Believe It Or Not (An Eddie Munson Story)

Sandman

Eddie's POV:

"Thank you for being here during her recovery, Eddie." Ripley's mom says for what seems the millionth time today. Ripley is being discharged from the hospital and is finally going home and like I promised, I never left her side. Uncle Wayne had come by to drop off some clothes and school work off. He had made small talk with her mom and had joked with Ripley, making her laugh before ultimately leaving me here. Ripley's mom still had to work so I stayed on the spare bed in the corner of the room, reading to her until she fell asleep and then curling up and trying to sleep as well. When I did drift off, the same nightmare haunted me. Ripley's vacant and drugged expression peering up at me as I try to call for her, begging her to wake up and to come back to me. I've barely gotten much sleep, but I know it's nothing in comparison to the nightmares Ripley deals with.

The first few nights were the worst. She would wake up screaming and thrashing about, yelling for someone to help her. Finally, the doctors decided she needed to take something each night before bed for her nerves. She doesn't like the way the medicine makes her feel but she takes it none the less, desperate for the nightmares to end. Hopefully she will continue to improve once she is home and settled back in her own room.

"I promised her I wasn't going anywhere," I tell her mom and she smiles. She pats my arm affectionately and turns to finish filling out Ripley's discharge forms. I head back into her room. Ripley is perched on the edge of her bed, looking out the window, the sun shining on her face. She sighs slightly and when I approach she smiles sweetly up at me. I try to ignore the dark circles under her eyes.

"I'm ready to get out of here," she says softly and I chuckle sinking down to sit beside her.

"I don't know. I'm going to miss the constant beeping of the machines, the loud nurses going in and out all throughout the night, and the super sexy socks they give you."

She bumps her shoulder against mine and I laugh freely, my chest fluttering at the sight of a genuine smile on her lips. The sight so rare over the last week.

"I'm not looking forward to school," she sighs and I turn to look out of the window.

"Your mom has filed a restraining order against Jason and has brought it to the school. The principal has been informed of the situation and has placed Jason in in school suspension so he will only be on campus for class and then escorted off once they have finished. His classes will basically be like detention and he will not even be able to mingle with his normal friends or the general population. The principal is really being thorough which is a pleasant surprise."

"I'm sure there will still be rumors though. People will still be talking about it and about me. I don't know if I'm prepared for that."

"We will handle it together," I say softly and she looks up at me with a sad expression. "Our friends have our back. Nothing anyone else says matters."

She nods and leans over so her head is resting on my shoulder and we sit in silence. It feels really nice to just be still in this moment with her. She's no longer hooked up to any machines and she's wearing her normal clothes. It's almost like we can put everything that happened behind us. There's a knock at the door and we turn to see her mom at the door with a smile. She informs us that we are good to go. I stand up and grab Ripley's bag off the bag off the floor, having bought my own down already and turn to her with a smile. A nurse comes in with a wheelchair to wheel her out to the curb and she looks reluctant but sits down in the seat regardless.

I help her mom get her in the car and I put her bag in the trunk. Ripley's eyes follow me the entire time. I talk briefly to her mom as she thanks me yet again and gives me a hug, inviting me to the house anytime before I duck down and get on eye level with Ripley. She leans forward a little in her seat, her hand coming up onto my chest.