you to come back tomorrow after you've taken the time to eat something and have some time to yourself," she said, her voice only half- stern
"Now get out. I don't want to see your ugly mug again tonight." She commanded, smiling.
Reese smiled back. Then deciding to take a chance, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, on an area free of bandages.
"Goodnight, Khaila. Dream of knights with white horses and being happy." Reese whispered in Kay's ear the same thing he told his little sister every night.
"Goodnight Reese. Thank You." Kay said as he turned and walked out of the room.
He took a deep breath and started over.
"Khaila-" Reese was suddenly interrupted by the yell of happiness he heard behind him.
"Kay, you're awake!" Jessica said excitedly.
She stuck her head out the door and yelled for Sam and Simone to come in the room. Sam came barreling through the door. When he saw Kay's open eyes he ran to her bed and enveloped her into the biggest hug he could give her fragile body.
"Mika, thank God you're awake." Sam whispered as he hugged his daughter.
"What did you call me?" Kay asked, surprised, "You called me Mika. You haven't called me that in years."
"I know. I just realized that I have no idea why I ever stopped calling you that. You don't mind do you?" Sam asked.
"No, Dad, it's fine, really." Kay assured him with a smile. She felt special when her father called her Mika. It made her think they had something private, for just the two of them to share.
Looking up, Kay saw Jessica and Simone staring at her with tears in their eyes. Smiling, she gestured for them to come closer. They both gently hugged her and told her how happy they were that she was awake. Looking around, Kay noticed that there were some people missing.
"Where's Mom and Charity? Where's Miguel?" she asked.
The four other people in the room shifted uncomfortably and mumbled incoherently.
"Don't tell me. I already know. Their not here, are they? They probably haven't been to see me at all." Kay said bitterly.
"Now, Kay, don't worry about that. All you need to think about is getting better." her father attempted to dodge the question. Noticing Kay's eyes drift slowly shut and her fighting to open them he realized that even though she was awake, Kay was still incredibly weak and needed rest.
"OK, guys, let's go. Kay needs her rest." Sam said to Jess, Reese, and Simone. Kay smiled gratefully at her father.
"Wait Reese, could you stay? I need to talk to you," she said, grabbing his hand as he turned to leave.
"OK, what is it?" Reese asked, settling back into the chair that had become his permanent residence over the last week.
"No offense, but you look really awful. Your eyes are all droopy and you look as tired as I feel. What's wrong? And were are your glasses?" Kay questioned, trying to work up to the questions she really wanted to ask.
Reese suddenly realized he hadn't had his glasses on since he first walked into Kay's room. What surprised him even more was the realization that he could see quite clearly.
"I have no idea where my glasses are. I took them off about a half-hour ago. I wonder where they are?"
In answer to his question, Reese heard a loud cracking when he shifted his feet.
"There they are," he said, wincing, as he picked up the broken frames.
Kay stifled a laugh at the look on hi s face. Reese's eyes instantly lit up and for a moment he just stared at her.
"What? What is it? Don't look at me like that." Kay said even though she suddenly wished he'd never look away. She had gotten her first good look into Reese Durkee's eyes. They were so beautiful. Kay could see herself getting lost in the azure lakes for days. She snapped out of her reverie when Reese's voice broke through to answer her question.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. It's just…I haven't seen you laugh in a long time. It makes me happy when you do."
Kay was shocked. He had noticed she didn't think anyone had anyone had notice dhow unhappy she had become in the last few years. But apparently Reese had. Reese "the geek" Durkee had been the only one to pay attention to her feelings and not just the good ones, all of them. Reese "the geek" who suddenly didn't look so geeky.
His soft blonde hair fell haphazardly over his eyes. Evidently, he had been pushing his hand through it repeatedly. His eyes were so beautiful and even from her position on the bed she could see the well-defined muscles through the old, tight T-shirt he had obviously just thrown on. Kay forced herself to stop thinking like that and realized that he hadn't answered part of her question.
"Why do you look so tired?" she asked him again.
"Do you really want to know?" Reese replied.
At Kay's nod, Reese continued, "I look like this because I haven't eaten or slept in about eight days.'
Once again Kay was shocked, "Why?"
"I've been worried about you. You see, I'm the one who found you. You had your accident on the street in front of my house. Ever since then, I've spent all my time here or at school. When visiting hours are over, I go home and spend all night doing my homework. That's why I look so tired." Reese finished.
"Oh Reese. I can't believe you did that." Kay said, truly touched by the caring he had showed for her. Looking into his tired eyes she decided that her questions about her face and whether or not her mother, cousin, and supposed "best friend" had actually been in to see her could wait. She had wanted to ask Reese specifically, because she knew if she did he would be completely honest with her. But seeing how tired he was she decided to wait.
"Reese-Reese." Kay said, realizing he had dropped his head in embarrassment of her reaction to his confession. Taking his chin in her good hand she raised his eyes up to meet hers.
"Go home. Sleep. Eat something. I'm fine now. I want you to take care of yourself." Kay said softly.
Reese nodded reluctantly.
"But I expect you to come back tomorrow after you've taken the time to eat something and have some time to yourself," she said, her voice only half- stern
"Now get out. I don't want to see your ugly mug again tonight." She commanded, smiling.
Reese smiled back. Then deciding to take a chance, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, on an area free of bandages.
"Goodnight, Khaila. Dream of knights with white horses and being happy." Reese whispered in Kay's ear the same thing he told his little sister every night.
"Goodnight Reese. Thank You." Kay said as he turned and walked out of the room.