A Little Less Lonely Now (boy)²

twenty two

.

After an hour of driving, we pulled into the Platte Canyon Medical Center parking lot. I was almost dreading walking into the hospital. What if Simon wasn't here? No, he has to be here. There's no way he wouldn't have found someway to talk to me or see me if he was out of the hospital. And he isn't dead, because the whole school would be buzzing.

I left my parents in waiting room chairs, and went to the front counter to find out what room Simon had been assigned.

"Excuse me, miss?" I tapped my hands on the counter. The nervous energy was sporadically coursing through me.

"Yes, darlin'? What can I do for you?" the nurse, who looked to be about twenty, winked at me.

I internally rolled my eyes. She must be a volunteer or something.

"I'd like to know what room my boyfriend is in."

Her face twisted into a pained smiled. She sighed, "Well, your boyfriend is one lucky guy," she chuckled, "What would his name be?"

"Simon. Simon Lewis."

"Oh right! The car accident kid," I cringed at the thought that a lower level nurse knew him by name, because of his injuries, but at least he was here and alive, "I'm so sorry about him. He's in room 428B-ICU."

The Intensive Care Unit? He must still be pretty bad then.

"So, floor four, correct?"

She nodded, putting a scan band on my arm, and called up the next person needing assistance.

.

I turned back to where my parents were sitting, their hands clasped together.

"He's still in the ICU." They looked up at me.

"What?"

"Simon," I choked, "He's in the- the ICU."

My mom stood up and reached her hand out to me, "Caden, I-"

"No," I stepped back, "Don't touch me. Let's just go."

We got into the elevator and I pressed the button for the forth floor.

Do I really want to see him? He's in ICU. He can't look good. He can't be good. No. I need to be there for him. No matter what.

The number sign in the elevator dinged to four. I mentally prepared myself a tiny bit more before stepping onto the scuffed tile floor. The hallway was barren of other people, but by the large, metal ICU doors were two plants- plastic, in case of allergies. I put the band on my arm up to the small scanner next to the doors, and the magnets clicked open.

The hospital smell of linoleum floors, latex gloves, and hand sanitizer was multiplied, and it almost knocked me off my feet with realization. Simon has been in this miserable place for almost two weeks, alone, without me. I wonder if he'll get better faster knowing I'm here for him.

My mom ushered me into the ward; apparently I had been standing in the door way for a couple minutes. The room was a circle, with the nurses desk in the middle and curtain covered window and sliding doors to the patient's rooms around the outside. Only two rooms weren't occupied.

A nurse in light purple scrubs got up from her computer, and walked towards us.

"Hello, my name is Lucy, and I'm the head nurse of this ward. Can I see your band?" I held out my arm, and she scanned it, "Who are you here to see?"

"Lewis, Simon."

Her lips became a thin line. Was he really in that bad a condition?