April 12th

Going Home - Chapter 26

Dylan's Perspective:

The next morning while Ally was still asleep, Dr. Christian came strolling in with a huge smile on his face.

"Guess what, Dylan? I think you're going to be happy about this one." He said, patting me on the back.

"What's up?" I asked, rubbing my eyes from sleep.

"I think you and Ally can start packing to go back to the mainland. We're going to do a few more tests and a few more runs with physical therapy. If everything checks out, we'll release her from the hospital." I immediately jumped up and hugged the doctor. I've been waiting to hear those words for 2 and a half months.

Thirty minutes later, Ally woke up from her sleep and stretched her arms. I lifted my head up from my chair, which hadn't moved in two months, and smiled at her with my crooked grin.

"Guess what, baby." I said, kissing her forehead.

"What?" She asked.

"Dr. Christian said that if you pass all of your tests and you appear to be in good condition, we can go home." I said, smiling even bigger.

"Oh my gosh! Finally!" She shouted, attracting the attention of other patients. I was so happy and excited for her. I was ready to get home, but sad to leave Hawaii. This place became my temporary home for awhile. I hugged her tight, and let her lean on my arm as I walked her to her physical therapy room.

About six hours later, we went through multiple tests and different physical therapy techniques. I was there with her through everything, and I was never going to allow her to leave my side. Not this time. Never again.

I took both of our suitcases down to the laundry area in the hospital. I washed all of our clothes, and set out a set of clothes for both of us. I took out my phone and called Ava.

"Hey Boots! How's school going?" I asked with excitement in my voice.

"Really good! Different without you guys though. How's Ally? Is everything okay?" She asked back.

"Well you're not going to believe this but we're coming home as soon as possible. Ally passed all of her tests and the doctor told me to book a flight back to the mainland."

"What?! That's awesome! I'm so excited. Hey, I have to go. Let me know when you're flight is." After that, I folded our clothes and repacked them into our suitcases. I ordered our plane tickets for the following day, and scheduled a taxi for us to leave in. Ally was able to walk around freely with a cane-type stick to hold herself up on.

Night was falling closer and we decided to go see Dr. Christian and all of the nurses for the last time. Our flight left at 9 am the next morning, and we wanted to make sure their service was appreciated.

The Next Morning:

Ally was up before anyone, she was so excited. I grabbed our bags and we made our way down to the lobby where the taxi was waiting. I helped Ally into the backseat and helped the driver lift our bags into the trunk.

"Would you mind doing something extra for me?" I asked the taxi driver, flashing an extra twenty dollar bill out of my pocket.

"Sure, what's up?" He asked, taking the bill from my hand.

"Take us to the beach, and wait until we come back. She just got out of a two month coma, and I want her to see the beach one last time before we go home."

"No problem, take however long you need." He replied, shaking my hand. I climbed into the backseat with Ally and wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and we waited until the taxi stopped.

"Why are we here? Our flight leaves soon!" Ally said, looking confused.

"I have one last surprise for you, beautiful." I stated, opening the car door for her. She got out and gasped at the beautiful morning sun, rising up from the horizon. It was a beautiful sight.

"That is so beautiful! I almost forgot what it looked like." She said, holding onto my arm for support. It was bittersweet for me to be in the same place as I was when the whole accident happened. I saw the exact place in the sand where I sat next to Ava, watching my girlfriend face her ultimate fear that will never be faced again. She grabbed a handful of sand and let it fall through her fingers.

"Thank you," she said, letting her lips meet mine. I kissed her back, and led her back to the taxi.

We arrived at the airport about an hour later, and we made our way to the gate. She looked out the window of the airplane, and held onto my hand, tight.

"You're perfect," I whispered into her ear.

I couldn't wait to get back home, and continue being Ally's neighbor, and boyfriend.

"I think we deserve a night to ourselves," I said to Ally, loving to see her smile.

"Oh, you mean like a date?" She said playfully.

"Yeah! Kind of like a date..." I replied.

The cabin lights went off, signaling it was time for us to sleep. Ally tilted her seat back and closed the window shutter, falling asleep quickly. I, of course, was going to stay awake.

I held her hand the whole time, not letting her out of my sight.

Never.