HP4ever2000: sorry about the short chapters…I haven't had many brilliant ideas lately so I just write down whatever I have…as for the info bit, don't worry. More will come.

Mila: Jamie is my alter ego. Ergo, this chapter will be written in my own style. Enjoy ;-)

Fifteen

Jamie's POV

I woke up lying down. There was something sticking in my arm, which I assumed was an IV. There was also something on my face, which I assumed was an oxygen mask. I put two and two together, and deduced that I was, in fact, yet again, put in a hospital by my dear friend Jacky-Poo. Well wasn't that a bitch?

I opened one eye and looked at Ranger. "Am I dead?"

He smiled, "No."

"Are you sure? I feel pretty dead."

The smile widened.

I closed my eye. "Well fine Mr. Chatty-Kathy. Let's see how you like it when I start seeing the light." I opened my eye again and looked over at Ranger. He was shaking his head and still smiling.

"Don't laugh at me…Ricky," The last time I called him that he 'accidentally' knocked me down two flights of stairs…and then made me ride in the truck bed of his truck the whole night we were driving...In the SNOW.The only reason I was calling him Ricky now was because he couldn't just jump up and rip out the IV in pure rage and then go on a killing spree. Well I suppose he could but he would have to answer to my family. Personally, I'd rather be thrown into a tank of rabid badgers.

"Rabid badgers?" Ranger asked.

Dammit I was saying stuff out loud again. "Yeah. Like, foaming at the mouth. Think it through before you shut the morphine off, buddy." I said and passed out.

I forced myself awake and found myself hopelessly lost in a pain-killer-induced fog. There was something I needed to set straight, and my dreams of tap dancing rabid pink badgers would have to wait.

"You love Steph right?No, you'rein love with her, right?" I asked Ranger. My eyes were closed (it's not like I could see through the goddamm fog anyway) but I knew he was there. He was always there. Whether I liked it or not.

There was no answer. "Don't lie, you coward," I said.

Still no answer. That meant yes. If it hadn't been true he would have said so."I told you so." I suppose I should be depressed an' all, but I could get to that later. I smiled to myself and floated off to la-la land.

"Is she awake?"

"Does she look awake?"

"How long are we allowed in here?"

"Mommy I want some hay."

"Shush, Mary Alice. Jamie is asleep."

"Trying, yes. Sleeping? I think not," I croaked. I didn't dare open my eyes. Once they were open there was no going back. Where was a tank of rabid badgers when you needed one?

"Jamie how are you feeling?" That was my mother.

"Hunky dory. How about some water over here?"

I opened one eye and accepted a little paper cup of water. Fortunately (relatively) Jack shot me in the right shoulder. I still had use of my left arm. While drinking I took stock of the situation. Stephanie, Valerie, Albert Kloungh, The Kids, Grandma Mazur, ma mere, et mon pere were piled into my tiny little room.

"Hey…I had a dream…and you all were in it." I said. (A/N if you don't know why that's funny…it's a spoof on the ending of the Wizard of Oz)

"Har har," said Stephanie.

"When do I get to come home?"

"Not for a week," said my mom.

"Aw come on, I've had worse than this without a visit to the hospital! Can't they let me out tonight?"

Grandma piped up, "We could smuggle you out."

"That might be fun. Go get a trench coat." I said.

"There will be no smuggling," said my mother.

"Aw mommy pweeeeeeeeeease?" I said, using my best puppy eyes.

"NO."

"Fine."

"Jamie, I have a question," said my dad. Wow. Who knew he could talk?

"Okay. Shoot." I said, looking at my dad. Haha…shoot.

"Why did you run away? We were never unfair, were we? You had us worried sick and you never called or anything. Why did you do it?"

I winced. I had always felt guilty about doing that. But the truth was, I had to. "I'm sorry for making you guys worry so much. But what I said in the note I left was true. I was going to go nuts if I didn't leave. I was so bored. School, homework, friends. That was it. The adventures in my head weren't enough. I had to do something. So I did. I know more now than I would have if I'd stayed and finished high school and gone to college." There was a silence almost tangible after I stopped talking. I was pretty tired so I just went back to sleep.

Great. Now the depression was coming on. In the middle of the night, of course, with no one around to distract me. Why did I have to wake up now? I groped in the darkness for something to smack myself unconscious with, but came up with nothing. I sighed heavily and tried to focus on something other than Ranger…and whatgreat timeswe had together. DAMMIT stop thinking. All those kisses and nights together and all the merry men snickering at us when we thought no one was around. Shit, was that a tear? Thinking was bad. Count the sheep, Jamie, count the sheep. Don't think about when he took you to Miami to meet his WHOLE family…rabid badgers indeed. Don't think about the time we were stranded on a deserted island for two weeks. STOP THINKING. Fuck. This sucks. Well I couldn't be mad at Stephanie, as much as I wanted to be. She didn't even know he knew me. And come to think of it, WHY didn't she know he knew me? Why didn't he tell her about me? Dammit, there I go thinking again. Probably 'cause the when he saw her it was love at first sight. Damn damn damn damn. I felt sick.I hate being depressed. I was almost never depressed. But when I was, it was pretty bad.I just better not cry or I was really gonna open a can of whoopass on myself. Go to sleep, Jamie. NOW. Stupid pain killers wearing off in the middle of the night. I groaned. Christ I hurt.

"You awake, Jamie?"

I opened one eye and looked at Ranger. He stood at the foot of my bed, holding a Tasty Pastry bag.

"Now I am. Bring on the donuts." Crap I really didn't want to see him right now. But what could I do? He had donuts.

"This stuff will kill you, Kiddo."

"Better to die by donuts than by Jack, right?"

He shook his head in disbelief handed me a donut, and took one for himself.

"The temple thing off shift tonight?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's been a while since I've had a donut."

"No shit. The last time I remember you eating a donut is when your kid forced you to."

He grinned at me and put his feet up on the bed, crossing his ankles.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Where were you earlier, you pansy? Leaving me all alone to face my family. You have no conscience."

"Personally, I'd rather face an army of rabid badgers than your family."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh that was original of you."

He grinned at me again and took another donut. That grin still made me melt. God he had no idea how much this hurt. My heart was already shattered, must he make it worse? I swear, once I was released from this stupid hospital I was hopping on a plane to parts unknown. I couldn't stand being here anymore. I needed to get out of here.

Rangerstared at me for a beat, eyes hard.He stood up, leaned over me, and kissed me. Dammit why did he have to do that? It just made it hurt worse.

"I know what you're thinking," he said softly, "and you better not, because I'll find you."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "What's your point?"

"I've seen you face dangers that even I try to avoid. I never thought you'd run away from something like this." With that, he left.

Stupid bastard.

I now shall go anddo the stupid shredding...and wrack my brains for more ideas. Stupid brains.