I stared out the hospital window as the sun was setting. The red and orange hues were more enticing than usual. I guess there's something about being in a near death experience that really makes you appreciate everyday things in a new way.
"You shouldn't be here." Reggie coughed out from the hospital bed. I looked over and smiled at him. It has been a week since the accident and he was still recovering from the multiple surgeries they had to do to repair his abdomen.
"I think I have the right to be wherever I want to be." I said, shifting my chair so I was closer to his bed.
"You need to be resting. You're still not officially cleared." He said, his brow creasing.
I shrugged my shoulders, "I feel fine.", but it was a lie. I still felt like shit. I was beaten so bad that I had internal bleeding from the trauma. But the doctors believed the case was mild. Which was a good thing because it meant I didn't need surgery, all I needed was rest to let my body heal itself and reabsorb the blood. They gave me medications to stop my vomiting, nausea, and pain until the inflammation decreased and my body was back to normal. But despite their warnings, I couldn't rest anymore. Not when Reggie was in the hospital.
The door opened suddenly and a nurse walked in.
Fuck.
"Daisy!" She gasped, "what are you doing here? Come on, get up!" She said as she rushed over to me and helped me up by my arm, "I'm calling your father. How many times do we have to tell you to go home and rest!"
"But-"
"No butts! Reggie will be fine! But you won't if you keep playing games." She ushered me out of the room and as I looked back Reggie was laughing. This was the 5th time they caught me here. I always snuck out of the house when Dad went to the police station, and I would hide in Reggie's closet until the room was empty and I felt it was safe to come out. Sometimes I'd get away with staying the entire day, other times I'd barely be here an hour before a nurse caught me. And it was always the same nurse. The one who looked after me when I was in the hospital.
As she practically carried me down the hall, she lectured me about the importance of letting my body rest so it could heal itself and blah blah blah. I hardly cared about myself when my brother was in a situation a thousand times worse. How could I complain about myself when Reggie almost died?
At the end of the hallway we were stopped by a familiar looking face.
"Thanks Nance, I'll take it from here."
"Make sure you get her home. If I catch her here again I'm going to set up security at Reggie's door, got it?"
Peter smiled and nodded, gently taking my arm from Nancy and putting it around his shoulder so that I could lean on him for support instead. "She's going straight home."
"Good." Nancy said, and then she smiled at me sympathetically and gave us a hug.
She watched us get in the elevator and waved goodbye.
"Are you really making me go home?" I asked as I looked up at Peter.
He laughed, "Not yet."
I watched him press the 5th button on the elevator and I smiled as I knew exactly where we were going.
When we reached the 5th floor we walked slowly through the hall, hoping not to draw attention to ourselves. The good thing was that no one from this floor knew me, they only knew Peter.
When we reached the last door at the end of the hall I couldn't help but get excited. I let go of Peter and opened the door myself, rushing inside before he could stop me.
Eli looked up from the hospital bed and smiled, opening his arms wide for a hug, which I gladly ran into.
Peter closed the door and came up behind me, forcing me to at least take a seat at the edge of the bed with him.
"You look so good!" I said as I examined Eli's face. Before he was extremely pale and his eyes were always sunken, but now the color had finally returned and he actually looked healthy and happy.
"Yeah but you don't." He replied, looking at the cuts and bruises on my arms and face that were still healing, "Peter told me it was bad but he didn't tell me how bad." Eli said, his excitement dampening and the smile fading.
"Eh," I shrugged, "I'll heal." I hadn't seen Eli since everything happened, and I wasn't going to waste time talking about my irrelevant health.
"How's the physical therapy going?" I asked.
"He's walking on his own." Peter smiled, "I'm pretty sure he's just been lazy this entire time because as soon as he found out you were in the hospital he jumped out of bed and practically ran to the door."
Eli rolled his eyes, "It's called adrenaline. People lift up cars and shit when they get adrenaline rushes."
"Yeah, okay." Peter said sarcastically.
I laughed, "Aside from the adrenaline, you are feeling better though right?"
Eli nodded, "It feels like a weights been lifted off my shoulders. I finally want to get back to my life now."
"I'm really happy for you." I said, giving his hand a squeeze.
"While we'd love to stay and chat," Peter said, standing up, "Daisy really needs to get home."
"What?" I said looking up at him, "No I don't. I'm perfectly fine here."
"Oh, you're fine huh? Why don't you stand up on your own then." Peter said taking a step back, his eyes challenging me.
"Fine, I will." I was determined, and stupid. I smiled tightly at Peter and slowly pushed myself up from the seated position, trying to desperately to keep my face neutral as a sharp stabbing pain radiated across my abdomen. "See," I breathed out, "I'm fine." As soon as I said that my leg started to give out and Peter rushed over and caught me before I fell.
"Yeah, you're just super." He said sarcastically.
"Dais, it's okay," Eli said, "come visit me when you're feeling better. Or better yet, I'll come visit you. They're letting me go home this week."
Peter held me up, as I nodded in defeat. "I'll see you soon." I managed to give a weak smile before being dragged out of the room.
"You couldn't let me stay 5 more minutes?" I said as Peter found a random wheelchair and forced me to sit in it.
"You've been in your brothers room all day. We were already pushing it when I brought you to see Eli."
"You don't have to baby me. I said I'm fine. So, what, I couldn't stand on my own. Big deal. Eli couldn't stand on his own for a long time and no one made him leave the hospital."
"You were assaulted and had internal bleeding. It's not the same thing as Eli's situation."
"Ok well if I'm so sick, then isn't the hospital exactly where I need to be?"
"Doctors said go home and rest. So we're going home and we're resting." Peter said. I opened my mouth to refute but he interrupted me, "If you keep talking I'm never going to help you sneak out again."
That shut me up.
I stayed silent as he pushed the wheelchair throughout the hospital. This place was becoming way too familiar for me, and I didn't like it. If it wasn't for Reggie and Eli, I'd never want to visit this place again.
The sliding doors at the entrance opened on their own as we approached. I felt a chilled breeze against my face and closed my eyes, breathing in the fresh air.
Peter pushed me down the sidewalk until we came to a red sedan.
The drivers side door opened and Sean walked out, smiling at us.
"Everyone at school keeps asking about you." He said as he opened the back door, "You're almost a legend."
"I literally didn't do shit but get beat up. How legendary of me."
Peter rolled his eyes as he helped me get into the back seat. "Do you have an off button anywhere?"
"Nope," I smirked, "guess you'll just have to deal with my loud mouth."
Peter reached inside the car to buckle me in but I swatted his hands away.
"I'm not a child! I can put on my own seatbelt!"
He snorted, "You sure act like one."
I smacked his arm but he grabbed my hand and wouldn't give it back.
"I'll see you at the house." He said, and then he leaned over and gently kissed my forehead, his lips lingering as he took a deep breath and then pulled away. He gently closed the car door and spoke with Sean at the front of the car. I couldn't hear what they were saying but they quickly shook hands and then Sean was back in the driver's side, starting the car.
"Since when did you guys become buddies." I said.
"Since he saved my life."
I made a face and mimicked him. I didn't know what had gotten into me but I was suddenly really annoyed and upset. Even though I had no right to be. They were all helping me and have been more than amazing. But I couldn't help but feel this tightening in my chest that was almost warning me that soon it would all be over. And I don't think I'm ready for that. Not yet.
"Have you taken your pain pills today?" Sean asked as he drove away from the hospital.
"Yeah."
"Ah, now it all makes sense."
"Now what makes sense?"
"Why you're acting like a child. You're probably high."
"You're acting like a child!" I yelled, and then when I realized what I said, I sighed, fuck. I was acting like a child. "Whatever."
Sean laughed, "This is gonna be a fun drive."
A/N: A few more chapters left!!! So hyped to finish this. Maybe at the end if I have time I'll go back and edit the story to make it better. But who knows. Stay tuned to find out what happens to the frat! And more importantly, stay tuned to find out what happens to Peter and Daisy!