Scratching The Surface

Chapter 21

Lexa looked up to see a man with sandy blonde hair walking toward them. Clarke was standing up and so Lexa got to her feet as well. The little bit of nerves she had turned into butterflies when he stopped where they were. Jake Griffin had blue eyes exactly like Clarke's. He smiled at Clarke and hugged her, "hi honey."

"Hi dad," Clarke hugged him back.

When Jake let her go and turned to Lexa she noticed his eyes danced like Clarke's did too, "and who is this?" he smiled at her.

"Dad, this is my girlfriend, Lexa." Clarke introduced, smiling first at him and then at her, "Lex, this is my dad Jake Griffin." Clarke brushed hair out of her face and stepped back with a small smile.

Lexa swallowed her nerves and stepped in to shake his hand, "It's so nice to meet you sir, Clarke has told me so many wonderful things about you."

Jake Griffin laughed, "oh she has, has she?"

The next time she woke Lexa couldn't open her eyes. They felt too heavy. She remembered she the hospital, but her first thought was Clarke. She pried her eyes open slowly hoping it had all been a dream.

It wasn't.

She fainted and woke up here...

That was embarrassing, Lexa really hoped someone had informed her coach of the ordeal because he had a right to know at least that she normally didn't walk off the field. Anya was no longer beside her and she was all alone.

Not knowing how long she'd been out of it drove her insane, so she struggled to sit up again, but the wires connected to her stopped her in her tracks. Lexa fumbled for the button to call a nurse when the door opened and Lexa's gaze whipped over hoping it was Clarke.

Octavia walked in on the phone, and Lexa zoned in on the conversation because she hadn't realized Lexa was awake yet.

"No, we haven't heard anything. We have no idea who-" Octavia said into the phone. "Yeah, I know." She sighed and wiped a hand across her face. "Thanks for calling and checking in. Of course I'll let you know. I love you too. Bye." She smiled sadly and hung up.

Lexa groaned again and Octavia's eyes flicked to hers, "Who was that?"

"My brother," She made her way over to her. "How you feeling?"

"Hurts, but none of that matters now. How long have I been out?"

"A few hours," Octavia answered and looked down at the ground, "Listen, Lexa...I-"

Octavia's phone went off again and she answered it quickly, "Hello, Miss G..."

It took a moment for Lexa to know who was on the phone and tears welled in her eyes. She had failed Clarke, she failed Clarke's mother and her friends. The crushing guilt settled on her chest and she found it hard to breathe. She tried to suck in air, but it hurt to do so and she panicked. Lexa vaguely heard Octavia still talking to Abby.

"Yes, we're at the hospital. No she has to stay the night for observation. It was a nasty hit she took. No, nothing's broken, but she has a couple bruised ribs and a concussion. She was so distracted. It's my-" Octavia nodded her head. "Yes, ma'am. See you soon."

The heart monitor went ballistic as Lexa's heart rate shot through the roof and a nurse came bustling in.

"Miss. Woods," The nurse came to her side, "you need to calm down or you're going to do more damage."

"Damage, what damage?" Lexa flitted her eyes back and forth around the room and to the nurse's kind face. "I need to get out of here, I need to-"

"You need to rest, you're lucky you only bruised your ribs, that was a nasty hit you took, not to mention the concussion you sustained." The nurse pushed on her shoulder to get her to lay back. "I'm going to give you something that will calm you down."