Fakely HIS

Chapter 23

Hospitals made me feel nauseous. When I was younger, I did anything I could to avoid going to the hospital. I didn't like the white bare walls, I didn't like nauseating smell that accompanied us in the hospitals, I didn't like the depressing feel that it usually gave me, I didn't like needles, I didn't like doctors. I just didn't like anything associated with hospitals.

In fact, I disliked it so much, that when I sprained my ankle in sixth grade, I demanded my mother to not take me to a hospital. Not wanting me to throw a tantrum, mom had agreed to get a doctor come home and look at my ankle. That was the first time I had seen Finn and at that time, I didn't know I was going to be seeing more of him.

Mom and Finn had gotten fast friends and he usually hung out at our place with his only daughter, Mia. His wife had passed away recently due to some lung disease that I didn't know of. With Finn in my life, it had beaten the entire purpose of not liking the doctors, because there was nothing to not like about Finn. Not having a father figure in our life, having Finn in our life was everything I didn't know we needed at that time.

Mia... Well, Mia was a different story.

She was still reeling from losing a parent; she felt threatened by the fact that her dad was taking so much time out of his day to spend time with us – his new girlfriend's kids. She was scared of losing the only parent that she had. There stemmed the hatred she had for me and my siblings. In all the years of knowing each other, we never got along.

More onto that later...

Now, about my hatred for hospitals. I can't tell if that has changed, but in the last two and half years of my life, there had been nothing that kept me away from here. I've continuously spent a lot of time here – for obvious reasons – so much so that I'd become completely used to the idea of visiting someone in the hospitals.

Now, that I stand here in a hospital, with James on my right and Paige on his other side, I'm reminded of the first time I'd ever met them in this very same hospital and how that day had changed my life altogether; how I'd never in a million years forget that day.

Letting out a sigh, James' hand reached for mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It's all going to be fine." Even when he was looking at me while saying these words, I had an inkling of doubt that he was telling it to himself.

"Of course, it is." Paige added, leaning forward to give me that warm smile that I love, "Don't worry about anything, Hayley."

I wanted to tell her that I wasn't worried about whatever they think I'm worried about. Well, yes, I might be a little worried about Hunter and the fact that we should talk about him going back to school. Yes, I'm a lot worried about Alana. I could also possibly be worried about Brody and Dale who were back to arguing and screaming at each other more often.

But, no, I wasn't worried about Nicholas... or Penny to be honest. Instead of saying that out aloud, I smiled. Although, I wish I could've met both of them in better situations, I couldn't imagine a life without Paige or James right now and that was saying something.

"Just a tad nervous is all," I said, trying to appease them both, "Never been in a situation like this before."

"Neither have we," James' hand squeezed mine again and he nodded, "You have nothing to be nervous about. We'll be there with you, every step of the way."

"I know this is not what you signed up for when you started dating my son," Paige said, her voice turning a bit heavy with her words, "I'm glad you decided to stick around though."

"Of course, I stuck around," I said, scoffing playfully, "What did you take me for? I'd never abandon someone or something just like that."

Even though, I did think about abandoning all these people and running for the hills when I'd gotten that call from James a few hours ago asking me if I could go with him and Paige to the hospital - I'd never tell them that.