CHAPTER TWENTY
I must have fallen asleep when I was crying and hugging Dad and Jackson because the next thing I know I'm waking up to a soft hum of voices, the sterile smell of a hospital, a hand holding tightly onto mine, and a small body curled against me.
"What happened?" Through the lifting sleepy haze I made out my Dad's voice. Daddy. I was finally with my Daddy and big brother again. Home.
"One of the engines on the left exploded, then another caught fire. One of the ones on the right caught fire. I tried to get her to put her life jacket on, but she was reaching for her bag." Joe was talking softly, his voice haunted and hollow. "The second engine on the left exploded and that's when it started to spin-dive." The memories of the crash flashed behind my closed eyes. I didn't want to relive that so I snapped them open. Joe was the one holdingmy hand, running his thumb absently over the back. "She hit her head on something." He sounded sick to talk about it, Dad gasped and Jackson let out a strange horrified noise. "The engine on the right exploded, then we hit the water. It kept trying to pull her down, and there were so many people..." He shuddered and held my hand tighter, his deep brown eyes flickering down to me, registering surprise when he saw I was awake. "I couldn't let her go. I wouldn't. I had to make sure she was okay." He was now talking to me. "I can't explain it, the hold she has on me, I felt like if anything happened to her I'd die. It scares me. But, I couldn't let anything happen to her. She blacked out in the water and I thought..." Joe choked up, he thought I was dead.
"You saved my little girls life." Dad said softly, and I could tell he was close to tears too. "I owe you the world."
"She is my world." Joe whispered, but I wasn't sure if Dad heard or not.
"Hey." I smiled tiredly at him, squeezing his hand back.
"Miley." Dad was on me again, hugging me.
"Hi, Daddy." I hugged him back as best as I could with the small body against me and laying attached to something in the hospital bed. "I love you."
"I love you, Bud." Bud, I'd been terrified I wouldn't get to hear my Dad call me that ever again.
"How long was I out?" I asked, looking around.
"Only about twenty minutes." Joe informed, reaching over and brushing my hair away from my face. "Doctor said you were probably just overwhelmed." Well, that was true. "Lorraine started screaming and she wouldn't stop until they let her come in here with you." I looked down to the little girl, sleeping peacefully.
"How are the boys?" I asked, gingerly sitting up a little as Dad sat back down in the chair next to the bed.
"Sean had a fracture in his arm, but other than that they're all fine; they're with their Aunt and Uncle." I looked down to Lorraine, didn't she have any familly to come for her?
"Is Sean okay?" I tried not to think about what would happen to Lorraine. I couldn't remember Sean saying his arm hurt at all on the island, or when we were on the boat.
"Yeah, he's gonna be fine, he got the fracture when he fell off the bed when they were trying to take a blood test." Joe snickered a little. I frowned and reached over to swat his arm. "Guess the kid's afraid of needles."
"Don't be mean, Joseph." I scolded lightly. "Where's Jackson?"
"He went to call everyone at the house, tell them you're okay. They woulda come, but they said immediate family only." Dad answered and I nodded. "Sent your Mam'aw and Grandma Ruby into their anger fits when they said they couldn't see you first."
"Can I talk to them?"
"We'll get a phone in here for you, but the Doctor wanted to do a CT scan, just to make sure." Dad said, I sighed, but nodded. If it was Dad, Jackson and Joe's peace of mind, I'd do it.
"I'll get Lilly to take Lorraine while you're gone." Joe sighed sadly, it hadn't even been two days ago that he went into his fit of red rage and Lorraine became scared of him.
N
As soon as Joe had stepped out of the room we were in he was accosted by a camera crew. I could only look on helplessly as Dad and a Doctor ushed me to get my CT scan. By the time I was allowed back twenty minutes later Joe was standing mutely between his brothers and parents whilst his mother talked exageratedly to an interviewer. Joe was brooding, glaring at his family, all with bright smiles on their faces.
"What's goin' on, Bud?" Dad finally asked the question I knew was coming.
"I don't know, Dad." I sighed, watching Joe. "I can't explain it, the way he makes me feel, the pull, the attraction, it's magnetic, and I can't stop it." I didn't want to stop it. "It wasn't there three years ago, but it's there now, and..." I took a deep breath. "And I don't want it to go away; whatever it is, I like it."
"Miley!" Lorraine was awake again and she jumped off the be next to Lilly and ran over to me. That got Joe's attention and he looked up, his expression brightening exponentially.
"Hey, Princess." I picked her up and she settled, resting her head on my shoulder.
"I was scared when you weren't here." Lorraine mumbled.
"It's okay, I'm here now, I just had to get my head checked." I assured, very aware of everyone staring at me, and cameras starting to move onto me. Who invited the cameras anyway? This was supposed to be reauniting with families, not interviews and sound bites.
"So Joe will stop worrying now?" I laughed lightly, I don't think Joe would ever stop worrying.
"Sure, Rai." I smoothed her hair down. "Why don't you go to sleep? It's been a long day and I don't want my little Princess being exhausted."
"'Kay." Lorraine agreed, yawning and proving how tired she was.
"Miss Stewart." The reporter that had been with Joe's family came over to me.
"Take a step back, Son." Dad warned the reporter as I laid Lorraine on a bed and assured her I'd be very nearby if she needed me.
"Miley, Miley, Miss Stewart." The reporter persisted, trying to get my attention.
"Hey. Back off my sister." Jackson snapped as I watched Lorraine's eyes droop. As soon as they were closed I turned back.
"Miss Stewart, what do you have to say about the crash? Your time as an outcast? Wh-" The reporter kept pestering until I couldn't take it anymore.
"Just leave me alone." I snapped at him, glaring harshly ad the whole room seemed to freeze. "Leave me alone; I just spent a week on an island, not sure if I'd ever see my family ever again. And now I want to spend time with my family, not be pestered by the likes of you."
"Is it true you and Joe Jonas are engaged to be married?" The reporter continued.
"T.V jerk with a really bad wig say what?" I turned back to him, wide-eyed. Where would something like that even come from?
"We've had reports that you two have been increasingly close, and Joe Jonas chose to go with you to visit your family first instead of his own."
"So that means we're engaged?" I scoffed, I may not know exactly what we were, but I'm pretty sure I would have remembered if he proposed to me. "Did you ever think that he might not have wanted to be around press and cameras the second he stepped foot back on civilised land?" Before I could continue my rant Joe appeared behind the report with a dark look on his face. He tapped the man on his shoulder and waited for him to turn.
"If you were smart you'd back off Miley right now before I make it so you'll never appear on TV ever again." Joe threatened in a low, dangerous voice. "Now why don't you go get a stupid bogus interview from the idiots that actually called you and wanted you here." His voice was earilly calm as he pushed the reporter none too gently towards his family. "What did the CT say?" Joe turned to me, his expression and voice softening now that the reporter was gone.
"It'll take a while to get the full results, but I'm fine." I assured him, he reached up and brushed his fingers over the stitches I'd gotten on the boat. "They said it was just a minor concussion, and there won't even be a scar or anything."
"Good." Joe let out a relieved breath. "Now, you've Lorraine to be, but you need to sleep too."
"I'm fine, Joe." I rolled my eyes.
"You've been awake for nineteen hours, and a twenty minute nap because you passed out doesn't count." Joe said, steering me towards a bed.
"He's right, Bud, you've been through a lot, but you're safe now so you need to relax and have a propper sleep." Dad agreed.
"If I have to sleep then so does Joe and Lilly; Joe woke up when I did, and Lilly was awake way before us." I pouted, well aware that I sounded childish, but I didn't care.
"I don't have any say over Joe and Lilly, but you're my little girl, Miley, and you need your sleep." Dad insisted, turning his sad blue eyes on me. Damnit. Is this how people felt when I turned pouty eyes on them? 'Cause me and Dad have the same eyes and I was finding it very difficult to resist.
"Come on, Grad, I'll be in the bed just over there if it makes you feel better?" Joe said softly, pointing to a bed two down on my right. That was so far; after a week of such close proximity to Joe it was going to take some getting used to to sleep on my own again. I looked around, I wasn't the only one in bed, most of the other survivors were getting into bed or already asleep. The Doctors insisted that we should all stay here at least overnight, just as a precaution.
"And we'll be just here if you need us, Mile." Jackson added brightly. God, I missed my big brother.
"Okay." I sighed reluctantly, laying down on the crisp white hospital sheets.
A
My eyes flickered around the darkened hospital, all the lights turned down dimly. Mostly everyone was sleeping, even family members had taken up bed so they could be close to their returned loved ones. I hadn't really been asleep, I'd been in that place between sleep and wake, not able to completely fall into unconsciousness. I felt restless, like something wasn't right. I sat up a little and got a better look around; Lilly was sleeping peacefully with her little brother Daniel in bed next to her, Dad and Jackson were sleeping in uncomfortable looking plastic chairs, the kids were all asleep, oblivious and happy. Joe was two beds down, his hands folded over his stomach and his eyes closed, but I knew he wasn't asleep. I carefully rept out of bed and tiptoed over to his.
"Joe?" I whispered and his eyes flew open, the golden brown pools looking almost black in the darkness.
"Hey." His voice was hoarse and scratchy.
"I can't sleep." I looked down, flushing, playing with my fingers.
"Me either." Joe muttered, scooting over and hlding his blanket up in invitation. "You're Dad is gonna kill me when he sees, but whatever, you're so worth it." He grinned through the darkness and I blushed again.
"What are we gonna do when you're not just two beds away anymore?" I asked as I curled into his warm, strong arms.
"Fuck, I don't know." Joe sighed, burrying his face in my hair. "It's only been a week and I already can't sleep without you." I kissed his scruffy jawline. "What're you thinkin' about, Sexy Grad?"
"It scares me how much I need you already." I whispered, reaching my fingers up to brush against his lips. "How much I l-... care about you." I was going to say love. Was it possible that I loved Joe?
"It scares me too, Milo." Joe murmured, kissing my fingertips lightly. "But, it scares me even more to think about not being around you, or seeing you unhappy. And it fucking terrifies me to think of you being hurt."
"How do you always know the perfect thing to say?" I accused playfully.
"Nothing seems perfect enough for you." Joe nuzzled against me and kissed my lips tenderly. "Get some sleep, Baby, I have a feeling you're going to be woken early by your Dad killing me." He kissed me again and settled me as close to him as possible. I smiled and nuzzled against his chest, feeling the exhaustian catch up with me and I was out within a couple of minutes. "I think I love you, Miley." Joe whispered when I was barely hanging onto consciousness.
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