~ Lies-13 ~
Seth leaned against the wall outside Summer's room. He had to figure out how the hell to act normal with her before he went back in. That urge to slam his fist into something was back, but instead of a wall, this time it was a person. His enthusiasm for pounding on Mr. Roberts was running a neck- and-neck race with his desire to be over-protective of her. Follow her everywhere, never let her out of his sight again, and make sure she was always safe. He wanted to smother her with everything good and sweet and pure he could think of to make up for her father's abuse and her lost childhood. But you can't do any of that, so go in there and make her feel better. Act like nothing's different. "Hey. What did the doctor say?"
"Nice job, Cohen." Summer glared at him from the bed, trying to get a comb through her hair with her good arm. Lifting the arm was making her side ache, and she threw down the comb in frustration. "This is such a pain in the ass!"
Seth stifled a smile. "There's my girl. Welcome back." Events in the last two days had given him a new appreciation for bitchy, whiny Summer. He'd take her any way she wanted to be. With a disclaimer, of course, giving him the right to change his mind and gag her if she got too out of hand. "How did the humble servant displease her Highness this time?"
"You could have told me I looked like this! God!"
Seth gave her his best innocent look while agreeing with himself that, yes; she really was back. "Like what? Long dark hair, brown eyes, 5 foot maybe 3, sweet curves, incredibly nice a -?"
"Cohen!!" She closed her eyes and leaned back against the bed. "Ow. Yelling hurts my head. Doing anything hurts my everything." She looked up at him as he sat beside her on the bed. "I'm talking about the fact that you MIGHT have mentioned half my face is black and purple, my eye makeup from yesterday is smeared all over, and my hair is so matted I'm going to have to shave it off and wear a wig for the rest of my life." She picked up the mirror he'd bought her and looked at herself, near tears. "I'm hideous! I look like, like, one of the zombies in "Night of the Living Dead!" she wailed.
Seth picked up the comb and stood, moving up beside her. "You do not. How would you know anyway? You always cover your eyes through most of the movie. Listen, your hair and makeup can be fixed and the bruises are temporary." He grabbed a lock of hair, and starting at the bottom, began gently tugging the tangles out. "I've always thought you were beautiful," he began shyly. He felt awkward, but couldn't stop now. "I was sure you were ... dead yesterday. If it matters, right now, Summer, you have never looked better to me."
He continued combing out her hair, while his words hung in the air for a moment.
Her voice was very soft. "It matters. Thank you." She gave a short laugh. "Way to make me feel shallow, Cohen."
He smiled. "It's a gift."
"Seth? Could you, like, help me get up?"
He put the comb on the table. "Are you supposed to?"
"Yeah, she said I need to move around every so often or it will really hurt later. I can't imagine hurting worse than I do now." She gestured at the bathroom door. "And I need to - uh -"
"Oh, ok." He moved the tray table out of the way, and pulled down the covers. "You want me to pull your legs around to the side, or can you do it?" She tried, and hissed at the pain. "Tell me if I'm hurting you." He grabbed her ankles, and slowly pulled them over to the side of the bed. Sliding one arm behind her, he pushed her forward till her feet touched the ground. "How you doing? You ready for this?" She nodded and he helped her stand up, staying close by. He followed as she shuffled stiffly across the room.
"OhmyGod, Seth. I feel like I've -"
" - been hit by a car?" As soon as he said it he realized she might not find it funny. It just fell out of his mouth, a golden joke opportunity. "Sorry. Probably inappropriate humor."
She laughed. "I was going to say, "aged 70 years", but come to think of it? Yeah, just like I've been hit by a car. Go figure." She reached the door.
"You gonna be able to - uh - handle that by yourself?" He was only joking a little.
"I'll find a way, Cohen." She narrowed an eye at him as she slowly turned to shut the door.
He held up both hands and backed away. "Hey, I'm trying to give aid in your time of need. Sing out if you fall in, can't get up or need some other sort of geriatric help. I'll just be out here installing a 'Clapper' for you."
He heard her as she closed the door. "Keep that up and you're gonna be glad you're already in a hospital."
She came out a few minutes later and he helped her back into bed. "Are you interested in any of this stuff cluttering the room? I think the previous occupant left it all here. Nice flowers, though. You want me to read the card and see whom they were for?"
She stared at him, trying to decide if he was joking. "Yeah, read it."
He picked up the book. "Hey, you have a pile of these in your closet, don't you?"
"Not really. You were going to read the card?"
"Hey look! A kitty and a teddy bear to keep you company." He delivered the stuffed animals to her.
"Aww, they're so cute! Gimme!" She hugged them and arranged them beside her on the bed. "The card? The flowers? Cohen?"
"Oh, all right. Whiner." He went back to the shelf with the flowers and pulled out one of the cards. "You are not going to believe this. The last person in the room was named Summer too! What a coincidence!"
Her eyes lit up. "Bring them here? Please?"
He wanted to tease her a little longer, but found himself carrying flowers to the bed instead. He sighed, resigned to the fact that he probably would only think about it for a second before jumping out the window if she asked. He could deny her nothing when she gave him that look from a hospital bed.
He pulled the table around in front of her, set them down, and went back for the other arrangement. When he turned around again she had her face almost buried in the flowers he'd left in front of her. "Hey! No grazing! Don't they feed you here? I'm going to take them away if you don't stop that."
"Try it and see what happens." She inhaled deeply; wincing at the pain it caused her ribs. "Oh my God. They smell like heaven and they're so beautiful! I LOVE flowers! Did you pick these out by yourself?"
"Ouch. That just hurts. Of course I picked them out by myself. You think I have no taste?"
"In clothing? Yes. In flowers? No. Totally good job." She smirked at him.
He seemed unconcerned. "Ha. This from the girl in the tres fashionable gray- striped open-backed gown. But we'll focus on foliage for now. I am one with the flower spirits, you know. They guide me."
She stared at him and nodded knowingly, pretending to play along. "Like the... comic book spirits?"
He nodded. "Uh huh. Don't forget the Playstation spirits."
"Of course not. They guide you so well." She rolled her eyes.
"Oh hey, did you read the cards?" He motioned for her to look. He'd written them this morning.
She pulled them both out. "Ok. Here's the first one. 'Summer: I'm so sorry about your accident. Get well soon and come over to see me. You were always my favorite, too. Love Forever, Captain Oats.' Awwww. How sweet of him to send flowers. He gets a big horsy kiss when I get out of here."
She picked up the other one. "Summer: I always want to be your friend, whether we're a couple or not. The kind of friend that you talk to about everything, even if it scares you, or you think I could never understand it. Even if you're worried it might make me mad or see you in a different light. In return, from now on I'll think carefully before I make decisions and tell you the truth even if hurts someone else, and even if it hurts you, because everyone deserves honesty. I learned this the hard way: You have to give both the good and the bad to show you really care. I'll also talk to you about everything, even if it scares me, or (See above, for lack of space on tiny card). No matter what, I'll never, ever stop caring about you. And yes, this IS something I'm scared to tell you. Always, Seth P.S. I WILL, however, still tease you mercilessly and fully intend to bicker with you always.'
She'd stopped reading aloud after the first few lines. When she finished the card, she spoke very quietly to herself. "To truly love is to give all of yourself."
Seth was watching her read the card with his stomach in a knot. He didn't care if she couldn't remember their conversation in the middle of the night, he'd told her he would remind her of this today, and these were things he wanted to say. He knew now there might not always be a tomorrow. Sure, he'd taken the easy way out and written it, but it was still nerve- wracking waiting to see if she laughed at him or blew it off. Part of his heart was on that little card.
She looked up with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for telling me that. It means a lot - more than you know. Would you put the flowers back on the shelf for me, please?"
"You're crying. Why are you crying? Should I not have - " He had returned the Captain's card to one arrangement, and reached for the other.
She hid his card with her hand before he could get to it. "Not this one. I want to keep it here." She smiled shyly up at him. "Here's something you need to learn about girls. They cry for lots of reasons, like when they're happy or moved by something, not just when they're like, sad."
"Ok. That's just weird." She gave him a look. "But so - so wonderful! Yes. Sentimental! Making a mental note: Crying can be good. Got it. Check."
****
Seth leaned against the wall outside Summer's room. He had to figure out how the hell to act normal with her before he went back in. That urge to slam his fist into something was back, but instead of a wall, this time it was a person. His enthusiasm for pounding on Mr. Roberts was running a neck- and-neck race with his desire to be over-protective of her. Follow her everywhere, never let her out of his sight again, and make sure she was always safe. He wanted to smother her with everything good and sweet and pure he could think of to make up for her father's abuse and her lost childhood. But you can't do any of that, so go in there and make her feel better. Act like nothing's different. "Hey. What did the doctor say?"
"Nice job, Cohen." Summer glared at him from the bed, trying to get a comb through her hair with her good arm. Lifting the arm was making her side ache, and she threw down the comb in frustration. "This is such a pain in the ass!"
Seth stifled a smile. "There's my girl. Welcome back." Events in the last two days had given him a new appreciation for bitchy, whiny Summer. He'd take her any way she wanted to be. With a disclaimer, of course, giving him the right to change his mind and gag her if she got too out of hand. "How did the humble servant displease her Highness this time?"
"You could have told me I looked like this! God!"
Seth gave her his best innocent look while agreeing with himself that, yes; she really was back. "Like what? Long dark hair, brown eyes, 5 foot maybe 3, sweet curves, incredibly nice a -?"
"Cohen!!" She closed her eyes and leaned back against the bed. "Ow. Yelling hurts my head. Doing anything hurts my everything." She looked up at him as he sat beside her on the bed. "I'm talking about the fact that you MIGHT have mentioned half my face is black and purple, my eye makeup from yesterday is smeared all over, and my hair is so matted I'm going to have to shave it off and wear a wig for the rest of my life." She picked up the mirror he'd bought her and looked at herself, near tears. "I'm hideous! I look like, like, one of the zombies in "Night of the Living Dead!" she wailed.
Seth picked up the comb and stood, moving up beside her. "You do not. How would you know anyway? You always cover your eyes through most of the movie. Listen, your hair and makeup can be fixed and the bruises are temporary." He grabbed a lock of hair, and starting at the bottom, began gently tugging the tangles out. "I've always thought you were beautiful," he began shyly. He felt awkward, but couldn't stop now. "I was sure you were ... dead yesterday. If it matters, right now, Summer, you have never looked better to me."
He continued combing out her hair, while his words hung in the air for a moment.
Her voice was very soft. "It matters. Thank you." She gave a short laugh. "Way to make me feel shallow, Cohen."
He smiled. "It's a gift."
"Seth? Could you, like, help me get up?"
He put the comb on the table. "Are you supposed to?"
"Yeah, she said I need to move around every so often or it will really hurt later. I can't imagine hurting worse than I do now." She gestured at the bathroom door. "And I need to - uh -"
"Oh, ok." He moved the tray table out of the way, and pulled down the covers. "You want me to pull your legs around to the side, or can you do it?" She tried, and hissed at the pain. "Tell me if I'm hurting you." He grabbed her ankles, and slowly pulled them over to the side of the bed. Sliding one arm behind her, he pushed her forward till her feet touched the ground. "How you doing? You ready for this?" She nodded and he helped her stand up, staying close by. He followed as she shuffled stiffly across the room.
"OhmyGod, Seth. I feel like I've -"
" - been hit by a car?" As soon as he said it he realized she might not find it funny. It just fell out of his mouth, a golden joke opportunity. "Sorry. Probably inappropriate humor."
She laughed. "I was going to say, "aged 70 years", but come to think of it? Yeah, just like I've been hit by a car. Go figure." She reached the door.
"You gonna be able to - uh - handle that by yourself?" He was only joking a little.
"I'll find a way, Cohen." She narrowed an eye at him as she slowly turned to shut the door.
He held up both hands and backed away. "Hey, I'm trying to give aid in your time of need. Sing out if you fall in, can't get up or need some other sort of geriatric help. I'll just be out here installing a 'Clapper' for you."
He heard her as she closed the door. "Keep that up and you're gonna be glad you're already in a hospital."
She came out a few minutes later and he helped her back into bed. "Are you interested in any of this stuff cluttering the room? I think the previous occupant left it all here. Nice flowers, though. You want me to read the card and see whom they were for?"
She stared at him, trying to decide if he was joking. "Yeah, read it."
He picked up the book. "Hey, you have a pile of these in your closet, don't you?"
"Not really. You were going to read the card?"
"Hey look! A kitty and a teddy bear to keep you company." He delivered the stuffed animals to her.
"Aww, they're so cute! Gimme!" She hugged them and arranged them beside her on the bed. "The card? The flowers? Cohen?"
"Oh, all right. Whiner." He went back to the shelf with the flowers and pulled out one of the cards. "You are not going to believe this. The last person in the room was named Summer too! What a coincidence!"
Her eyes lit up. "Bring them here? Please?"
He wanted to tease her a little longer, but found himself carrying flowers to the bed instead. He sighed, resigned to the fact that he probably would only think about it for a second before jumping out the window if she asked. He could deny her nothing when she gave him that look from a hospital bed.
He pulled the table around in front of her, set them down, and went back for the other arrangement. When he turned around again she had her face almost buried in the flowers he'd left in front of her. "Hey! No grazing! Don't they feed you here? I'm going to take them away if you don't stop that."
"Try it and see what happens." She inhaled deeply; wincing at the pain it caused her ribs. "Oh my God. They smell like heaven and they're so beautiful! I LOVE flowers! Did you pick these out by yourself?"
"Ouch. That just hurts. Of course I picked them out by myself. You think I have no taste?"
"In clothing? Yes. In flowers? No. Totally good job." She smirked at him.
He seemed unconcerned. "Ha. This from the girl in the tres fashionable gray- striped open-backed gown. But we'll focus on foliage for now. I am one with the flower spirits, you know. They guide me."
She stared at him and nodded knowingly, pretending to play along. "Like the... comic book spirits?"
He nodded. "Uh huh. Don't forget the Playstation spirits."
"Of course not. They guide you so well." She rolled her eyes.
"Oh hey, did you read the cards?" He motioned for her to look. He'd written them this morning.
She pulled them both out. "Ok. Here's the first one. 'Summer: I'm so sorry about your accident. Get well soon and come over to see me. You were always my favorite, too. Love Forever, Captain Oats.' Awwww. How sweet of him to send flowers. He gets a big horsy kiss when I get out of here."
She picked up the other one. "Summer: I always want to be your friend, whether we're a couple or not. The kind of friend that you talk to about everything, even if it scares you, or you think I could never understand it. Even if you're worried it might make me mad or see you in a different light. In return, from now on I'll think carefully before I make decisions and tell you the truth even if hurts someone else, and even if it hurts you, because everyone deserves honesty. I learned this the hard way: You have to give both the good and the bad to show you really care. I'll also talk to you about everything, even if it scares me, or (See above, for lack of space on tiny card). No matter what, I'll never, ever stop caring about you. And yes, this IS something I'm scared to tell you. Always, Seth P.S. I WILL, however, still tease you mercilessly and fully intend to bicker with you always.'
She'd stopped reading aloud after the first few lines. When she finished the card, she spoke very quietly to herself. "To truly love is to give all of yourself."
Seth was watching her read the card with his stomach in a knot. He didn't care if she couldn't remember their conversation in the middle of the night, he'd told her he would remind her of this today, and these were things he wanted to say. He knew now there might not always be a tomorrow. Sure, he'd taken the easy way out and written it, but it was still nerve- wracking waiting to see if she laughed at him or blew it off. Part of his heart was on that little card.
She looked up with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for telling me that. It means a lot - more than you know. Would you put the flowers back on the shelf for me, please?"
"You're crying. Why are you crying? Should I not have - " He had returned the Captain's card to one arrangement, and reached for the other.
She hid his card with her hand before he could get to it. "Not this one. I want to keep it here." She smiled shyly up at him. "Here's something you need to learn about girls. They cry for lots of reasons, like when they're happy or moved by something, not just when they're like, sad."
"Ok. That's just weird." She gave him a look. "But so - so wonderful! Yes. Sentimental! Making a mental note: Crying can be good. Got it. Check."
****