"Uh.." Manny stammered. She had totally forgotten about her first intention
of expressing her true feelings to him. "Oh. That. I was coming to see you.
I have to tell you something. The truth is Sean..." Manny was cut off by
the front door slamming open. Paramedics rushed in through the door and
over to the two of them. They hooked Sean up to an IV and gently placed him
on a gurney. Manny got into conversation with one of the paramedics. "Is he
going to be okay?" Manny asked. "Yeah, he should be. Doesn't look like
anything huge, but I guess you never know. Were you the one who found him?"
Manny nodded. "Good job. You kept him conscious. You should be proud of
yourself." "Thanks." Manny mumbled. The paramedic turned away and then
turned right back again. "Any idea how he got this way?" "Nope." Manny
said, looking as innocent as she possibly could. "You were just coming over
and he was lying on the floor?" "Yep." Manny said, turning away. She hoped
that all the questions were over. The paramedic stared at her back
suspiciously. Manny could feel his gaze and silently prayed that he would
just leave it at that.
She didn't like lying to an adult because frankly she wasn't that good at it. Manny listened carefully and heard him turn his attention back to Sean. They put Sean in the back of the ambulance and closed the doors. "Wait!" Manny called, "Can I come?" The paramedic hesitated before opening the left hand door. "Thanks." Manny jumped in the back with Sean. She was feeling very important and somewhat special at the moment. It had been she who had rescued Sean...not Emma, he had a big secret that he shared with her...not Emma, and now Manny was accompanying Sean to the hospital...not Emma, and he hadn't even mentioned Emma once! Manny was starting to feel a sort of connection between Sean and herself. Not necessarily a love connection or anything...but maybe a friendly one that had not really been there even though they had known each other for a few years now. Manny had always admired Sean a little but they had never really been friends. But after this day Manny knew that they would be.
Manny was spacing out so much that she did not notice a frustrated paramedic waving a clipboard energetically in front of her face or the shouts that came along with the movements. "Hello!" he yelled at her. "What?" Manny said, snapping back into reality. "You need to fill this out." "Okay." he handed Manny the clipboard. Manny started to fill out her personal information when Sean lightly touched her arm to gain her attention. Manny looked down at his hand and then at his face, somewhat confused. "Thank you." Sean mouthed at her. His face broke into a small smile. Manny couldn't help it; she smiled, somewhat embarrassedly, back at him and gave a little nod. She turned her attention back to the paper again but Sean reached out and laid his soft hand on her arm again. She looked at him again with a expectant look. Sean spoke this time. "I'm serious, Manny. Thank you. I never could have trusted Emma with this. She would have told even if I asked her to leave it be." "I think someone should be told." Manny said, just for the record. "I know." Sean replied, "But you're leaving the decision up to me and that's something Emma never would have done."
Manny felt awkward. He was lying there comparing her to his girlfriend...her best friend. It was like he was praising Manny. "It's no problem." Manny said quickly and rather quietly. She turned her gaze back to the unfinished paperwork that lay in front of her. She hoped Sean would leave her alone. Weird things were happening in Sean's head. He was confused by Manny's reactions. He had been giving her nice compliments and she almost was ignoring him. He figured, though, that he had put a very heavy burden upon Manny's shoulders by asking for her silence. Now Sean felt a little bad for Manny. He had never really taken the time to get to know her and now, without real hesitation, she had agreed to do him a huge favor. "Manny?" he said. She glanced up from the papers. "What?" she asked, sounding a little annoyed. "I'm sorry." "Sorry for what?" She looked down at Sean. He was making perfect eye contact. His beautiful, brilliant eyes were driving right into hers. "For never really getting to know you. I mean, you are my girlfriend's best friend and I've never really thought of you as anything other than that. I mean, I was always so caught up with Emma and...I guess I never really saw what a great friend you are to her...and to me." "Thanks." Manny said, her cheeks turning scarlet.
Sean went on, "I mean, now that I think about it, it's only because of you that me and EM are together. If you hadn't invited me than I would never have gone to the wedding." Manny silently cursed herself for that but kept a straight face, "So...promise me that after all this is over we'll go and hang out sometime. Like get to know each other for real." Now Manny was really blushing. "Okay." She said, trying to not sound too happy. The final minutes to the hospital were silent except for the scratching of pen on paper.
She didn't like lying to an adult because frankly she wasn't that good at it. Manny listened carefully and heard him turn his attention back to Sean. They put Sean in the back of the ambulance and closed the doors. "Wait!" Manny called, "Can I come?" The paramedic hesitated before opening the left hand door. "Thanks." Manny jumped in the back with Sean. She was feeling very important and somewhat special at the moment. It had been she who had rescued Sean...not Emma, he had a big secret that he shared with her...not Emma, and now Manny was accompanying Sean to the hospital...not Emma, and he hadn't even mentioned Emma once! Manny was starting to feel a sort of connection between Sean and herself. Not necessarily a love connection or anything...but maybe a friendly one that had not really been there even though they had known each other for a few years now. Manny had always admired Sean a little but they had never really been friends. But after this day Manny knew that they would be.
Manny was spacing out so much that she did not notice a frustrated paramedic waving a clipboard energetically in front of her face or the shouts that came along with the movements. "Hello!" he yelled at her. "What?" Manny said, snapping back into reality. "You need to fill this out." "Okay." he handed Manny the clipboard. Manny started to fill out her personal information when Sean lightly touched her arm to gain her attention. Manny looked down at his hand and then at his face, somewhat confused. "Thank you." Sean mouthed at her. His face broke into a small smile. Manny couldn't help it; she smiled, somewhat embarrassedly, back at him and gave a little nod. She turned her attention back to the paper again but Sean reached out and laid his soft hand on her arm again. She looked at him again with a expectant look. Sean spoke this time. "I'm serious, Manny. Thank you. I never could have trusted Emma with this. She would have told even if I asked her to leave it be." "I think someone should be told." Manny said, just for the record. "I know." Sean replied, "But you're leaving the decision up to me and that's something Emma never would have done."
Manny felt awkward. He was lying there comparing her to his girlfriend...her best friend. It was like he was praising Manny. "It's no problem." Manny said quickly and rather quietly. She turned her gaze back to the unfinished paperwork that lay in front of her. She hoped Sean would leave her alone. Weird things were happening in Sean's head. He was confused by Manny's reactions. He had been giving her nice compliments and she almost was ignoring him. He figured, though, that he had put a very heavy burden upon Manny's shoulders by asking for her silence. Now Sean felt a little bad for Manny. He had never really taken the time to get to know her and now, without real hesitation, she had agreed to do him a huge favor. "Manny?" he said. She glanced up from the papers. "What?" she asked, sounding a little annoyed. "I'm sorry." "Sorry for what?" She looked down at Sean. He was making perfect eye contact. His beautiful, brilliant eyes were driving right into hers. "For never really getting to know you. I mean, you are my girlfriend's best friend and I've never really thought of you as anything other than that. I mean, I was always so caught up with Emma and...I guess I never really saw what a great friend you are to her...and to me." "Thanks." Manny said, her cheeks turning scarlet.
Sean went on, "I mean, now that I think about it, it's only because of you that me and EM are together. If you hadn't invited me than I would never have gone to the wedding." Manny silently cursed herself for that but kept a straight face, "So...promise me that after all this is over we'll go and hang out sometime. Like get to know each other for real." Now Manny was really blushing. "Okay." She said, trying to not sound too happy. The final minutes to the hospital were silent except for the scratching of pen on paper.