Chapter 7 - Losing a Day and Gaining Something Else...
Piper groaned softly as she tried to move her head. Every inch of her body was aching, she felt like she had broken all of her bones. She started to open her eyes, but forced them back down - some one seemed to be shining a bright light directly into her eyes.
"Piper ... can you hear me ... Piper ..." She wasn't sure who was talking to her, but she tried to nod anyway.
"Open your eyes ... come on ..." She tried again, and even though someone was still shining that damn light at her she forced her eyelids completely open.
To her surprise, no one was actually shining a light into her eyes - although the white walls and several long lights along the ceiling gave that effect. Looking around at the figures crowding her bed, Piper saw a doctor, grams - what was she doing here? - Prue, Phoebe, Paige and ... Leo.
"Do you remember what happened, Piper?" The doctor asked her. Piper shook her head - instantly causing her neck pain to increase.
"You were in a car accident." Grams stated. "You've been - you've been in a coma for almost a month." She added tearfully. And suddenly, Piper recalled a sudden flash of remembrance - someone yelling, she turned around, lots of pain, then darkness.
"Do you remember?" Leo asked her. Piper nodded.
"A - a bit." She said, looking around at them all.
The doctor started talking about her injures, which were all healing nicely she noted, as Piper tried to remember what had happened. She remembered Grams being in hospital ... and her sisters had gone to see her ... had she stayed at home?
She tried to listen to what her family and the doctor was saying to her, but she was too busy trying to remember what happened. She remembered rain ... But why was she out in the rain? She never went out in the rain if she could help it ...
She knew only one person could answer her questions - Leo. And she also knew that since she couldn't think straight right now, and her family were in the room, now was not the time.
So instead she listened to what had happened over the last few weeks, and what had been going on with her. It took way too much energy to do so, however, and when she fell asleep, her visitors decided to leave.
It was four hours later that Piper fully woke up, the groggy feeling gone. To her dismay, however, she still couldn't remember what had happened on the day she was hit by that car. She felt uneasy, as if it was something she needed to know, as if something important had happened ...
Her eyes drifted over to the window, and she saw the rain pounding heavily onto it ... just like that day. She shivered, and suddenly knew she had to get out there, had to go out in the rain, and when a nurse came to check on her, she asked if she could go for a walk outside.
"In the rain?" The nurse said disapprovingly. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"
"I ... I feel like I have to." Piper muttered, expecting the nurse to refuse and force her to lay back down. To her surprise, however, the woman's face softened.
"OK, but only for a little while, OK? If you go to the end of the corridor and through the glass door, there's a small, enclosed garden. You'll be able to stand under the shelter."
"Right." Piper practically ran down the corridor, in case the nurse - Carol, her name was - changed her mind. She took at deep breath before stepping out. She was under a wide shelter, still dry, however cold. She knew Carol wanted her to stay here, but she had to step into the rain ...
It really was a beautiful garden, she thought. She walked forward, towards a fountain in the middle of the garden, water gentle cascading down it, mixing in with the rain. She wasn't sure how long she was stood there for, but suddenly, Leo's voice drifted across to her -
"Piper!" And suddenly, she remembered ...
How could she be so stupid? To think he'd ever even think about liking her? She probably disgusted him so much ...
She was so upset, so betrayed, so rejected ...
"Piper?" He asked softly. She didn't look up - her eyes were so clouded with tears she wouldn't have been able to see him anyway. But she heard him walk closer, and sit next to her. "I'm sorry." He muttered. She didn't reply, felt her voice would betray her. She tried to stop crying, all too aware he could see her tears dripping onto the floor, but she couldn't.
"Piper, listen -" He started, but she decided she didn't want to here it. He'd just give her some speech about wanting to stay friends and not risk what they already had - the same speech they'd listened in on Prue giving Andy almost three years ago, a few months before she finally relented and went out with him. She stood up and walked away, not knowing where to go now. Anywhere. Away from this, away from her life ...
"Piper!" He yelled, sounding decidedly angry. She wasn't expecting him to grab her arm and spin her around to face him, but he did. She stumbled, and he steadied her.
"Let me explain." He said impatiently. "Instead of just walking away from me!"
"Fine! Go on, lets hear it!" She snapped.
"I just ... didn't want you to get hurt." He said.
"Gee, thanks Leo, great job." She said sarcastically.
"No - I - I mean ... Piper, you've got a lot going on right now, you're emotional and vulnerable. I didn't want to ... take advantage. I didn't want anything to happen that you - you might regret - what's so funny?" He said in annoyance, for Piper had started to laugh.
"Nothing, nothing." She smiled.
"You can't just stand their laughing at me and not say why." He stated.
"It's just ... you're always the good guy, aren't you? Always looking out for everyone else ... here I was, thinking you were some ... and all the time ... thanks."
He looked at her for a few seconds. "That didn't make a lot of sense." He said finally, not knowing what else to say.
"I know. But you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do." He murmured.
"It has nothing to do with Grams." She said to him. "Really. I felt like this for a while, I just didn't really know it ..."
He looked at her for a long time, considering what she'd said.
"Well, I'll see you later." She said awkwardly, embarrassed about what she'd just said. If only she could start the day again ... "Bye." She added, turning away and stepping off of the curb onto the road.
"Piper, wait -" Leo called suddenly, his mind made up.
Stupidly, she stopped in the middle of the road, and turned around to smile at him - then BANG.
"Piper?" He was gripping her arms, looking into her eyes, his face white and scared. "What - are you OK? Do you want me to -"
"I ... I know what happened." She whispered. "I remember."
He froze, still looking into her eyes. "R-remember what?"
"What were you going to say to me? When you shouted me?" She asked him. She knew what she'd thought at the time ...
"I ... I don't know." He lied.
"Liar." She murmured, aware of how close they were. She could see every drop of rain on his face ...
"I ... Just wanted to talk ..." He said quietly.
"What about?" She asked him, her voice as quiet as his.
"Us. Me and you." He said, his voice barely audible. "I think I love you."
And suddenly, it all made sense to both of them - they were perfect for each other, they loved each other. They were destined to spend the rest of their lives together ...
Their lips met in a sweet, perfect kiss, that said more than words ever could, that sealed their future, that changed their relationship forever ...