Opposites | Finn Hudson

Balloons, Flowers, Animals, and Socks

Sleep was a thing of the past for me. All night I tried going to sleep, but a machine would beep or I'd hear a nurse walk in and I'd become frighten and sit up quickly. I finally gave up at two in the morning, pulling a chair back up next to his bed and watching tv. We watched children's cartoons and I'd crack jokes, hearing him laugh in my head.

Once it was morning, the news channels flooded with the story. No matter what channel I flipped to, it was about the shooting. I rolled my eyes and turned the tv off, feeling myself become drowsy. I decided I'd get Carol breakfast, knowing how exhausted she probably was as well as I was. I stood up and grabbed my tank, quietly grabbing my backpack and walking out the room. "Perfect timing, I was just about to pull you out to change your gauze." The same nurse from yeterday stopped me. I smiled and followed her to a little open room. "I never caught your name?" I looked to her as she softly peeled the tissues and things off my cheek. "Angel." She greeted, then reapplying bandages. I groaned in pain until she was done and got up. "Do you mind walking with me to the cafeteria and explaining what's going on with Finn?" I asked. "No problem, let's go." She waved her hand.

"So they found the bullet lodged into the outer wall of his lung, causing a puncture in it.
They removed it and put tissue from his hip on it so it wouldn't cause any more damage. Now it just has heal over." Angel explained as we went down the many floors, "We're gonna keep him for about three to four weeks, he'll need physical therapy for his breathing and chest once his lung had fully enclosed. Unfortunately, he won't be able to do any more choir shows until mid November, along with any sport. He'll be able to sing, but I'm gonna limit it to about one song a month after a month of vocal rest. We don't want him using his lungs too much." We made it to the cafeteria and I started grabbing anything I thought she would like.

"God, that's gonna be so hard for him." I sighed, piling breakfast onto the tray. "Just sitting there and watching us at Nationals and Sectionals next year, I bet that'll be torture." I paid for the things once again with the hospital card. We began walking back and I saw the gift shop. I put the tray down on a table and checked my wallet. I had money in it. "I need to blow my money." I looked at Angel. "Oh my goodness." She giggled, covering her mouth. She grabbed the tray and followed me to the gift shop.

Thirteen balloons, four vases of flowers, eight stuffed animals, and a pair of fuzzy socks later, I was set. People stared at me as I walked back to the room. "Camila?" I heard someone say. I turned around and saw Rachel. Her face turned to worry seeing mine. I turned to Angel. "Can you take that tray up to the room? Thank you for helping me." I asked. "No problem, see you in a bit." She slightly hugged me before walking off. I rolled the cart of stuff next to a chair and wrapped Rachel in an embrace. I felt her tears soak into my long sleeve shirt. "How are you? How's Finn?" She asked sitting down, me joing her as well. "Well, me? I'm better off than Finn." I half laughed, looking down at my feet. "I've been reading up on articles about what happened and everyone has been texting me updates. It's just a shame." She looked down and shook her head, "When I heard it happened, I just stopped what I was doing and started packing my stuff."

"Finn is all messed up. It hurts me so bad seeing him like that." I rubbed my arm. "He looks so helpless." "I know. I could only imagine." Rachel frowned. "He can't do anything until November. He's gonna get bored really quick." "He can still go to Glee Camp." Rachel shrugged. "Glee Camp? Why haven't I been informed about this camp?" I looked up at her. "Every year, once competition is done, all the Glee Clubs who competed in our area come together just to sing and remove the tension from the competitions. The age ranges are six to eighteen. So there will be a bunch of people there." She explained. "Damn, I guess I'm going then." I chuckled.

She handed me a two balloons and two stuffed animals. "The basketball balloon and elephant is for Finn, the Disney Princess balloon and turtle is yours. I have to run, my dad's and I are gonns go see some plays downtown." I hugged her tightly and untangled my cord from her hair, laughing with her. "How did we go from fighting to being best friends?" Rachel asked getting up with me. "I guess god knew we were meant to be." I smiled with her. She hugged me goodbye again before walking off. I set her gifts in the card and tied the balloons on the handle next to the others and went back to the room.

Once I opened the door, Carol's eyes lit up. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and came rushing over, hugging me tightly. "Awe baby this is why I count as you as mine." She pouted and smiled. "Just making sure he feels comfortable when he wakes up." I grinned. Carol helped me tie the balloons to his bed side and around the room. I watered the flowers and placed it on the table next to him and in the window sill. Carol spread the stuffed animals around the room as well as the balloons before putting the socks on his feet. I set the elephant Rachel got him on one side and the Ohio state pit bull dog on the other side of his abdomen. I grabbed my fruit cup and smoothie and set it on the table next to him bed.

I then began to eat breakfast and watch Spongebob with Finn.