1000 Reasons To Smile

Chapter 26: Cat Fight

Peyton's POV:

   It's been five days since the accident. Flynn still hasn't woken up yet. The doctors say they don't know why he hasn't woken, just that he will when he's ready. 

   Mom finally got me to go home. She said that I needed to take a shower and eat something other than food from the hospital cafeteria. As much as I didn't want to leave Flynn, he was completely stable and I really did need a shower. 

   Once I had taken a shower, I went downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat. Mom was already making me a sandwich, and Dad was sitting down at the table reading a newspaper. When I entered the room, they both looked up. 

   "How you feeling, Squirt?" Dad asked, getting up to hug me. 

   I shrugged. 

   "You hungry? I made you a chicken panini, your favorite." Mom said. 

   Again, I shrugged. 

   They both shared a look, and Mom set down the plate on the table. I sat down and started eating, but I could barely even taste the sandwich. It was like these last few days I couldn't taste or feel or do anything. Everyone told me that the accident wasn't my fault, but I knew it was. Everyone told me that Flynn was okay, and that he'd wake up any day now, but he wouldn't even be in this situation if it hadn't been for me. 

    I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even notice Mom and Dad sitting down beside me until Mom started talking. 

   "Peyton...we're worried about you."

   I didn't say anything, mainly because I was starting to worry about myself too. Was it normal to feel...nothing?

   "We know that you blame yourself for the accident, but honey, no matter how many times we tell you that it wasn't your fault, you ignore us." 

   "That's because it was my fault," I said. 

   Dad shook his head. "There's no way you could have prevented that dog from running across the street." 

   "Yeah, but maybe if I hadn't been yelling at Flynn, he would've paid more attention to the road and be able to stop the car in time."

   "No," Mom said. "What happened happened, Peyton. You're letting this eat you up, when you can't. Flynn is fine. Yes, he's still in the hospital, but the doctors said that he should be waking up any day now." Yeah, that's what they said three days ago, I thought. 

    "Peyton, you've barely been eating, this is the first place you've been too that's out of the hospital, and the only thing you do all day is sleep and sulk. I know that you're worried about him, but you're making all of us worry about you. You can't just do...nothing at all. You've already missed two days of school and several days from work, and if you keep this up Andrew is going to be forced to fire you."

   "So, what do you want me to do?" I snapped. "Get up and just continue my life like nothing happened? Like Flynn isn't in the hospital?" 

   Mom sighed and shook her head. "No, I don't want you to act like nothing happened, but I don't want it stopping you from continuing on with your life either. Accidents happen, and that's okay. Do you really think Flynn would want you to just sit around doing nothing all day except mope and feel sorry for yourself?" 

   I bit my lip, knowing the answer to the question. He wouldn't want me to do that, not at all. The entire reason we were out in the first place that day was so that he could just get me out of the house and do something, anything.