That Broken Boy |♔| Kian Lawley

[08]

She whimpered quietly, "They sound amazing. I wish I grew up like that, but mother was always at work when I was home, then she would be home when I wasn't, so I'd never see her. I don't know who my dad is and my siblings live with their father."

I laid my free hand on top of her arm, trying my best to comfort her, "It's okay. You have us now-Ricky, Jc, Connor-I know for sure that they'd never leave you. My family loves you already from what they've heard about you. You have family Ryley, you're not alone in life, I promise."

"I know, but feels like it sometimes. Your mind will constantly tell you that you're alone in life, no one will ever love you and it keeps repeating until I believe it."

I nodded, bobbing my chin against her hair and sniffing in her smell at the same time; coconut herbs. She seemed comfortable in her own little world, and I began to assume that she fell asleep again, but the silence barriers were broken by the vibrations of her voice.

"Will I ever be healed?"

I looked at her face, in the process of digging my chin into my shoulder but I didn't care. Her eyes were still lapsed into the pictures sitting on my desk, I knew what she was thinking about without even asking. She wanted a family, not just the lame excuse of supportive friends; she needed her mother here, she needed to know where her father went, she needed to know if her siblings were alright, she needed to have a normal life.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't speak right, I can barely walk on my own, I keep forgetting every single thing you tell me. Hell, I even forgot your's and Ricky's names earlier today."

"Ryley, don't think like that. I'll take you to speech therapy three days a week, you're not that bad at speaking, you just forget the pronouns in your sentences sometimes. Everything going on right now is simply just the side effect from your coma, you won't be like this forever."

She huffed, "You can't be sure of that."

I smiled, "You're completely right, I cannot be sure of that and I will never be sure, but I do know that you will be alright in no time. You can do amazing things, I mean you even fought for your life just a few weeks ago, you'll get through this. You are stronger than you lead yourself on to be, you just have to stop doubting yourself."

"I'll be healed in no time," she mumbled to herself after nodding along to what I had just said.

I felt completely and utterly terrible for what has happened to Ryley, even though none of it is my fault. I wish I could locate her father and give her the regular life she wants back, but that is close to impossible. She wants a real family, the hugs from her mother and the sport play from her father. My best friend wants everything I have, and I'm fully prepared to share every last bit with her, because sharing is caring and I care so much for her.

Before I could see it coming, Ryley's soft snores echoed through the room and I felt her foot brush my shin when she was twitching. As irritating as it is to get kicked by someone while their faint snores intrude your ear drums, I didn't completely mind since it was my best friend who had just gotten out of the hospital, but if it were anyone else, I might possibly have shoved them off my bed. My arm-which was snaked under Ryley's neck-was numb, it had lost all feeling such a long time ago and I felt so uncomfortable, but my body was being used as a pillow and I didn't want to move because I knew I would've woken Ryley, so I stayed as uncomfortable as could be.