The Reckless Conclusion [On Hold]

5| Hospital Beds

Every story has a hero and a villain, but who decides which is which? Sam never felt like a protagonist or antagonist. She assumed she was somewhere in the middle. She always thought of herself as a decent person. As she lay in the hospital bed looking at the white ceiling, she couldn't ignore the feeling that she remained the antagonist of Scott's Shaw story.

She caressed Ray's hair as he breathed deeply. He fell asleep soon after the nurse gave her sedatives. Sam should be asleep as well, but somehow she felt more awake.

Probably because she had to go to the bathroom. She lifted herself on her elbow and slowly sat down. Her head felt dizzy as she lowered her feet to the cold ground. Samantha took her time leaving the bed, feeling thankful the drip was no longer restraining the movements of her right hand.

The wall felt chilly as she moved her hand, looking for the light switch in the bathroom. She walked into the room, stopping in the middle of the space, and letting her eyes adjust to the bright light.

White surroundings shone as she reached the toilet. She finished her business and lifted herself with the help of a metal bar attached to the wall. Sam felt like crawling would be a better option and she wasn't sure why her legs seemed so jiggly. She gripped a white sink and looked at the mirror.

The view wasn't great, as she suspected. Her face appeared puffy, and it had dark circles underneath her blue eyes. Her hair remained loose but seemed greasy. She concluded that she needed a shower as soon as possible.

She glanced around, no toiletries seemed to be visible. Sam realized everything she owned stayed back at the apartment. She felt utterly naked, even with the hospital gown covering all her upper body parts. A chill reached her naked calves as the bathroom door opened.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Ray's eyebrows furrowed.

"I wanted to pee," she said, moving toward the door.

"That is why I stayed, to help," He took her elbow. "Don't look at me like that, I have seen plenty of you." He led her back to the bed. "And we are moving in together, so I don't see what is the big deal."

"Yeah, sure," she said sarcastically. "I want to shower." She sat on the bed.

Ray stood in front of her, lifting her legs on the bed. "I suspected that," he said, putting a white cover on her. "I told my mom what to buy. She and Logan bought everything you will need as soon as they left the hospital." He caressed her hair. "Logan will bring everything in the morning." He traveled to the other side of the bed and sat back in the chair.

"I can wait until morning."

"I will help you with that."

"I'm more than capable of washing myself," she interrupted him.

"Not this time, love." He leaned in closer, observing her face. "You can't move your arm. Let it heal, and just let me help," he pleaded.

"My eyes feel heavy," she mumbled.