Chapter 28
As Ryan was about to walk back in the hospital room, the door swung opened with Trey about to walk out in a hurry.
"Woah, what's wrong?" Ryan asked gently putting his hand up to stop him.
"Was Seth right? Was that Jenny?" Ryan saw the anger on his older brother's face; he could even feel the anger radiating off his body.
Ryan kept his tone calm, and gentle, "Yeah, it was. Her brother Luke, he brought her to apologize."
Trey scoffed, "Apologize? Like that is going to do anything? And what, you just accepted it and let her go on her merry way?"
Before Ryan responded, he pulled Trey out into the hallway, shutting the door so they didn't disturb Elena. "No Trey, I didn't. She did seem genuinely sorry, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to forgive and forget just like that. She asked if she could come back when Elena wakes up."
"Your ass better have said no." His brown eyes pierced through Ryan's blue eyes.
Ryan sighed heavily. "No Trey, I told her she can come back when she's awake to apologize."
"I'm not letting her anywhere near Elena, and if you had any right mind, you wouldn't either!" He raised his voice but lowered it immediately when some of the nursing staff started to stare at them.
Before Ryan replied, he saw the door to Elena's room open once more, Kirsten stepping out. "What's going on boys? We can hear you from in there."
"Do you wanna tell her or should I?" Trey crossed his arms over his chest.
Kirsten exchanged looks between the two boys; "Tell me what?"
Ryan sighed once more. "Jenny and Luke came by…"
Kirsten hugged her arms close to her body and nodded. "Yes, Seth told me that was who stopped by."
Dumbfounded by her response Trey scoffed, saying the only thing that he thought of. "And you're okay with that?"
"I honestly do not know what to think Trey; but Seth was telling Sandy and I that Luke came to the house last night and apologized for his sister, and apologized to how he treated Seth. That doesn't make what Jenny did okay, but she is just a kid as well." Kirsten tried to explain.
Trey threw his head back out of frustration pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you not know where we are? We are in the hospital because that kid bullied Elena into thinking she was too fat to even eat!" He looked between Kirsten and Ryan quickly.
Ryan swallowed hard. "Do you think this is easy for me Trey? Because it's not. But Jenny stood here, and gave me an heartfelt apology-she wants Elena to know how sorry she is. She wants to be a better person Trey; just like you do." He pointed out.
"But I didn't hurt her Ryan!"
"Okay boys, Trey; you need to lower your voice." Kirsten said in a harsh whisper.
Now Ryan was the one scoffing. "You didn't hurt her?"
Trey shook his head sharply. "No I didn't."
"If you don't think getting arrested and being in jail for all these years didn't hurt her, hurt us, then you are quite wrong my friend. I was the one who laid with her while she cried herself to sleep the night you were arrested and several months after that. I was the one that had to tell her that you were be convicted. Me. I saw what it did to the little girl, so don't you dare stand there and tell me that you didn't hurt her."
Ryan saw the hurt, the pain, wash over Trey's face immediately. He didn't mean for it to come out like it did. Before Ryan could say anything else, Trey turned on his heel, brushing passed Ryan and walking down the hall.
"Trey wait-" Ryan tried but Kirsten put a gentle touch on Ryan's arm.
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"I…I don't know, I mean I know he probably needs some time alone, but last night I found him in a bar, staring at a shot of whiskey. I don't know what the best thing to do is." Ryan's voice broke as he tried to swallow his tears. Between Elena, and what just happened with Trey he couldn't keep it in anymore.
Kirsten saw the teen struggling and pulled him close, letting him put his face in the crook of her neck as he cried. She had one hand on back of his head, stroking his blonde hair, as the other hand rubbed circles on his back.
Meanwhile with Luke and Jenny
Luke took Jenny to a diner across the street from the hospital to get something to eat.
Jenny sat quietly, poking at her blueberry pancakes that she only took a bite or two from.
Luke looked up from his plate, seeing the young girl in a slight trance. "Jen? Jen you okay?"
Jenny heard Luke's voice in a distance, although he was right in front of her. She shot her head up, looking lost. "Huh?"
"I asked if you were okay…" His tone was evident with concern.
"Oh, um yeah…I guess I'm just not as hungry as I thought." She then thought back to all the times she'd approached Elena, just to make comments about how fat she was or what she was eating at the time. She was relentless, and she didn't know the true reason. Tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't feel so good."
Before Luke could say something, she sprung up from the booth and sprinted to the bathroom. Once the bathroom door swung opened, she made a beeline to the closest stall. She got there just in time before her stomach emptied it's contents into the toilet. She sat herself on the bathroom floor, pressing her back against the wall of the stall letting her tears fall.
How did she become this person. A bully. She didn't want to be a bully.
A slight knock on the bathroom door shook her from her thoughts. "Jenny?" Luke asked, craning the door ever so slightly so she could hear him.
"I'm okay Luke, I'll be right out." She sniffled, wiping the tears with the back of her hand.
Luke hesitated, he didn't want to leave her alone; "Okay, I"ll be right out here." He shut the door and leaned his back up against the wall, waiting for her. That's when he heard her muffled sobs coming from inside the bathroom. He felt his own tear stinging the corning of his eyes.
Meanwhile in Elena's Hospital Room
It was about a half an hour since Trey left the hospital and has yet to return. Ryan was anxious; not knowing what Trey was getting himself into. He stood up from his chair; "Um, I think I'm going to go look for Trey."
"I'll come with you." Seth volunteered, standing up as well.
Sandy cleared his throat before speaking. "Hey Seth, you stay here with your mom, I'll go with Ryan." He aroused from his chair and placed a kiss on the top of Kirsten's head.
As Ryan was grabbing his jacket he heard rustling from Elena's bed. "Ry?"
He turned around and put on the best smile he could. "Hey you're awake."
She nodded groggily. "You're going somewhere?"
Sandy chimed in, starting with a kiss on her forehead. "Hey baby girl; Ryan and I are going to run to the house to grab a few things okay? We'll be back soon."
She nodded again, scanning the room and saw that her oldest brother wasn't here. "Where's Trey?"
Ryan didn't want to lie, but he also didn't want to tell her the truth. He went with the lesser of the two evils; "He went home to grab a shower, he'll be back soon."
"Oh okay." She seemed to have relaxed a little bit.
Ryan took her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Actually, before we go, I'd like to tell you something if you think you're up for it."
Elena gave him a blank stare. "Is it good or bad?"
"Well, I think it's good, but other's may disagree."
She nodded urging him to continue.
"Jenny stopped by earlier-"
Elena interrupted him upon hearing Jenny's name. "She did? Yo-you guys already talked to her parents?" She looked to Sandy and Kirsten.
"No baby we didn't." Kirsten insisted as she tucked a piece of Elena's hair behind her ear.
"Then-then why was she here?" She felt her eyes starting to sting as tears were producing.
Ryan gave her hand another gently squeeze, stroking the top of it with the pad of his thumb. "Mom and Dad didn't talk to her parents yet, but Summer, she texted Luke last night and told him what Jenny has been doing."
"Luke? You mean the guy we met at the diner several months ago? The one that was mean to Seth?" She looked over at her curly-haired brother sitting at the foot of her bed, his fingers intertwined with each other.
"Uh, yeah," Seth spoke. "Luke is Jenny's brother, and long story short, Luke came to our house last night to apologize to me, but to apologize for his sister."
"So she only came here because her brother made her come to apologize?" She glanced over at everyone.
Ryan shook his head, "Not exactly Lena. Luke did bring her to apologize, but Jenny wanted to. She wants you to know how sorry she is."
Elena wasn't sure how to feel. She quickly wiped a tear away from her eye that threatened to spill over. "Do you think she means it?"
"I do Kiddo, I do." He nodded placing a kiss on the top of her hand. "Jenny wanted to come back when you were awake; do you think you would be okay with that?"
"Honestly, I don't know what I think…but yeah…she can come back." Elena replied softly.
Ryan smiled at the little girl. She was so strong, and Ryan couldn't be anymore proud. "Okay, I'll let them know to come in about an hour or so, Dad and I should be back by then-"
"No Ry, I'd prefer if they could come as soon as possible, before I lose the courage to face her. You and daddy don't need to be here."
"Baby girl, I think I'd feel better if I were here when she is." Sandy finally spoke up.
Elena offered him a reassuring smile. "Daddy I'll be fine. Mommy and Seth are here; and Seth said Summer and Caitlin will be here soon. I'll be okay."
Although he didn't like it too much he nodded and smiled proudly at her. "Okay baby; but we will be back as soon as possible." He kissed the top of her head softly. "I love you so much."
"I love you too Daddy."
Ryan also placed a kiss on her head.
After a few more goodbyes Sandy and Ryan left the hospital to go find Trey.