AN: hey guys! -waves- Thank you all for the well wishes it seems I'm healing faster than the surgeon expected so yay! I can sit up at the computer without much pain and I'm bored as hell so I decided to start writing a bit sooner rather than later! :) I'm glad everyone liked Edd's father's chapter it was interesting to write his perspective of things, later I may even show you a peak into Isabelle's fortress of a mind. I wish this could have been a tad longer but do to not being able to sit up in a chair all the time this is all I can give atm :)
It was very disorienting.
To hear voices and words filter through the edges of his mind like lost music notes being played on a piano.
It was even more so not be able to see who was speaking them.
Then again maybe he should be more concerned about the shadowy blackness that was wrapped around his body like the grip of an anaconda.
It was peaceful he supposed, in a lonely aimless way.
He couldn't quite recall how he had gotten in such a place, nor why he could not leave.
All that he knew was that he knew those voices.
And that he very much needed to get back to where ever it is that they were.
But something kept stopping him.
Deep down this little stirring of fear and pain that whispered oh so seductively to just stay where he was.
So he kept listening.
Maybe one of the other voices would convince him to have the courage to leave this place.
But right now it was too safe, and too painless to make him want to leave.
A month had passed slowly but steadily, and a new routine sprung forth in his life.
Pull himself from bed around six thirty am, force himself to take a much needed shower.
Get dressed properly, run a lazy hand through his hair as a comb messily and head downstairs.
Then he'd let his mom baby him a bit and force him to eat whatever it is she had managed to make while on four cups of coffee to keep herself awake while not on the night shift.
He would then grab his book bag and hat and walk to school with Marie, Naz, and Nat and try desperately to get through the day without flunking or daydreaming too badly.
As soon as the final bell rang out each day he'd be out of the classroom before anyone else could even pick up their belongings.
Which brought forlorn smiles to all of his friends faces at his antics.
Even now, after a month of doing so he still kept to it.
But he was beyond caring at this point.
He just wanted to get as far away from all the stares and whispers as he could.
After Edd had been hit by that random car, two rumors had sprung up like tall ugly weeds that couldn't be cut down no matter how much they tried to disperse them.
The first rumor was that it was no accident that Edd had been hit.
That it had been a predetermined attempt at murder.
The rumor was that two other people had been present for the car accident, the person who had pushed Edd into the street, and the one who had hid like a coward and seen it happen.
But no witness had come forward even despite the endeavors of both the gossip mill of Sarah and Jimmy combine and Eddy's unsavory underground connections.
No one wanted to be caught in the middle of a police investigation for murder that was for sure.
But part of him kind of hoped they would get somewhere on the case soon.
He just hoped someone would be brave enough to come forward.
As for the second rumor? Well it had bothered him at first of course but I guess there's really no going back anymore when you're actively visiting the other person in the rumor in the hospital like a worried husband everyday.
The second rumor you can probably already guess; was that Double D and him had been secretly dating for months.
He neither confirmed or denied it which kinda made matters worse for his reputation, which was in the toilet now if you were wondering.
Though at this point it didn't much matter anymore anyways.
The school found out the same day of Edd's hospitalization, about an hour or so after it had happened the teachers had been informed; which meant the students would find out before the last bell.
When Ed and Eddy found out about their ex best friend's accident they had very different reactions.
Marie had seen both reactions since she had the unfortunate pleasure of being in the same class as both of them.
The poor gentle giant of the two was said to have gone very quiet, his lips quivered subtlety in a whimper of sorts as his brow furrowed up in internal anguish before he'd fallen out of his desk and sunk to his knees.
All that anyone could get out of him was a mish mashed jumble of, "I shouldn't have never left him you know?" or "It's not real, you're lying." over and over.
Sarah had to be called out of her own class to take her brother home, and for once she didn't berate him for crying and she didn't lose her cool either.
For once she let herself cry too.
She just held onto his hand tightly as she lead him out of the school gently and caring.
They both cried together giving one another silent comfort and the warmth of each other's hands.
Now Eddy?
That was a different story and reaction, not that Eddy's reaction wasn't something he hadn't expected.
Nevertheless hearing about it still surprised him.
I think something must have snapped upstairs in him some when he found out, because I was told he had over turned his whole desk nearly injuring the student next to him in the process while he stormed his way out of the classroom.
Destroying several lockers on his way out of the school and was suspended two weeks for picking a fight with one of the hockey team members, for what it wasn't said.
Now personally I've seen the half pint mad before, he could get pretty fucking steamed up over money or jaw breakers when they were all kids.
But he'd never heard of the shorter teen causing harm to someone else.
No that would mean being like his older brother, and Eddy hated to be compared to him.
I guess he really must care about Double D deep down in his shriveled up heart somewhere.
Last bell rang out like a shriek and before he knew what his body was doing he'd slung his bag onto his shoulder was out the door.
Hurried footsteps caught up to him and he felt Nat's warm familiar presence at his side.
These days Nat wasn't as talkative or lively but was a calming welcome fixture in his life still as he'd always been.
"So what did the doctors say last time you were there?" Nat questioned softly finally speaking up as they trudged through the snow on the sidewalks.
Sighing he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, "They said his body was healing good, and that he could wake up at anytime. His brain activity is better, more active than it was before. Which is really good you know?"
Nat watched him sadly, "Yeah, that is good Kev."
But there was a hanging silence between them afterward because they both knew what Edd waking up meant.
He'd have to leave him alone.
Permanently.
And he really wasn't sure he was going to make good on his promise either.
He was going to you know? For Edd's future, he deserved to the chance to be happy without him messing it up for him.
But, maybe he was too selfish to keep the promise he'd made.
Nat patted his back gently, "Well I gotta meet Nazzy for some much needed girl chit chat, seems she's got a crush and is confused about it!" He grinned conspiratorially, "And you and I both know she's as much in the closet as you once were!"
With that Nat ruffled his hair earning an "Oi!" from him and he was dancing down the side street toward the small Cul-de-sac that had started it all.
Shaking his head he felt a small wary smile twitch at his lips.
Maybe this was the beginning of something better.
After all how much more of a shit streak could they all take?
The hospital was buzzing as usual once he had finally walked through the doors.
His cheeks were a burnt red from the cold long trek from school, but he barely felt it.
The nurses smiled politely at Kevin as the head nurse Janice he thinks her name was, lead him toward the new room Edd had been situated in for the past week or two.
His wounds were healing over great, there were no more bruises marring his pale face.
Cuts had healed over and disappeared, his leg was in a smaller cast and healing quite nicely.
As for his head he'd have a nice new scar going up from the side of his temple into his hair but he could care less as long as the dork was alive.
Before they entered the room Janice squeezed his shoulder soothingly, "If you need anything just hit the call button Kevin, you know the drill if you see any change in him you contact us right away."
He nodded automatically before walking ahead into the room.
The room was over flowing with colorful flowers, get well cards, and stuffed animals, sent from various students over the past month.
The sight always jarred him, and kind of made him jealous.
Where were all these people when Edd was suffering silently?
How dare they send get wells, and flowers like they were all friends with him.
Rubbing his face he sunk into the chair next to Edd's bed.
The sound of a healthy steady heartbeat was soothing to his ears and relieved some of his anger.
"You gotta wake up soon dork, I don't know how much more of you being so silent I can take." He pulled off his red baseball cap and carded a nervous hand through his auburn tresses before looking to the oh so quiet and small teen on the bed.
Thankfully he wasn't hooked up to any breathing assistance anymore, there were less and less wires coming out of him these days.
It was somewhat reassuring.
Edd's face was even regaining some color again.
Which he tried to tell himself was a good thing but he didn't want to keep getting ahead of himself.
He hesitantly took hold of the smaller paler hand on the bed into his larger tanner one and interlaced their fingers together.
"My mom keeps telling me to talk to you, but I think I've just about talked off your ears by now huh? Geez...I don't even know if you can even hear me...but...please, if you can..." He rubbed at his eyes with his free hand, "I...I may kinda sorta...l-like you a bit more than I expected okay? Fuck this is hard..."
He thumped his left foot against the floor annoyingly, "Look I'm only gonna say this once, and it's kinda good you're unconscious when I say it cause I'm not sure I can handle how you'll react, so...here goes. Edd...I...I love you okay? So you gotta stop fucking being in a coma okay?" He rubbed his eyes again and put his cap back on.
"This is stupid, you can't even hear me...why do I keep..."
But then something caught him completely off guard because it had never ever happened before.
Edd's fingers weakly gripped his own.
The heart monitor sped up ever so slightly.
He fumbled for the call button his hands shaking badly by now he pressed the red button repeatedly not going for subtle.
Foot steps sounded in the hall and Janice popped her head in her eyes alert and worried, "Is everything okay dear?"
He turned his wide shocked eyes to the heart monitor and back to Edd's hand, "He...he...his hand...his fingers twitched!"
Beaming brightly Janice nodded, "I'll call the doctor right away." She checked over Edd's vitals, "but I think you are right, he just might be done with his beauty sleep; and it's about time if you ask me."
Hurriedly she paged the doctor on call for Edd.
"Fuck yeah...I think so too." He uttered weakly.
Janice smiled some, "I'll be back I have to check on a few patients."
She left the room swiftly but with a bit more of a happier spring to her step.
Minutes passed that seemed like centuries to him as he waited gripping Edd's hand with both of his hands now.
A flutter of lashes revealed soft cyan eyes and he nearly broke down crying in relief, "Edd..."
The eyes blinked and squinted straining against the light in the room to adjust as they zoned in on him.
Confusion filtered through them and he suddenly felt as if ice had been dropped into his stomach.
"K-Kev..." Edd wet his lips with his tongue trying to get out the words, "Kev...in...? Wat...you...doi...ng...'ere?" He slurred at the end his voice raspy sounding.
"Idiot...where else would I be?" He nearly yelled out.
Shaking his head again the ravenette looked even more confused.
Soon the doctor and head nurse Janice rushed in and he was forced to let go of Edd's hand and move away from the bed.
Why did he have that same sinking feeling he always got when something bad was going to happen?
He was soon shooed from the room and lead into the hall by another nurse.
His brows furrowed.
Why was Edd so surprised he was here?
He couldn't make any sense of it.
I mean he'd said his name, he'd remembered him!
Right...?