As an exchange student from Scotland, a whole new world opens up to Darren Green when he moves to the United States. He'll live with a host family, start at a new school, and he'll have to make new friends. However, what won't be a part of this new...
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"FINALLY." Liam smiled when he saw Darren walk into the hospital room. "Dude, you're here." He spoke much slower than Darren was used to, and it felt unnatural.
Darren nodded. "Yeah, I am." He slung his backpack off his shoulder and put it down on the floor, after which he grabbed a seat and dragged it next to Liam's bed.
"Did you get lost or something?" Liam said, following Darren's movements by turning his head. "Pop said you'd be here right after school."
"I got held up," Darren said. "I went to Mr. K to pick up a recommendation for my Princeton application, and Mr. K wanted to know all about my application and gave me some advice too."
Liam rolled his eyes. "Was it helpful advice, at least?"
"Nothing I didn't already know."
Liam sighed. "That man talks way too much for his own good."
Darren snickered. "Did they move you to a different room?" he asked then. "I walked into the room you were in the last time I visited you, but there were other people now."
Liam gestured toward the room he was in. "Clearly, I did." He smiled weakly. "The other room was in the ER, and I didn't need to be there any longer."
That made sense. "So, you'll stay here?"
Liam confirmed that.
"How long?" Darren asked.
Liam shrugged. "I don't know yet," he said. "They haven't mentioned a date, but they said that they wanted to keep an eye on me for at least a week."
"Isn't that a long time?" Darren's eyes widened.
He shrugged. "They'll need it, probably," he said. "And I'm not even close to gettin' out of this bed, so I ain't seeing myself leaving any time soon either."
Darren bit his lip. "Does it hurt?" he asked his host brother quietly.
"My wrist is okay," he said, lifting up his arm that had a white cast on it. "And they said those broken ribs will heal over time too if I take it easy – which I will." He chuckled. "There's not much else I can do."
Daren noticed how long it took Liam to explain all of this. His voice was so slow that it made him wonder if he didn't have a concussion.
"But my knee..." He groaned. "That f-ing hurts. With every small move I make, or when I hold it in the wrong position, I feel this burst of pain." He looked at the sheets that covered his knee. "I don't know what they did to it, but man, it better be worth it."
It was then that Darren realized Liam was speaking so slowly because he was trying to control his voice and the emotions that could break free any moment as a result of the pain. Darren cast his head down. It pained him to see his friendly, previously fit host brother so broken.
