Jaime POV
Good morning, mister blue eyes," Meagan said as I opened my eyes. I blinked a couple of times, confused as to where I was. I looked around and saw medical equipment. I lifted my left hand and saw I had an IV in.
"What happened?" I asked. Meagan - Mom - smiled down on me.
"You had your port replaced. Remember?"
"When?" I asked, feeling groggy.
"Just about an hour ago," she said.
"Where's Dad?" I asked.
"At the venue. He's got work to do. I'm going to take you home when you're ready," Mom said.
"I want to go back on tour with Dad," I said, feeling like I was going to go back to sleep.
"I know. You will. You're going to come home to sleep tonight, we'll come back to the hospital for your chemo tomorrow and I'll take you back to the venue after. Okay?"
"Mmhm," I mumbled as I dozed off again.
"Alright mister Clarke, let me see that your port looks good and you and your mom can leave, okay?" I heard a voice come through the fog in my head.
"Mom?" I asked, opening my eyes. My mom was here? How was that possible?
Meagan smiled at me. Right. Meagan's my mom now. I asked her if I could call her Mom. Because my real mom. No. Meagan's a real mom. My birth mom is dead.
The person who'd been talking pulled at the top of the hospital gown I was wearing.
"Okay. Looks good. Jaime, look at me," the voice said. I tried to focus on them. There were two of them. And they were talking at the same time.
"What?" I asked. I couldn't understand them.
"I'll reiterate everything when he's more lucid," Mom said, smiling. "Can I take him home now?"
"If he's able to get up, then sure. But you'll have to take a wheelchair. Hospital policy."
"Let me go get the car and bring it to the front while you take out his IV and get him ready to go," Mom said.
"You have really pretty hair," I said to the nurse above me. She did. It was blonde and sparkly.
She smiled at me.
"Thank you, Jaime," she said.
"Really. It's really pretty. And sparkly."
I heard her giggle. It was cute. I told her.
"Okay, Jaime. But I'm at least ten years older than you."
She pulled my shirt over my head. She was helping me get dressed.
"Your boyfriend is lucky," I said.
"Wife, and thank you," she said.
"Okay. Your wife is lucky. You have a wife? That's funny. One day I hope I'll have a wife too."
The nurse smiled at me.
"I'm back. Jaime, are you ready?"
"Mom, the nurse has a wife. Isn't that cool?"
"It's the anaesthesia," the nurse said.
"It's very cool. Come sit here," Mom said.
"I'm gonna have a wife, too," I said to Mom.
"Hopefully, one day," she smiled at me.
"Bye nurse," I said. "I hope your wife is good to you. Tell her I said so."
She laughed, patted my shoulder and Mom pushed me out.
"I like her. She was cute," I said. Mom laughed.
"Jaime, you're high as a kite," she said laughing.
"Don't let me float away!" I said, gripping the arms of the wheelchair.
"You're fine, Jaime," Mom said.
She pushed me through the doors, which I opened with my mind. Because I told them to. With. My. Mind.
"Mom!" I whispered as she helped me out of the chair and into the car.
"Yes, Jaime?"
"I opened the doors. With my mind!"
"I'm sure you did. Do you need help with your seatbelt?"
"I don't need a seatbelt," I said.
"You need a seatbelt. Sit back and put your arms up."
I lifted both my arms up.
"Ow! My shoulder hurts," I pouted.
"Be careful, Jaime," she said, lowering my arms.
Mom went around the other side of the car and got in. I closed my eyes as she pulled away. I heard a phone ringing.
"Hello?" I said.
"Jaime, I'm calling your dad to let him know you're okay," Mom laughed. "Just sit back and relax."
"Hello?" I heard Dad's voice.
"Hi honey. Jaime and I are heading home. He did very well."
"Okay. Great. How's he feeling?"
"I don't think he's feeling much at all right now," Mom laughed.
"I feel great, Dad. Hey, Dad, guess what?"
"What that, Champ?"
"I opened the doors with my mind!" I said.
"What?"
"And the nurse has a wife. Isn't that cool?"
"He's high, Pete. It's the anaesthetic. He'll sleep it off at home," Mom said.
"Ohhh. Got it. Okay. And yes. That's all very cool, Jaime. Are you recording any of this, Meg?"
"No. Pete, that's mean," Mom said.
"Aw, come on. He's gonna have a blast watching himself all high like this."
"Pete, no," Mom said.
"Why not?" I asked, not really sure what I was asking about.
"Because, Jaime, you're high out of your mind and don't know what you're saying. Dad thinks it's funny, I think you'd be embarrassed."
"But I wanna seeseeee," I whined.
"Fine," Mom said, turning her phone towards me and turning on the camera.
"Jaime," Dad said. "What did you say about the door?"
"I opened it with my mind!" I said. "Mom pushed me towards it and I thought 'open, door'. And it did!"
Dad laughed and Mom was smirking.
"Okay kiddo, whatever you say. Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow okay?"
"But, don't you have a show tonight?" I asked.
"We do, yes. But you're going to stay home in your own bed tonight because you just had surgery and tomorrow you have chemo. Mom will bring you back to the bus after chemo, okay?"
"But I wanna come back tonight," I whined.
"Jaime, go home, take a nap, and we'll talk later, okay?"
"Fine," I pouted. Mom was smirking still.
"Meg, make sure he gets sleep, okay?"
"I will, Pete. Don't worry," she said, smiling.
A little while later. Like either four hours or twelve seconds. I don't remember which, we pulled into our driveway.
"Okay, Jaime," Mom said. "Let me come around and help you out of the car."
I didn't need help. I was totally capable of walking. I opened the door and stepped out of the car. Except I kept getting pulled back into it.
"Jaime!" Mom said, coming around to me. "I told you to wait a minute."
"The car won't let me out," I said. "Let me out!"
"You forgot to take off your seatbelt. Just wait a minute. Stand still and let me unhook you."
I kept trying to pull myself out of the car.
"Jaime, seriously. Stop moving," Mom said.
"But I can't get out of the car!" I exclaimed.
"I know. Stop moving and I'll help you. Just. Stop. Moving!"
I was straining against what was tying me to the car.
Bronx came outside just then.
"Meagan, what's taking so long? We heard you pull up ages ago."
"Your brother is struggling to get out of the car because he hasn't taken off his seatbelt. He's still got anaesthesia and he won't stop moving."
Bronx was suddenly standing in front of me.
"Jaime!" He shouted.
"What?!" I shouted back.
"Seriously, Bronx?" Mom asked.
"Jaime," Bronx repeated. "You need to stand still."
"Why?" I asked him.
"Because the more you move and pull, the tighter the car is gonna hold you. It's like Devil's Snare."
Of course. The car is Devil's Snare. I stopped moving.
"Now," Bronx said. "Step back."
I took a step back.
"One more," Bronx said.
I took another step back and bumped into the car. Bronx gave me a hug so I hugged him back.
"Thanks, Jaime. But I'm just undoing your seatbelt."
He hugged me back, though.
Finally, I was free of the Devil's Snare and then car. Mom took my arm and Bronx put his arm around my waist.
"Alright you," Mom said. "Let's get you upstairs to bed."
I let them lead me upstairs and then Mom led me to my bed and made me lie down.
"I don't wanna nap!" I complained.
"Then don't," Mom said. "But you need to rest a little. Okay?"
I sighed.
"Fine."
I lay down and stared at the ceiling. Until I couldn't keep my eyes open.