*3 and a half weeks later*
We arrived home from the hospital and Derek wheels my skinny body into the house, with my dad and Scott following. They all help lift me from my chair onto the couch.
"You want anything to eat? Or a drink?" Asks Scott. Too tired to speak, I just wave my hand dismissively.
I can feel my dad's painfully upset expression burning into me.
"God..." He whispers, "I hate seeing you like this."
"Dad, I'm fine." I whisper weakly.
He rests a hand on my newly bald head.
"No, you're not." He says, stroking my forehead.
Derek bites his nail and my dad leaves the room, leaving just the three of us.
"You know, you're a real hero at school." Scott tells me, his kind expression watching me.
I chuckle dryly. "I'm not a hero..." I whisper, shutting my eyes.
"Yes, you are." He says back, slightly frowning. And that's the last thing I hear because in the end I doze off.
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I wake up in the empty living room, but hear voices in the kitchen. I lie here and wait, because I'm honestly feeling too shit to even make it in there. Derek hears me tapping against the coffee table and strides in.
"Hey, how're you doing?" He asks, smiling at me.
"I'm okay," I say, "but I was wandering if you'd be able to wheel me in there." I say, pointing at the kitchen.
"Oh yeah, God, of course." He says, scooping me up in his arms and gently placing me into the wheelchair. He pushes me through to the kitchen, and it's filled with people. Lydia, Danny, Scott, Malia, Liam...
I smile. Like, properly smile. Lydia half skips towards me and engulfs me in a hug.
"Hey." I whisper in her ears.
"You look good." She flirts, laughing. I chuckle back.
"Thanks, you don't think the head shave was too much of a bald move?" I joke.
"Wow, real punny. Nice to see you've still got your sense of humour." She laughs back, though her smile doesn't quite reach her sad, pityful eyes.
I greet everyone else and we all chat, mostly about school, but it completely takes my mind off everything. People tell me they miss me, and they hope I feel better, etc...
Though soon I get tired, and everyone but Lydia leaves, so just me, Scott, Derek and her are stood/sat in the kitchen.
Derek and Scott go to help my dad with his car- which isn't turning on- out the front and me and Lydia stand in the kitchen together.
She sighs. "I'm really sorry... I'm sorry this happened to you." She says, her eyes filling with tears.
I exhale deeply. "Thanks, Lydia. I'm okay though." I say, peering up at her with sad eyes. This makes her cry even more.
"No you're not," she says through tears, "I just wish it were me instead of you." She cries. I hold my arms out, offering a hug, and she bends down and embraces me, her tears making my shirt wet.
"No. No, you don't, I'd never wish this upon anyone in the world." I say into her hair, my voice muffled.
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