Better Off As Lovers

11.07.17

Danny's Point of View

I carry my bags to the lunch table, silent. Missy, Amy, and Andra ignore me as I sit down.While I'm rifling through my stuff, I hear my phone buzz. I put the phone up to one ear, trying to block out the noise of the lunchroom.

"Hello, this is Grandview Community Hospital, may I speak to Daniel Matthews?" A feminine voice asks. My heart starts to beat faster. Please don't be dead.

"Yes, this is him."

"We just wanted to call you and let you know Julie Wells has awoken from her coma, and... "

I drop my phone and the girls look at me. The words barely registered in my mind. I couldn't hear them fast enough.

"She's awake," I say. "She's awake!"

I broke out into a sprint towards the doors of the cafeteria. I run to the parking lot, thanking myself for driving to school today. Finally, she's awake.

***

I barely park inside the lines as I reach the hospital. I rush across the pavement and pull open the doors. I dash up the stairs, all the way to room 325 and burst through the door. Julie's head jerks towards me, a confused look on her face. I sit by her side and take her hand, not knowing where to start.

I look at her. She's simply beautiful. Her eyes are sparkling with life and her long blonde hair is cascading down her shoulders. I run my thumb over her hand, thanking whatever god there is for bringing her back to me.

"Are you another nurse? If so, you're a very hot nurse."

"What do you mean? Julie, it's me." She blinks. "It's me, Danny. Your boyfriend." Her eyes go wide.

"Oh boy, you're my boyfriend? You're really pretty. How'd I get you?"

I laugh. She must be joking. Or maybe these are drugs she's on for pain. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Again." Or maybe not.

"Julie, you're scaring me. Don't you remember who I am?"

She looks at me with sorrow. "No. I'm sorry. Didn't the nurses tell you?" I stare at her with a worried expression. "Ok, clearly not. Guess who has amnesia?" She smiles, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, you're building up quite a resume with head trauma."

"What?"

I sigh. "It was before the accident. It was the last day of school and you skipped right into the biggest football player on the team, resulting in you hitting your head on the corner of a locker." She snorts. I missed that. "So you really don't remember me?"

"I'm really sorry. You look familiar, but no. I can't remember anything, really." She thinks for a moment. "May I ask some questions? About who I am."

"Oh, of course. Ask anything."

"Where are my parents?" She looks at me expectantly.

Poor thing. Why wouldn't they be here? "That is a very good question that I don't know the answer to. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, not your fault. The nurse said she called everyone on the emergency contact list, but only you showed up." She pauses, muttering my name under her breath. "Danny Matthews, my boyfriend. Brown, floppy, adorable hair." She nods as if she's satisfied with this information.

She keeps asking me questions about herself, trying to spark something in her memories. I answer all of them with the best of my ability. She pauses for a moment, processing all the information.

"So, this amnesia thing. How long is it gonna last?"

"The nurse said that most of the time they come back after a few weeks. But with more severe head trauma, it could take longer."

"Oh." I check the time. It's already 2:13. Dad's gonna kill me when he finds out I skipped school. "When are you going to be released from the hospital? Everyone misses you. You've missed a lot of school, but you're already ahead in like every class so I'm sure you won't have much to make up."

"I'm not sure exactly when. I can-" She gets cut off by the door opening.

"Julie!" Sabrina runs into the room and hugs her tightly. Julie looks over to me, scared. Sabrina, I mouth. She nods. Sabrina pulls away, tears in her eyes.

"Sorry mom and dad aren't here, they can't leave work, so they sent me."

"You smell good," Julie says. Sabrina laughs. "So, you're my sister, and you're 20. What else was there?" Julie looks over to me. This is going to be rough.