Strike-Out

Guardian Angel

Chapter 7

I didn't awake in the tub. I'm not sure where I am actually.

The first minute upon my awakening, I am basically temporarily blind.

I blink a few times before I realize where I am... a hospital.

Thoughts and questions rapidly race through my mind.

Next to me, as most hospitals have, is a button to call in a nurse. I press it as many times as my thumb allows before giving out.

A blonde haired lady, fairly young runs into my room.

"What is the matter?" She says frantically, checking my pulse.

"What am I doing here?" I ask.

"You just came out of your temporary coma. You almost drowned in a bath tub almost two weeks ago."

I shake my head. "No, that's not right. I couldn't have."

"Well believe it honey, it happened. It does quite often, more then you'd think." She typed away at her little computer. "I'll get your parents here ASAP. They've been worried sick. And a boy, he's been hanging around here lately. Came in holding your hand and praying. Asked a lot of questions."

"Justin...?" I whisper to myself.

"No, no. I believe he called himself 'Isaac'." She corrects me.

"Isaiah!" I yell quietly.

"That's it. Here," She hands me a slip of paper, "He told me to have you call when you woke."

I unfold the paper. His handwriting is like orderly chicken scratch. Neat, but barely legible.

I am weak, in pain. It hurt just to open the paper.

'Isaiah Lee

443-8795'

I pick up the phone next to me. I wrap the curly cord around my wrist as I dial the number.

"Hello?" A woman's voice answers.

"I was looking for Isaiah." I say nervously, silently praying he is there.

"May I ask who this is?"

"Chapin." I say, biting my lip.

"Oh, hello darling!" She chirps. "Isaiah has said much about you. I'm sure you just want to speak with him so here you go." I hear a distant scream of his name.

"Uh, Hello?" Isaiah says. I want to smile, but I am kind of upset with him.

"So you didnt tell your mother I was in the hospital?" I ask angrily.

"Chapin," He takes a deep breath before he continued. "Your parents kept it between all of us.

"Really? Why?" I ask. Why would they care enough to keep it between us. Typically they would use it as a way to get attention.

"You drowned in a bathtub, Chapin. They weren't even the ones who found you."

"Then who was?"

"Me." I gasp. "They swore they would never let me near you again. The only reason I found you was because I snuck in. They called me a stalker and worse, but I was the only reason you didn't die in that bathub Chapin."

"You saved my life." I say quietly.

"I saved your life." He echoes.

**************************

"You're alive!" My brother yells in disbelief as he runs towards me with sweaty pits and a baseball uniform. I reluctantly hug him, then shove him off.