I didn't have time to figure out what to say because almost as soon as the nurse left, I fell into a light sleep.I woke what seemed like moments later to whispered voices.I kept my eyes closed pretending I was asleep.Realizing that it was probably the nurses I opened her eyes and tried to sit up but realized that it wasn't nurses at all.Every single member of School of Rock was standing around my bed.
Freddy was on my left side resting his hand on the small table beside the bed.He had a look of genuine concern on his face.Yet he seemed very confused about something.I turned to look at him.I expected him to look away but in fact he just stared into my eyes.He was looking me over as if deciding whether I was going to be okay.Everyone seemed to be talking around me but I wasn't paying attention to them.They must have been pretty loud though, because a few seconds later a nurse (the same one I had talked to earlier) came in.
"If you can't be quiet I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she was polite but at the same time stern.Everyone shut their mouths and turned to look at me again."How ya doin Summer?" Dewey asked.I had never seen Dewey like this.His face was somber and his voice full of sadness."I've been better," I replied with a small smile."How long have I been in here?" "Two weeks on Saturday." It was Katie who said this."And what day is today?How about the time?"I asked.I was determined to get as much information as possible."What, have you been living in a box lately?" Zach asked chucling."Well it's of hard to tell time when you can't see," I answered in a sort of half serious half joking voice.Zach blushed and was obviously embarassed.I just smiled and said "don't worry about it.He gave a sort of half smile but still avoided looking me in the eyes.
Everyone seemed to have loosened up a bit by now.Everyone but Freddy.His expression still hadn't changed.I avoided his eyes this time though.So instead I looked around the room.On the windowsill were rows of flowers."Who're those all from?" I asked. I highly doubted they would bring at least fifteen bouquets of flowers."Three are from us, but all the others are people from school that couldn't come visit.We were lucky we were even allowed."
"Yo Spazzy why don't you go and get some of those flowers so she can see who they're from," Dewey said.Freddy's head shot up looking slightly surprised."Flowers? Uh, oh yeah. Sure I'll get the flowers." "Here I'll help," Zach said walking over the window with Freddy. "What's your problem man? You haven't said a word since we got here. You don't want to give Summer the wrong impression," Zach whispered when they got there. Zach was one of the two people who knew that Summer liked Freddy. He didn't want to see Summer upset by Freddy's apparent lack of concern. Freddy just stared out of the window. "I don't really know. I mean, seeing Summer in that hospital bed it's so weird. I mean she's always been the one in charge. The one who took care of us. Now I feel like it's m-our turn to take care of her." Before Zach could question him any further he picked up two bouquets and brought them to the bed.
He held the flowers out to Dewey. Dewey looked at them and said "well I'm flattered dude, but you know Summer's the one in the bed." Freddy muttered somehing that sounded like "oh ya" and layed the flowers down beside me. Zach brought three more over.They kept bringing more over until there were exactly seventeen bouquets there.That was basically the whole afternoon. They told me what I had missed while I was away from school. It was eight 'o' clock when the nurse came back in to tell that visiting hours were over and that I needed rest. One by one they began giving me hugs. I wasn't sure what to expect from Freddy. I guess I have to hug her, he thought, I don't want to hurt her feelings. Freddy did decide to hug me. In fact, he hugged me longer than any of the others had. When he finally let go he said "later Tink," walked away and shut the door behind him. I turned off the light and turned over onto my side. I replayed the afternoon in my head. The last thing i thought of before I fell into a dreamless sleep was the fact that Freddy Jones had held me.