You're so close to the end now. So I would just like to take this opportunity to read this far. This one here is a bit artsy and emotional. So just to warn you there is a mushy feel to it.

Chapter Eleven

Rest and Recuperation

The sun was warm. Warmer then she had ever remembered it being. It seemed like forever since she felt the gentle caress of the sun on her skin. The easy light made the clouds seem golden and more real. A layer of snow covered the ground in its white, the trees seemingly blooming snow. A single bird sung to the newly risen sun, its chirp the only sound that echoed through the hospital courtyard. Mandy had found that this was her favorite place in the hospital. It was a small garden that overlooked the entire city. She had only found it not ten minutes ago and she found herself instantly in love with the sight.

Love. This was a confusing notion to her at the moment.

A soft, chilling breeze blew through the garden, chilling Mandy. She lightly touched her wounded arm that hung in a sling as it ached due to the breeze.

What she had experienced seemed only to be a dream to her now. The events that had taken place in the gym were blurred in her memory, but at the same time, they were crystal clear. Though she couldn't remember it, she knew it happened.

She pushed the one bit of hair that flapped in front of her face, behind her ear and held her stare at the horizon.

'There you are Mandy,' Billy's irreplaceable voice said from behind her. Mandy didn't turn to look at him as he stopped beside her. She just held her gaze. 'It's a bit cold out here, you should be resting.'

'I just wanted,' she began to speak softly, as if in a trance. 'I just wanted to see the sun rise.'

Her mind was not on her words and it wasn't until now that she realised that Billy was even there. She slowly turned to look at him, and a blush slowly grew across her face. She quickly looked at her shoes, dinted in the snow.

"Curse my body," she said to herself.

A cold wind howled through the two as they stood staring in different directions.

The silence was deafening.

Mandy couldn't bring herself to look at his face. Too many strange emotions were flowing through her. And she didn't know how to handle them. Or how he would handle them …

Mandy was already sick of this hospital. The doctor had forced the two of them to stay for the day just passed, just to make sure they were over the hypothermia. Her parents had already come through to do their half assed check up on her. And to Mandy's liking they were gone within half an hour. And after that she was pretty much left alone to sleep. But all this free time had given her mind time to recover and realise the ramifications of every event that had taken place.

And the one question that kept coming to her was …

"Why am I still alive?"

'I,' Billy started 'I am happy to see you walking again,' he said in a very soft, caring tone. Mandy still found peculiar to hear Billy talk so … seriously.

'Th-thanks…how does your head feel?' Mandy asked.

'Yeah, it feels pretty much just like it did befores.'

'Damn,' Mandy said. Billy looked at her, confused. 'I was hoping you might be able to count to ten now.'

They both let out a soft chuckle, just like they used to. Before Middle school, before Billy's parents left, before teenaged emotions. Before everything.

The same awkward silence fell over the pair and a chill wind blew through once more. Finally Mandy's emotions got the better of her. And she lost control.

'Billy I –' she paused, realising as she looked into the stupid yet sincere eyes of the boy on her mind. 'Thank you'.

'For what?' Billy asked, a little shocked that she said those two words

'For … well, as you would say, for befores'

'Befores what's?'

'Just thank you for everything recently,' Billy's expression became a little more serious, so Mandy continued. 'This whole … experience has truly been something. And the whole time you were there for me, even when I wasn't there to see it. You may think that you need me. But the truth is … I need you Billy. Without you, I don't think my life would be where it is at the moment.'

Billy's shocked face made Mandy slightly scared yet satisfied at the same time. Scared to say what she wanted to say, but also satisfied for saying it.

'It's really showed me how much I …' she stopped, and let out a deep breath. 'Thank you, Billy.'

And with that she walked back towards the warmth of the hospital. Although she stopped just at the doors, and turned back to look at the shocked Billy.

'C'mon idiot, are you two dumb to put one foot in front of the other,' Mandy said sharply. Billy slowly smiled.

'I'm not dumb,' he said as he ran next Mandy and they started to head down the corridor.

'Yeah, yeah Billy, now let's get a drink or something…on you.'

'That's not fair Mandy…'

So Mandy is more open to her feelings for Billy now, Amazing. And Billy sounds as if he's had a revelation as well. He sounds like he's done a bit of growing up doesn't he. Makes me wonder what he did to save her … (hint)