~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then
~Lean on Me~
Sometimes in our lives
we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But, if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Chapter 18//Lean on Me (when you're not strong)
"Is she okay?" August questioned nervously as the nurse approached him.
"Are you her father?" The petite nurse questioned, studying her chart.
"No, I'm.. her friend." August explained hastily. "I was there when it happened."
"Okay," The nurse lifted up a sheet from the clipboard and studied it. "Well, she had to have several stitches, there is bruising and swelling and there was head trauma, so we'd like to watch her tonight."
"But, so she's okay?" August asked eagerly.
"Yes," The nurse assured him. The waiting room door opened and Lily came flying in. Behind her trailed a worried Eli, Jessie, Zoe, and Rick holding a baby Dominic. The nurse looked up at them. "The Mannings?"
Lily didn't even bother to correct the woman, she just looked at the nurse intently, "Is Grace okay?"
The nurse repeated what she had just told August. August shuffled his feet as he felt them noticing him. The nurse excused herself, promising to come back in a little bit so they could visit Grace. Lily caught sight of August.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, accusingly.
"I was there when it happened.."
Lily's eyes widened, "You were there??"
"Who is he?" Zoe asked, but was ignored. Jessie avoided eye contact with her once play director. It was too awkward. Eli studied the man who was a big part of Grace's life.
"Lily," Rick said gently, pulling her closer to him.
But Lily ignored him, "What were you doing with MY daughter??"
August looked at all their eyes on him, and wanted to flee. Instead he said, "Grace had come to see me. I was just pulling into my driveway, when I heard the crash."
"Oh, God!" Lily cried, thinking of the horrible word 'crash'. Her daughter had been hit by a car!
"Maybe I should go," August said carefully.
"Maybe you should," Rick agreed, as he pulled Lily into a hug. "Grace is fine," He reminded her.
The doors to the waiting room pushed open once again, and August felt the urge to hide as he recognized the figure walking towards them. It was Grace's father.
"Lily? Is she okay?" Jake asked as he reached the group.
"She's okay," Rick answered for Lily, who was silent.
"Oh, God." Jake let out a whoosh of breath, "I was so scared." He turned to hug Zoe and then he noticed the red-haired man standing slightly away from their little group. His eyes narrowed as he tried to place the man. It didn't take him long... there weren't that many people he knew with that colored hair. "What is he doing here?"
"Who is he?" Zoe asked impatiently again, but only to be elbowed by Jessie.
August opened his mouth to explain, but Rick stepped in for him. "He was there, when it happened."
Jake studied August, his eyes narrowing to angry little slits. "No.. no.. Why was this MAN with my daughter??"
"I.." August started.
"Lily, why did you let Grace see him?" Jake demanded. "How could you let this happen?"
"I didn't let anything happen!" Lily defended herself. "I didn't know she had gone to see him! I thought it was over.."
August was getting sick of being talked about like he wasn't there. He had seen the room the nurse had come out of earlier. He knew Grace was in there. August snuck away. The rest of them were too busy to notice, except for maybe Eli, who watched him go, knowing Grace would want to see him.
He slipped in the door, pausing at the sight of her still form. He moved closer, smiling as she opened her eyes.
"You came!" Grace said happily. Her forehead was covered by a white bandage, several small cuts, and a large black and blue bruise forming on one cheek.
"Of course." August pulled a chair up next to her bed. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Grace said. She even managed a smile, "I look like crap, though."
"You do not." August reached for her hand, "You really scared me back there."
Grace nodded, grimacing at the pain in her neck, "I scared myself too."
"Grace.." August struggled for the right words. He found his eyes welling up with tears. "I couldn't believe how much it scared me when I saw it was you lying there. I didn't think I could ever feel that strongly for someone."
"Not even Angelina?" Grace asked bitterly.
"No.. there's something I wanted to tell you. Angelina and I are going to be getting divorced."
"You are?" Grace asked hopefully.
"Yes." August leaned closer to her, planting a quick kiss on her unbruised cheek. Grace smiled up at him. "I think I love you, Grace."
"I know I love you, August," Grace said.
August smiled at her words. "Why is the world like this? Why couldn't we have had an easier road to being together?"
"I don't know." Grace squeezed his hand lightly with her own.
"I love you," August whispered, staring into her beautiful eyes.
"I love you too." Grace said, then her eyes looked past him, and flinched, but not because of any pain. "Hi.. everyone."
August stood up, his back still to the door. He didn't want to see all of their hard faces. He didn't want to have to deal with that. "Bye, Grace. I'll come back again."
"Oh no, you won't!" Jake threatened from behind him.
"Daddy!" Grace cried angrily. She looked back at August, "I'll see you soon."
August nodded, and turned around. He moved past the cluster at the door, Jake and Lily giving him harsh looks. The rest of them seemed more interested in seeing how Grace was, then to pay him any attention. He escaped into the hallway.
* * *
"Grace?" August tapped lightly on the open door. Grace lifted her head, and he stepped forward now that he saw she wasn't sleeping.
"It's not visiting hours!" Grace teased him, as he sat down in the chair next to her.
"I thought that it might be better if I came when you were alone.." August explained.
Grace nodded. "You thought right. My parents have been switching back and forth from treating me like a broken china doll to yelling at me over you."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be! I don't care what they say! I'm just happy to be with you." Grace reassured him. "Once I get out of here tomorrow, I think I better move out again."
"Really?" August asked with concern. "I don't want you to have to do that, Grace."
"Oh, I was stupid to have ever moved back in, in the first place! My mother might accept you and me eventually, but I think it will take a long time. And until then, it's better that I not be under her noise every second of the day." Grace sighed, and August kissed her gently.
"Where will you go?"
"Eli's again, I guess. It's not that bad there." Grace looked into his eyes. "Uh, but I'll worry about that once they release me tomorrow evening. By the way, I think I may be missing class, tomorrow, Mr. Dimitri."
August smiled down at her, "I'll tutor you, then."
Grace smiled back at him. He leaned down to kiss her again, but a determined cough rose up from behind them.
"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over," A nurse informed them. "You'll have to go."
"Alright," August stood up, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Grace."
Grace smiled and watched him go.
* * *
Now and Then
~Lean on Me~
Sometimes in our lives
we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But, if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Chapter 18//Lean on Me (when you're not strong)
"Is she okay?" August questioned nervously as the nurse approached him.
"Are you her father?" The petite nurse questioned, studying her chart.
"No, I'm.. her friend." August explained hastily. "I was there when it happened."
"Okay," The nurse lifted up a sheet from the clipboard and studied it. "Well, she had to have several stitches, there is bruising and swelling and there was head trauma, so we'd like to watch her tonight."
"But, so she's okay?" August asked eagerly.
"Yes," The nurse assured him. The waiting room door opened and Lily came flying in. Behind her trailed a worried Eli, Jessie, Zoe, and Rick holding a baby Dominic. The nurse looked up at them. "The Mannings?"
Lily didn't even bother to correct the woman, she just looked at the nurse intently, "Is Grace okay?"
The nurse repeated what she had just told August. August shuffled his feet as he felt them noticing him. The nurse excused herself, promising to come back in a little bit so they could visit Grace. Lily caught sight of August.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, accusingly.
"I was there when it happened.."
Lily's eyes widened, "You were there??"
"Who is he?" Zoe asked, but was ignored. Jessie avoided eye contact with her once play director. It was too awkward. Eli studied the man who was a big part of Grace's life.
"Lily," Rick said gently, pulling her closer to him.
But Lily ignored him, "What were you doing with MY daughter??"
August looked at all their eyes on him, and wanted to flee. Instead he said, "Grace had come to see me. I was just pulling into my driveway, when I heard the crash."
"Oh, God!" Lily cried, thinking of the horrible word 'crash'. Her daughter had been hit by a car!
"Maybe I should go," August said carefully.
"Maybe you should," Rick agreed, as he pulled Lily into a hug. "Grace is fine," He reminded her.
The doors to the waiting room pushed open once again, and August felt the urge to hide as he recognized the figure walking towards them. It was Grace's father.
"Lily? Is she okay?" Jake asked as he reached the group.
"She's okay," Rick answered for Lily, who was silent.
"Oh, God." Jake let out a whoosh of breath, "I was so scared." He turned to hug Zoe and then he noticed the red-haired man standing slightly away from their little group. His eyes narrowed as he tried to place the man. It didn't take him long... there weren't that many people he knew with that colored hair. "What is he doing here?"
"Who is he?" Zoe asked impatiently again, but only to be elbowed by Jessie.
August opened his mouth to explain, but Rick stepped in for him. "He was there, when it happened."
Jake studied August, his eyes narrowing to angry little slits. "No.. no.. Why was this MAN with my daughter??"
"I.." August started.
"Lily, why did you let Grace see him?" Jake demanded. "How could you let this happen?"
"I didn't let anything happen!" Lily defended herself. "I didn't know she had gone to see him! I thought it was over.."
August was getting sick of being talked about like he wasn't there. He had seen the room the nurse had come out of earlier. He knew Grace was in there. August snuck away. The rest of them were too busy to notice, except for maybe Eli, who watched him go, knowing Grace would want to see him.
He slipped in the door, pausing at the sight of her still form. He moved closer, smiling as she opened her eyes.
"You came!" Grace said happily. Her forehead was covered by a white bandage, several small cuts, and a large black and blue bruise forming on one cheek.
"Of course." August pulled a chair up next to her bed. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Grace said. She even managed a smile, "I look like crap, though."
"You do not." August reached for her hand, "You really scared me back there."
Grace nodded, grimacing at the pain in her neck, "I scared myself too."
"Grace.." August struggled for the right words. He found his eyes welling up with tears. "I couldn't believe how much it scared me when I saw it was you lying there. I didn't think I could ever feel that strongly for someone."
"Not even Angelina?" Grace asked bitterly.
"No.. there's something I wanted to tell you. Angelina and I are going to be getting divorced."
"You are?" Grace asked hopefully.
"Yes." August leaned closer to her, planting a quick kiss on her unbruised cheek. Grace smiled up at him. "I think I love you, Grace."
"I know I love you, August," Grace said.
August smiled at her words. "Why is the world like this? Why couldn't we have had an easier road to being together?"
"I don't know." Grace squeezed his hand lightly with her own.
"I love you," August whispered, staring into her beautiful eyes.
"I love you too." Grace said, then her eyes looked past him, and flinched, but not because of any pain. "Hi.. everyone."
August stood up, his back still to the door. He didn't want to see all of their hard faces. He didn't want to have to deal with that. "Bye, Grace. I'll come back again."
"Oh no, you won't!" Jake threatened from behind him.
"Daddy!" Grace cried angrily. She looked back at August, "I'll see you soon."
August nodded, and turned around. He moved past the cluster at the door, Jake and Lily giving him harsh looks. The rest of them seemed more interested in seeing how Grace was, then to pay him any attention. He escaped into the hallway.
* * *
"Grace?" August tapped lightly on the open door. Grace lifted her head, and he stepped forward now that he saw she wasn't sleeping.
"It's not visiting hours!" Grace teased him, as he sat down in the chair next to her.
"I thought that it might be better if I came when you were alone.." August explained.
Grace nodded. "You thought right. My parents have been switching back and forth from treating me like a broken china doll to yelling at me over you."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be! I don't care what they say! I'm just happy to be with you." Grace reassured him. "Once I get out of here tomorrow, I think I better move out again."
"Really?" August asked with concern. "I don't want you to have to do that, Grace."
"Oh, I was stupid to have ever moved back in, in the first place! My mother might accept you and me eventually, but I think it will take a long time. And until then, it's better that I not be under her noise every second of the day." Grace sighed, and August kissed her gently.
"Where will you go?"
"Eli's again, I guess. It's not that bad there." Grace looked into his eyes. "Uh, but I'll worry about that once they release me tomorrow evening. By the way, I think I may be missing class, tomorrow, Mr. Dimitri."
August smiled down at her, "I'll tutor you, then."
Grace smiled back at him. He leaned down to kiss her again, but a determined cough rose up from behind them.
"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over," A nurse informed them. "You'll have to go."
"Alright," August stood up, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Grace."
Grace smiled and watched him go.
* * *