Author's Note: Would you look at this! I actually finished this chapter. I wrote it in like four hours, 'cause I told you all I'd try to have it up today last night after I posted Chapter 28. So here it is! I hope you all love it. :D Soooo, yeah. And no, this is not the last chapter. Chapter 30 should be up this weekend. Don't forget to comment and vote!❤
The next two weeks go by in a flash. Unfortunately though, there’s no change from Ryder. It’s Saturday, July 22nd, and he’s been in here since the 6th. Dr. Roberts and Rigsby both monitor him now, and both of them are apparently ‘baffled’ as to why Ryder hasn’t woken up yet. Dr. Rigsby says that when Ryder was first brought in, he was breathing with the support of a ventilator, but apparently he’s been unconsciously healing because now he’s breathing on his own. So I’m assuming that’s good.
I’m pretty sure I’m on the verge of being fired from my job, because I’ve totally been blowing it off. I mean Ryder’s in the hospital fighting for his life and people expect me to go and give out toys and such to kids at the beach? Fuck that. Currently I’m in Ryder’s room. His hospital room, I mean. They moved him from the emergency room to an actual room. Todd is in here with me too, as he’s been for the past few days. He and Ryder are the closest of the brothers and so he’s been here pretty much all day every day. The rest of the family has been too, but they all have work and stuff that they can’t just drop.
So for the past two weeks it’s been me and Todd in here. I stay at night usually and Todd does sometimes too, but not every night. It’s against hospital policy for me us to stay the night, but we’ve kinda just overlooked it. Plus the doctors don’t really make a huge deal out of it. I look down in my lap where my phone is currently residing. I pick it up and unlock it, seeing that it’s nearly 11:30 in the morning. The door opens and my eyes inadvertently flicker towards it. I suppress an eye roll when I see who it is.
Mollie.
If it isn’t obvious, I don’t like her all that much. I mean, not because she told me, because I asked her to, but because she just…I dunno…she seems kinda hypocritical to me. And plus she and Jansen don’t even live in L.A. They live in freaking Fresno. It’s like a three hour drive to L.A. from Fresno. They’ve been visiting him a few times, Mollie much more often than Jansen. In fact, I think this is Mollie’s fourth or fifth time coming this week. And it’s just Saturday.
Todd is sleep at the moment, as he usually is, so he doesn’t notice that awkward tension. “Oh uh hey McKenna.” Mollie says uneasily.
“Hi Mollie.” I reply, sitting up in the recliner.
“How is he?” She wonders, looking at Ryder.
“Same.” I mutter, standing up. “I’ll be back when you leave.” I tell her, walking towards the door. She catches my wrist in her hand, stopping me. I look at her questioningly. “What is it?”
“I know you don’t like me, but why? I mean, you could really stay in her when I visit. You don’t have to leave.”
I take my wrist from her hand and look up at her. “I don’t wanna stay when you’re here. I mean, I assume you talk to him, and what you say to him isn’t my business.”
“Just you know, McKenna, I don’t want him.”
“Good to know, I guess.”
“Seriously, and even if I did want him, the chances of it happening would be slim to none. He hates me ya know, you’re the one he loves. You know, after you two broke up, I overheard him and Jansen talking. Jansen was trying to throw a party to cheer him up, ya know, call in the ‘hoes’ but Ryder didn’t want to. He said that he couldn’t be with someone else, not right now.”
I nod awkwardly, “Yeah, I was fully aware of how Ryder felt about us breaking up.”
“But you still did it.”
“Okay, seriously. Do you think I don’t feel bad about it? Because I do, but I’m not gonna talk about it with you.”
“Okay, okay.” She says, putting her hands up in surrender.
“Just…call me or something when you leave. I’m going down to the cafeteria.”
With that, I walk out of the room, going down the corridor with my hands shoved down in my jean pockets. I walk slowly down the stairs, and down to the ground floor which is where the cafeteria is located. I guess I should get some lunch, I’m actually pretty hungry. When I arrive at the cafeteria, I’m not surprised to see that it’s nearly full, as it always is.
I walk around, looking down in the displays, searching for something appealing to me. I decide to just pick up the salad in a bowl and grab it. Then I walk over to the drink machine and take out a bottle of water. I join the line of people standing in the checkout and look around tiredly.
I drag my feet forward, stepping up as one of the many people in front of me pays for their food and leaves. When I finally make it to the register, the tall guy, who looks to be around Ryder’s age or maybe 20, scans my stuff. “$23.03.” He says, taking a paper bag off the rack to bag my stuff.
“What?” I retort, looking at him confused.
“$23.03.” He repeats.
“It’s a salad and some water though, why is it so high?”
The guy laughs, a hearty laugh at that, and says, “Nah, I’m just playing with you. It’s $8.35. But you look like you’ve having a debauched day so I’ll only charge you half. $4.17.”
“I don’t know what debauched means, but thanks anyway.” I mutter, pulling a few crinkled up dollar bills out of my back pocket. Some lady bumps into me, causing me to drop my things to the floor. I sigh; dropping to my knees, picking the stuff up, and glad there’s no one behind me. I collect my stuff and then stand up, giving the blond boy a five dollar bill. He puts it in the register and gives me back my change. I take it and the bag and walk off to an empty table to eat my lunch and give Mollie some time so I don’t have to run into her.
I sit down at the empty table and scoot my chair up. Then I grab a fork from the basket and some packets of ranch. I tear the ranch open, and before it registers in my brain what’s going on, the ranch sputters all over my red t-shirt. I groan and swear under my breath, dropping it on the table and grabbing a couple of handfuls of napkins. I furiously rub the white ranch, trying to absorb it in the napkins, when I hear someone clearing their throat. I look up and see Jansen standing there.
“You do you that you’re only making it worse, right?”
“Hi Jansen, and yeah I get that now.” I reply, looking back down at my shirt.
“How are you handling things?” He wonders, sitting down across from me with a sub wrapped in plastic.
I shrug, “Okay, I guess.”
“You don’t look okay. In fact you look like you got stabbed in the leg.”
“Why do you and all of your friends have such weird analogies?” I ask him, cocking my head to the side.
He shrugs, uncapping his drink. “Dunno. So what are you gonna do when Ryder wakes up?” He asks casually.
“What do you mean?” I ask him, poking my salad and pushing it around the container with the fork.
“Are you two gonna get back together?”
I shrug, “I don’t know. He probably doesn’t wanna get back together.”
“I really doubt that. He likes you, like a lot. More than that, McKenna, this dude loves you. Like if you told him to jump off of the Statue of Liberty he’d do it.”
“Again with the weird analogies.” I say, laughing to myself.
His phone rings and he pulls it out, looking down at it. “Well there’s my sister. She’s ready to go, so I guess I’ll go get her and we’ll get out of here. I’ll see you later though.”
“Bye Jansen.” I reply as he stands up, dumps his food and walks out of the cafeteria.
“What’s your story? Why are you here?” The same male voice says, that was at the register earlier.
“My exboyfriend got in a car accident.”
He sits down, flipping his hair out of his face. “Yeah, so why’d you come?”
“I mean, I wasn’t gonna just not come. I love him.”
“Then why is he your ex and not your current?” He challenges.
I look at him, strangely. “I don’t even know you, why should I tell you?”
He shrugs, “I’m just curious. That guy that was just sitting over here, that’s my ex’s brother.”
“Jansen?” I ask and he nods. “Mollie is your ex?”
He nods again, “Worst year of my life.” Then he shudders unnecessarily.
“Why’d y’all break up?” I wonder, drinking some of my water.
“Oh, I’d say there were a lot of reasons. She’s kinda crazy.” He says. “And my name’s Jack, by the way.” Then he reaches across, holding his hand out.
I take it shaking it, “McKenna.”
“Well McKenna, I hope your boyfriend gets better.”
“Ex.” I remind him.
“But you’re here and you don’t have to be. That has to mean something, don’t you think?”
“Wel-“
“You know it does, but listen I have to get back to the register. Lunch rush is starting back up. Nice meeting you. I’ll see you around.”
“You too.” I say, standing up as he does. I throw my trash away.
I leave the cafeteria, taking the elevator back to Ryder’s room. When I arrive there, Todd is still asleep, but now he’s lying down across the chair in a not so comfortable looking position. I guess I should wake him up; he should go eat something too.
“Todd, wake up.” I say, hitting his shoulder.
“Hmm?” He replies, sleepily.
“Wake up.” I repeat. “It’s almost 12; you should go get something to eat before the cafeteria.”
He sits up, rubbing his eyes. “What time did you say?”
“It’s 12.” I say.
Todd groans, and pulls his phone from his pocket. “Shit.”
“What?” I ask, looking over at Ryder.
“Chastity’s blowing my phone up.”
“Oh, so she came back again?” I ask him. She was in Colorado with her family, but she came back like when Ryder first got admitted, and then I think she left again, going to D.C., but I guess she’s back.
He nods, “Yeah, I think so. I told her we’d do lunch so she can tell me all about her time in D.C.” Then he stands up, yawning.
“So you’re getting outta here?”
“Yup, she probably just got back and was calling to confirm the plans. I’ll be back later on though.”
“See ya, tell Chastity I said hi.”
“Will do, I’ll see you later on.” Todd retorts, leaving the hospital room.
He closes the door behind him and I walk over to Ryder’s bed, sitting down on it. I study his face, grateful that the cuts on his face have healed up pretty well. I look down his chest, seeing is slowly rise and fall just as it has been since he arrived. I tap my foot on the floor, tiresomely.
After a while I see Ryder’s heart rate going up ever so slowly. I look down at him and see that color is coming to his face, the paleness going away. I mean, he isn’t naturally pale, he’s pretty tan, living in California but since he’s been here he’s been rather pale. I watch, mesmerized as his eyes flutter the tiniest bit. They don’t open immediately, rather his chocolate brown eyes slowly open, revealing themselves to the light. He wrinkles his forehead in confusion, glancing up at me.
“McKenna?” He says quietly, his voice very, very hoarse. He hasn’t talked in like two weeks, it’s understandable.
“Ryder,” I reply, matching his voice. “You’re awake.”
The door opens again, and Dr. Rigsby walks in. When she takes in the fact that Ryder’s awake she sighs in what I guess is relief. “Welcome back Mr. O’Connor. I was just coming to check your vitals.” She looks on the screen that displays them and writes the numbers down. I couldn’t say whether or not they’re good, because I mean, I’m just a seventeen year old girl, I don’t know what they mean. “They’re looking pretty good, actually. We’re going to run a few tests, just to see how everything else is doing, and then we’ll be back to check on you. Okay?” Ryder nods, and the doctor gives up both a smile then leaves.
I feel Ryder’s hang tugging on the hem of my shirt, and I turn back around, looking down at him. “You’re not gonna fall back out of it, are you?” I ask half-jokingly.
“I’ll try.” He says lowly, chuckling to himself.
“You want some water?” I ask him, filling the momentary silence.
He nods, and I hand him a paper cup of some. He drinks some of it and then puts it down on the little desk. “I can’t believe you came.”
“What do you mean?” I ask him, incredulously.
“You came to see me.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you don’t love me anymore.”
I roll my eyes, “Shut up.”
“You don’t.”
“If I didn’t still love you, do you think I’d be kissing you?”
“You’re not ki-“ I cut him off by leaning down, pressing my lips against his.
Ryder reciprocates, kissing me back. He doesn’t ask for entrance or anything, instead keeping the kiss simple, sweet and short. When I pull back from him, he lifts his bandaged hand, and puts it on the side of my face.
“I’m sorry.”
I wrinkle my forehead in confusion, “What are you sorry for? I’m the one who should be sorry.”
“For a lot of things. Not telling you about me and Mollie, lying to you, making you cry, and most of all getting in the wreck.”
I smile down at him, “I don’t care about any of that. It’s all in the past, okay? But seriously, you’re gonna have to explain to me that whole ‘drunk out of your mind’ thing.”
Ryder nods his head slightly and says, “I will. I love you.”
“I love you too, Ryder.” I tell him.
Ryder shifts in the bed, moving away from me a bit. I look at him questioningly, and he pats the side next to him, “Lay with me.”
“It’s a small bed.”
“I don’t care, just lay with me.” He urges.
I turn around on the bed, lying down on the bed. He takes his arm and puts it under my back, wrapping it around me. I guess he tries to move his foot, because he winces and swears under his breath. “Yeah, you’ll have to be careful with that. It’s sprained.”
“I’m such an idiot.” He mutters.
I nod in agreement, “Yeah, but you’re my idiot.”