A Beam of Hope

Chapter 8: The Night Before

I went into my room, picked up my book and started to finish the last few chapters.

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*The next day*

POV Hope:

After I finished my book, Maya and I picked out things for school. I got a new water bottle which I got stickers for it, a red backpack and a bunch of other needed supplies for school. Maya also gave me a Station 19 sticker. School starts tomorrow, which is very nerve racking. While we were shopping on the island counter, Carina was making dinner across the table. Her homemade pasta was so good.

After Maya and I were done, I decided to help, which we ended up having a flour fight. Dinner was great as always but I was dreading tomorrow. Just knowing I have to go to school and interact with people makes me want to have an anxiety attack.

"Adapt and overcome" I kept telling myself. "Huh? Did you say something, Hope?" Maya asked me while we were putting up the dishes into the dishwasher. "Oh, I was thinking out loud." I said to Maya. "What did you say" Maya asked. "I was just telling myself to 'adapt and overcome'" I tell her.

"Why do you say that?" Maya questions me. "I really don't know, I guess. It has always been a thing I have said to myself. I don't know where it came from." "Oh that is ok, I have a saying too. It is 'eyes forward', although it is a saying that was pounded into me. Does your saying make you feel braver or give you a convenience boost?" She asked me. "Yeah, you could say that," I replied.

After that awkward conversation with Maya, I asked her about school and other stuff.

"So what will I do after school ends?" "Well since your school is the same distance from the station and the hospital, you can choose which one you want to go to in the mornings. That way we know where you are after school" Carina explained to me. "Ok. Totally off topic but Maya did you find a place that does wheelchair racing?" I ask.

"Uhh yeah, I found a place a little past the hospital. So the days you have to go to the facility, you will go to the hospital afterwards and go home with Carina. You will start next week, that way you can get used to being in school" Maya explained to me.

"This is a weird request but I'm going to say it. Do you think we can get a calendar or a calendar app on our phones to put in events? So that way I know what is going to happen during the week and we can put in events and it gives me a heads up on what is coming up." I said with some nervousness in my voice. "Yeah we can do that, bambina. What would you prefer, physical calendar or app calendar on our phones?" Carina asked.

"I think both? I don't know? Is that too much? Because it is ok if we only do one? O-or..." I start rambling on.

"Hey hey hey, slow down. We can do both, we can have a physical one at home on the wall in the kitchen. Then, we can have a calendar app on our phones" Maya quickly jumps in and says to calm me down.

We all grabbed our phones and downloaded Google calendar, all synced up our calendars and started putting in our events. "Wait, what is this gala you put in, Carina?" I ask with a little panic in my voice. "It is a simple party for the doctors from all departments," Carina replied.

"Ok, a little anxious but in a few hours most of my anxiety will die down. Do we have to wear dresses or fancy clothes to the gala? Fancy is not really my thing. My style is casual" I chuckle while saying the last sentence. "What were you thinking of wearing?" Maya asks me. "I can show you, in my room?" "Yeah, we can go in there and you can show us," Maya responded.

All three of us made our way to my room, Carina sat on my bed and Maya right below Carina on the floor, while I pulled out an outfit. I went into my closet grabbed a gray shirt, short sleeve floral gray button up, black jeans with holes at the knees and lastly my dark navy ultrarange Vans shoes.

"Ok, this is what my style looks like" I say while wheeling my way to the bed to lay out the clothes. "Hopey, you make casual look good" Maya says. "Is this good enough for the gala? Because dresses are the death of me, even before the accident" I say. "It is good for the gala, bambina," Carina said.

"Cool, I think I'm going to grab a shower tonight so that will save me time in the morning for school." "Ok we are going to get out of your way and let you shower" Maya says to me.

POV Maya:

"Carina, are you going to take Hope in the morning or me? Also if I take her I'm going to need you to take the truck." "I can take her in the morning but Hope has to come to the hospital after school so she can be fitted for her wheelchair for racing" Carina said. "Ok that is good with me. I'm going to go tell Hope."

I walk towards Hope's door and knock on the door, "Hey Hope, can I come in?" "Yeah" she replies with a struggling voice. I opened the door and saw her land hard on the bed just from transferring from her wheelchair to the bed. "Almost missed the bed, by the way," I said jokingly. "Good observation Captain obvious, oh whoops sorry I meant Captain Deluca-Bishop" she said sarcastically. We had a good laugh.

"So what's up?" She asks. "Oh yeah. I came to tell you that Carina is taking you to school in the morning and then you will go to the hospital after school to get fitted for the wheelchair racing chair." "Ok, what time are we leaving?" "Y'all will leave around 7:45am" I say to Hope. Hope gave me a enthusiastic thumbs up.

POV Hope:

After Maya turned off the lights and left, I plugged my phone and put it on my nightstand. I fell asleep after 5 minutes. Little did I know that a nightmare would reveal what I have been hiding from Maya and Carina ever since I got here.

POV Carina:

It was around 3 in the morning, when I heard a sound coming from Hope's room. The sound was more of a whimper or scream. I quickly got out of bed and ran towards Hope's room. I opened the door and saw her tossing and turning in her bed. I quickly ran towards her, holding her in a tight hug, rocking her and myself side to side.

I just held her and hugging her until she woke up from what I think is a PTSD episode or a very bad dream.

"Hey hey hey bambina. I'm here. I'm here. Hopey, please wake up" I said to her. "NO no no no, I can't. No no no, I can't do it!" She yelled in her sleep. By this time Maya runs into the room. "Hey Carina, what is happening?" Maya asked with a panicked voice. "I don't know, bella. I found her like this and she isn't snapping out of it."

Just then, Hope started to wake up and snap out of it.

"Hey, what are y'all doing in here?" She asked us, not even remembering what just happened. "We got worried because you were kinda screaming in your sleep" Maya said to her. "Ok. Well I'm fine, so y'all can go back to y'all's bed" She said to Maya and me. "Ok goodnight, bella. If you need us, don't hesitate to get us" I said while heading back to our room.

"She doesn't even remember what happened, Carina," Maya said to me. "I know, bella. I will have her checked out at the hospital after school."

After a few minutes, I drifted off to sleep for another 4 hours until I had to get up.

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Author's note: Does Hope have some unresolved PTSD we don't know about?

Will Carina and Maya tell her about that episode?

Fun fact about me (TheFlash7656): Hope is loosely based off of me. She has characteristics of myself. Example: I have anxiety and I was adopted.

Here is a question for y'all, would you like Hope to get Toby (the dog mentioned in the prologue) soon?

As always comment your favorite part of the chapter!😊

Sneak peak: I slowly got out of the bed, trying not to wake up Carina. I walked into the kitchen and found the French press filled with hot coffee, as if it was just made. I was confused, still half asleep until it clicked, "Oh, Hope must have made the coffee".