Holstering High School 2 (The Walking Dead Game - Alternative Universe)

5 - Coffee and Recovery

Me and Luke go and grab some coffee, Nick still hadn't woken up from the anaesthetic.

"So I'll tell you something that'll settle your nerves" Luke says as we step back into the elevator holding cups of coffee.

"What?"

"Braydon was arrested" he smiles. I had completely forgotten about Braydon, it seemed like an eternity since new years but in reality it had only been 3 months.

"Why? What happened?"

"Police raided Gareth's house, found them growing marijuana in the basement. Pieced them together from previous dealings. They went to trial about two weeks ago. Now they're locked up, not sure how long but I think they're out of the equation." He says happily. Braydon was his friend at one point. It seemed strange.

"Weren't you friends with Braydon?" I ask him as we walk through the corridor back to Nicks room grasping on coffee cups.

"I was but then I saw what he did to Nick" he sighs.

"How do you know what he did to Nick?" I interrogate him. He was at the party?

"I was at the party"

"What?" There was no way he could've been there. I never saw him.

"I watched the fight" he admits.

"You watched them fight and you didn't think about stepping in as your friend gets beat to shit?" I give him an aggressive look.

"Its not as bad as it sounds. People don't break up fights, they just let it play out." He shrugs.

"You are fucking unbelievable, you know that, right?" I shake my head at him and walk into the room, not holding the door open for him.

"You didn't do anything either" he shouts back.

I stay silent. He was right, I never did do anything but I felt too still and silent to do anything at that time. Shocked as to what was happened and what Braydon had nearly just done to me. This conversation was over, we were both in the wrong.

"He's awake." Pete announces as I walk into the room.

I look over at the bed and see Nick who's moving his neck around ever so slightly. I run over to his bedside and kneel beside him.

"Thank God you're okay" I whisper to him before kissing him on the forehead. He replies with a drug induced smile.

"I am so fucking out of it right now" he grins chuckling ever so slightly.

I rest my head on his chest and allow him to stroke my hair.

"You took a hell of a crash, from a goddamned truck" Luke says as he walks over to the other side of the bed and sits down.

"A truck? Is my car okay?!" He panics. I didn't want him to get too stressed.

"If you mean its a lump of metal now, then yes" Luke grins. I shoot a harsh look at him.

"It'll be alright" I assure him trying to get him to ignore Luke's comments.

"Doctor came in a second a go. Said I have to stay here for a little while. My legs pretty fucked? Right?" He slurs.

"It was the impact, your leg locked onto the brake. Pretty sure you now have titanium in your leg" Luke sips on his coffee.

"So I'm now bionic?" Nick smiles.

"If you want to believe that, yeah." Luke chuckles at his friend.

The next couple of days were strange. Luke went home and Pete came back twice a day and stayed for a few hours. Nick didn't seem to mind but I was determined to stay with him the entire recovery.

"You can go home, I promise you. I'll be fine" Nick urges.

"I know but I can't leave you. I don't want to." I admit to him. My parents had respected my wishes to stay with Nick and brought me spare changes of clothes and my toothbrush and other little bits like money for food and other various supplies.

I had been sleeping on the small couch that was inside the room. It wasn't much and I didn't sleep that well on it but I just wanted to be here. Showering was a little strange in the hospital but it was in an en suite. I would speak to Nick as I go dressed.

"You know, I wish there wasn't a wall between me and the shower." Nick yells to me as I stand in the bathroom. I shake my head and laugh.

"You're such a pervert"

"You're my girlfriend now, its socially acceptable." He shouts back.

"No, its not" I chuckle leaning on the doorframe. He was laying in the hospital bed in the same position as he had been the past couple of days. The doctors had said he could go home to rest in the new week.

I would have to go to school then, my mom had allowed me to bunk off for a couple of days to be with Nick which I was thankful for. She understood.

"You look really pretty" his voice crackles. He hadn't moved his head, just his eyes. Smiling at me standing in the doorway.

"And you look like shit" I laugh walking over to his bed.

"Yeah...I know" he sighs.

I sit on the bed and lay beside him the best I could, my leg dangling off of the edge so I didn't touch his bad leg. I lay on my side and face him. He didn't want to move his head so he stayed staring at the ceiling. Wrapping one of my arms around his bare chest allowed me to cuddle with him even though he was in his current state.

"When you get out of here, I want to be the one to wheel you out in a wheelchair" I grin. I watch the smile on his face as he listens to my words.

"Alright, I'll let you push me. But only if you come to Pete's after school and play PlayStation with me"

"That's a deal" I shake his cold hand that he hasn't really moved in the past couple of days. But instead of shaking back he grips onto my fingers.

"I'm sorry I put you in danger." He apologises to me, he didn't need to do that.

"Its not your fault. You were in the right, I saw it with my own eyes. The light turned green, that truck driver just came smashing into you." I try to tell him the story the best I can remember.

"I know, but I can't help feeling guilt for it"

"You're in a lot of pain, I think even if you were in the wrong. You've paid for it. You don't deserve to feel guilt, you have nothing to feel guilty for." I stroke his black hair. It was greasy from not being able to shower for a few days but I didn't mind, it wasn't his fault.

"My legs pretty fucked though." He sighs looking down the best he could.

"Doctor said you'd been on crutches for 6 weeks, then you'll probably have to have a cane for another two. Depends." I explain, telling him what the doctor had said reminding him.

"Well this is going to suck"

"I know, but what else can we do?" I cuddle up to him and rub my nose on his cheek. He had even more stubble in a result from not shaving but it suited him, I liked it.