I know this one is long but trust me pls read through it you'll love it -MJ
•••
Rafe and I have never really gotten along until a little while ago. It started with childhood memories of me playing with sarah and him teasing me in any way shape or form as all dumb little boys do. As we grew up, we tolerated each other more but I was in disgust of his lifestyle: the drinking, the girls, the cursing, the total disregard for others. Not my thing.
No, we're not sworn enemies. That's weird and unrealistic for regular teenagers living normal lives. It was only until I started to help him with this cross of Santa something something (who even remembers) that we started to become close acquaintances.
•••
"Rafe!" I yelled with all my might as I started to get dizzy from the pain. A million thoughts started running through my head. I have extremely painful period cramps that have sent me to the ER and they don't even measure up to the searing pain shooting through my back and shoulders right now.
Just as Rafe knocks out Limbrey's brother his head snaps towards me. His eyes almost glow in horror has he runs over to me and kneels next to where I crouch in excruciating pain on the ground. He audibly gasps as he sees the back of my white shirt completely drenched in bright red blood. He lifts the back up and mutters, "Oh my God," as he tries to catch his breath.
"Rafe," I say again meekly as my vision starts to blur and the room starts to spin. He looks toward Limbrey passed out on the ground before exclaiming, "we gotta get you to the hospital, holy shit."
I try to look up at him but everything starts to go black. The last thing I see is the glimmer of the cross in the truck in the near distance as I collapse into his lap, clutching his arms.
•••
"You're prescription for the topical cream is set, the pharmacist will tell you more details on what to do but every three hours max, and changing the dressings each time you do so, k sweetie? Oh! And only sleeping on your tummy for the next few weeks okay?"
I weakly look up from where I sit on the hospital bed at the sweet doctor in front of me as she smiles at my nod and hands Rafe a slip of paper, presumably the form for my discharge.
It's embarassing that I'm in the pediatric department. I don't know why, it just is. "I like her mickey mouse scrubs," I say with a raspy voice.
Rafe looks at me with almost glistening eyes as he huffs out a breath he was holding in. He stares at me for a moment further as he clicks the pen in his hand open.
"Didn't know Limbrey's cane had a fucking knife retractor at the end of it," he says referring to the large gashes on my back, earning a scoff from me.
"Not a good look," I nod at him, pointing to the bandages wrapped around his knuckles and the bruise on his chin.
"Not as bad as you look. Wanna know what I told them?"
"Not really"
"Ok"
I shift in discomfort and uncross my legs. "Are you in pain?" He asks, walking towards me, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. I shake my head even though my back aches a bit from the poking and prodding from the doctors. Compared to how I felt before, I was in heaven. "That's morphine for ya," I joke.
He smiles sadly even thought that's a joke he'd usually at least scoff at.
"I didn't mean for you to get hurt," he says slowly, not looking at me. "I feel like shit that you're torn up because of me-"
"Shhh, I just wanna go home," I say. "You can say you're sorry tomorrow," I say honestly as my eyes droop. It must've been a couple hours past midnight.
"Yeah, yeah of course," he says readjusting the padding on my back and the zip up around my shoulders. His fingers brush past my collar bone, making goosebumps rise all over my body and my heart to speed up a bit.
