While You Were Sleeping

Chapter Three

Chapter Three Part One: Rylie
     Shawn kissed me with all of his pain and happiness. I kissed him back, but something didn't feel right. Shawn pulled away and looked at me.
    "Rylie, Rylie, Rylie," he whispered over and over again. "Wake up," he said.
    "Rylie, Rylie, Rylie! Wake up!" I woke to Sophie-Louise shaking my arms. "Hey sleepy head!"
    "Soph, oh my god!"
    "What?"
"I had an interesting dream."
"Oh yeah?" She laid down next to me in my bed. "I'm listening." She took out some black nail polish and started painting my long nails.
"So-"
"Hold a sec," Sophie-Louise got out of my bed and grabbed something wrapped in bright green paper with a blue bow on it.
"Soph, you don't need to get me anything!"
"You thought this was for you?"

"Well-"
"Ry, I'm just kidding! Of course it's for you!" SL handed me the oddly shaped package and I started unwrapping it. It was a shiny new guitar. I loved guitar, it was my passion, other than photography, both of them were equal.
"Soph, you didn't- are those bronze strings?" I stroked the guitar like it was my newborn child.
"Yes they are!"
"Aw you're the sweetest!"
"Play something!"
"I can't, my nails are wet, remember?"
"Knock, knock," someone said as they surfaced into the light. "You must be Sophie-Louise," Shawn Klein held out his hand for SL to shake.
"So I assume you're Shawn," SL crashed her hand into his. "Does Rylie talk about my awesomeness?"
"Nope, Justin," Shawn admitted. SL turned to me.
"I'm disappointed in you, Ry!" she said.
"And I told you Justin was a good boyfriend!" I said, raising a finger at her.
"If it's meant to be, it'll be..." SL screeched the words to the Bebe Rexha song.
"Stop, stop, stop! I may not have a leg, but I still have ears!" I covered my ears with my hands.
"Whoa, you lost your leg?" Shawn asked, looking at me wide-eyed.
"Yeah, wanna see?" I asked.
"It's pretty weird looking," SL rolled her eyes. I beckoned them over to the side of my bed and pulled back the sheets of the hospital bed. There, where my leg should be, was a stump sealed off with stitches. "Yes! Now I can call you Stumpy!" SL cheered. I rolled my eyes.
"Please don't," I scoffed.
"I think it's amusing," Shawn had a dopey smile on his face.
"Not you too," I rolled my eyes at him. He held his hands up in surrender.
"You're going to win all those guys over with that hot stump," SL poked at my stump.
"Actually, I've been meaning to tell you guys..." I trailed off, searching for words.
"What?" Shawn came closer to me and sat in a chair next to the bed.
"Yeah, Ry, what is it?" SL actually looked worried for once.
"I'm getting a prosthetic leg," I said.
"Well, that's great!" SL said, hoping there was nothing else to it.
"I... I-I have to get surgery," I looked down at my fingers.
"What?" was all Shawn could say.
"When is it?" SL asked, her hand was now intertwined with mine.
"Tomorrow," I said. Shawn laced his fingers through my fingers on my other hand.
"Are you scared?" he asked.
"Extremely," I squeezed his hand tighter.
"We'll be here every step of the way," Shawn assured.
"That's the thing... I can't have visitors in this room until I get my prosthetic into surgery, recovery, and two weeks of physical therapy," I bit my lip. My two friends just stared at me for a couple seconds before either of them spoke again.
"What-" they both said at the same time.
"How am I going to just not see you? And for three more weeks?" I could see tears forming in Sophie-Louise's big brown eyes.
"I have to recover successfully, or something like that. I don't know how I'm going to recover successfully without my two best friends," I gave both of them a sorrowful look. Shawn couldn't even bring himself to look at me. Neither could Sophie-Louise.
"Soph," I shook her hand to try to get her to look at me.
"I can't," Sophie-Louise turned around and went to leave the room.
"Sophie-Louise!" I yelled at her.
"I already lost my dad, I can't lose you too!" she cried, stomped her foot, and then left. I kept my eyes on the place my best friend for life had just vanished out the door. I felt a gentle squeeze on my hand from Shawn and I turned my head slowly to face him. He could now bring himself to look at me.
His blonde hair was disheveled and his blue eyes were glossy on the brink of tears.
"Shawn, no, don't cry-" I started to mumble. Shawn cut me off by raising his free hand.
"Are you going to be okay?" he stuttered. He bit his lip and looked down at his fingertips and then returned his gaze back to me.
"Well, I don't exactly know..." I trailed off, assembling medical terms in my head. "Basically, they already replaced my muscles and nerves in my amputated leg and stitched it up. Now, they need to take the stitches out and fit in a prosthetic. I've already stayed in the hospital for a week, and I need to stay a week after that, given there are no complications. Then I have to have another month and a half of physical therapy. But only two weeks of physical therapy is private."
"Wow," Shawn breathed. "So, you'll be recovering for another two months?"
"That would be correct," my voice shook as I spoke. I could feel some tears forming in my eyes, but I pushed them back, not wanting to show weakness in front of Shawn.
"Are you scared?" he asked again.
"You don't even know." Shawn gripped my both of my hands tightly and looked me in the eyes. He started to lean in, slowly, almost as if he was silently asking permission to kiss me. I could feel his warm breath caress my face. He was so close.
Until, my mother walked in.
Chapter Three Part Two: Shawn
    I can't even believe this. Two months of recovery and I don't get to see her for three weeks of it? I've been coming to see her every single day.
    I looked into Rylie's eyes after Mrs. Anderson walked in and stopped us from kissing. I kept my eyes on her and didn't look away, but just kept my distance.
"Well, isn't that sweet?" Mrs. Anderson looked at Rylie and I. In a second of comprehension, both of us realized that we were still tightly grasping each other's hands.
"Nothing," Rylie blurted out at her mother.
"I'm sure," Mrs. Anderson nodded and winked at her daughter. Mrs. Anderson waltzed out of the room, calling behind her,"I'll leave you to it!"
"Well," I exhaled.
"It's late."
"Yeah..."
"You should get home."
"Very true."
"Hug me first," Rylie beckoned me towards her. I reached out with my long monkey arms to hug her. When she got me close, she whispered something in my ear.
"Shawn, I've never been so scared in my life," she said, almost too low for me to hear. I released my hug ever so slightly so I could look her in the eye.
"I'll be right here when you get out of the hospital." I assured her.
"I can't do this without you."
"You won't have to," I said softly as I exited the room.
***
I tried to make myself useful in life. Without football practice today and with Rylie going into sur- Rylie.
To: @amazing_rylie>> Has it happened yet?
@amazing_rylie<< No, in three hours I'm going into surgery.
@shawnklein02>> Thank god.
@amazing_rylie<< I'm so scared.
@shawnklein02>> You know you can text me whenever you want.
@amazing_rylie<< I know :)
@shawnklein02>> Are you scared?
@amazing_rylie<< You have no idea.
Rylie and I texted for two more hours until she had to get ready for surgery. I got in my car and decided to go somewhere to get my mind of worrying about Rylie. I went to my favorite Mexican food joint, but I just felt lonely there. I tried to work on playing basketball in my backyard with the hoop on the patio, but that reeked of desperation and I was horrible at basketball anyway.
I decided to text Warren, because all other attempts to take my mind of things failed.
To: @warrenlikesfootball>> Hey bud, wanna come over and play some VG?
VG is Warren's abbreviation for video games.
@warrenlikesfootball<< Yep, coming right now.
@shawnklein02>> Bring Black Ops 4.
@warrenlikesfootball<< Already on it.
Warren got to my house in less than two minutes.
"How'd you get here so fast?" I asked him.
"Ran," he breathed. The was beaded sweat on his forehead.
"Why?"
"Because."
"I ask again, why?"
"For fun."
"And because you forgot to do your weekly laps."
"That too," Warren tossed me a plastic case with the video game Black Ops 4 on it and started to head toward my basement. I reluctantly followed him as he went to my mini fridge and got a Coke out. He plopped down in one of my gaming chairs and gestured for me to put the disc into the console.
***
    Warren and I ended up playing Black Ops 4 for two more hours and then Warren started to get a little restless. Like he always does, I thought.
    "Wanna go throw?" Warren gestured to the door in the basement that led outside to my backyard.
    "Sure," I snagged a football from my bed and followed Warren out the back door. "Short, buddy," I called. We threw the football back and forth.
    "So what's up in life? I feel like I haven't seen you anywhere other than school and football practice," he said.
    "Things have been busy," I shrugged. I hated lying to Warren, but no one could know that Rylie was in surgery, or that I had been to see her. Of course, Jack knew but he couldn't get off his sorry ass to see her.
    "Sure they have."
    "What? They have!"
    "Sure. Whenever school gets out, you walk straight to your tiny car and drive away. Whenever football gets out, you go straight from the locker room to your tiny car and drive away."
    "You're a bully."
    "How?"
    "You are purposefully bullying my tiny car," I snorted.
    "Yeah, no duh, your car looks ridiculous but that's not the point."
    "What is?"
    "Where have you been?"
    "I have something to do. I wouldn't have invited you over if I knew I was going to be police questioned by you."
    "Sure you have things to do." I went quiet after that. "So you know Ry is in the hospital?"
    "Your girl best friend?"
    "Yeah, Rylie Anderson, she's awesome." Yeah, I know.
    "She's in the hospital?" Of course I already knew that...
    "Yeah, lost her leg in a wicked building fire." I already knew that.
    "Whoa, that's serious." Yeah, no joke. She's having surgery today.
    "Anyway, yeah, Rylie's amazing and I kinda miss having her around." So do I. This is not helping me take my mind off Rylie.
    "So, did you hear the Green Bay Packers lost last weekend?"
    "Yeah, they suck," and just like that, Warren was suddenly ranting about the Green Bay Packers.
***
    Warren left my house at like seven after eating dinner with my mom, dad, brother, and twin sister who has a crush on him. I went to my room straight after dinner.
    I heard a gentle knock at the door.
    "Who is it?" I croaked as I paused the Netflix I was watching and took my hand out of the bag of chips I was eating.
    "It's your favorite sister, Ellie," my twin sister chirped.
    "Come in," I said. Ellie came crashing down the stairs and hopped on my bed.
    "How's my favorite brother?"
    "What? Howie's not your favorite brother?" Howie is our eight-year-old little brother.
"I love Howie just the same, but I wasn't born alongside him."
"Technically, you're twenty-four seconds older than me."
"Whatever," Ellie rolled her hazel eyes at me.
"What do you want," I sighed.
"So, that was Warren."
"I'm aware, he is my best friend and all."
"Don't get smart with me, I'm twenty-four seconds older than you!"
"That fact didn't matter to you twenty-four seconds ago!"
"Yeah, but it does now." I chuckled at my sister's reasoning.
"Like I keep saying over and over again, Warren has a girlfriend."
"Yeah, yeah, I know it's Nina."
"Yeah! Nina as in your best friend since the preschool age, Nina!"
"Just because he's NIna's boyfriend, doesn't mean I can't like him."
"Yeah, but it's NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN." My sister grabbed a pillow off of my bed and hit me with it. I football tackled her and we eventually rolled off the bed and onto the floor. "Ow, Ellie, you forget that you actually have a weight," I croaked, Ellie's weight crushing me.
"Sorry, brother," Ellie flipped her long blonde hair in my face.
"What was that for?"
"Just 'cuz. What would you know about dating anyway? Didn't Abi break up with you?"
"Yeah because I was 'too perfect'," I said with air-quotes.
"God, brother."
"What?"
"You are too perfect."
"Even my own sister admits it!"
"You always get A's on everything, you always turn in your assignments on time, you always pay attention in class (aside from when you're goofing off with Abi), and you were the perfect boyfriend to her!"
"Exactly, I don't know why she broke up with me."
"Please, I know. She thinks you're perfect."
"Yeah... and?"
"Therefore, she broke up with you."
"I don't get it."
"It's girl logic," Ellie shrugged, flopping her head down on one of the pillows beside me.
"I swear, each girl is an enigma that can't be solved."
"That is a very brainy thing to say, brother."
"Well a little birdie named Ellie told me that I'm supposed to be brainy." Ellie punched me in the shoulder.
"Just let me know when Warren and Nina break up," Ellie turned to the stairs.
"They won't," I argued from my bed.
"Just you wait, brother!" Ellie stuck a single finger in the air.
"Sure, but they won't," I said, now scrolling through my Instagram feed. I got the vibe that Ellie rolled her eyes as she sauntered up the stairs and out the door.
***
    I stayed up doing random things that could keep me occupied until 12am then I decided to call it a night. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was sleeping soundly until my phone buzzed.
    @amazing_rylie>> I'm out of surgery.
    It was 1am in the morning.
    @shawnklein02<< Thank the lord. Are you okay?
    What I got next was a picture of Rylie's new prosthesis.
    @amazing_rylie>> All good.
@shawnklein02<< That's a pretty wicked leg.
@amazing_rylie>> I know, right? I'm like a cyborg.
@shawnklein02<< Haha
@amazing_rylie>> Yep, hey I've been meaning to ask you, will you bring me all of my makeup work from school? I have to have something to do in this hole of a hospital.
@shawnklein02<< Sure, if you really want me to bring it.
@amazing_rylie>> And maybe some tutoring in our classes together? I know it's a lot to ask.
@shawnklein02<< Anything.
@amazing_rylie>> Thanks, Shawn.
@shawnklein02<< No problem at all.
@amazing_rylie>> I hope I didn't wake you up.
@shawnklein02<< You did, but I was happy to wake up to you texting me.
@amazing_rylie>> :)
@shawnklein02<< I should probably let you rest. I'll drop off your schoolwork at the hospital tomorrow. When do you want to have our first FaceTime tutoring session?
@amazing_rylie>> Probably three days from now, do give me a little time to recover from this bruised and tired me.
@shawnklein02<< I wouldn't mind anyways. Sounds perfect.
@amazing_rylie>> Good night, Shawn.
@shawnklein02<< Are you scared?
@amazing_rylie>> Why would I be scared?
@shawnklein02<< Are you scared?
@amazing_rylie>> Ohh ;)
@amazing_rylie>> You have no idea.
@shawnklein02<< Good night, Rylie.
I switched off my phone and went to sleep.

That's all for this chapter,
Next update will be coming soon!
Love y'all
-Emma❤️