Redamancy | Harry Osborn

f o u r t e e n

    Two hospital doors stood still across from each other. They were an ugly purple color, with dents and scratches ruining the paint job.
      Room 236 was marked, 'D Oldbrooke.' Inside were two sisters. Only one was conscious, and the other was breathing out of a machine. The younger one, the conscious one, had dark purple bags drooping down from her eyes. Her face was pale and her lips were blueish purple. She looked worse than her sick sister, but sleep was the only thing she needed. She didn't need to breath out of a machine, or get stuck with needles, or wear a revealing hospital gown. She needed to sleep for the first time in four days. Her shirt was light gray, and a dark red metal name tag was clipped onto it, it was engraved with, 'Angelica'. She was completely bent over in a fetal position, with her head in her hands on her lap. Her fingers were playing with loose fabric that strayed from the unintentional rip on her knee.
      Room 242 was marked, 'M Parker.' Inside was a single old woman. Her face was wrinkled and saggy, and the hair on her head was thinning and graying. She hadn't been alone for long, her nephew had been there not even ten minutes ago. MJ had been there, too. But she left earlier in the day.
      Angelica took her face out of her hands and stood up slowly, her bones and joints cracking with every movement. She yawned and stretched her hands above her head, making her shirt lift and reveal the bottom of her stomach. Two more joints cracked, her shoulder and her back. She exhaled loudly and trotted towards the door, pulling it open and yanking herself through.
        She crossed the hall and tapped her knuckles on the door softly, waiting for a response. She heard Aunt May's sweet voice, "come in."
        Angelica obeyed, slipping into the room. She looked at the older woman kindly, "how are you feeling?"
        "Homesick," Aunt May sighed.
        Angelica nodded, understandingly, "you'll be home soon."
        May glanced at the empty seat next to her and gestured at it, "sit, dear. I have to talk to you."
        Jolie obeyed, sitting in the purple-ish blue-ish loveseat chair. Brought her right knee up to her chest and hugged it, "everything okay?"
        "Of course," May assured. She sighed deeply, "this is about Thanksgiving."
         A blush dusted Angelica's cheeks- Aunt May was the last person she wanted to hear Norman's rant, "I'm sorry-"
        "For nothing. You have nothing to be sorry about. Your exit was justified."
       "So..." Angelica trailed off, waiting for Aunt May to say something.
       May sighed deeply, fixing the covers that were on top of her before looking Jolie in the eyes, "it's none of my business, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way... but I think you'd be a fool if you let that boy get away."
       Angelica's eyes widened at May's words, "wha- Harry?"
       "Yes," she chuckled, as if it were so obvious, "if only you'd seen him after you left.. I mean it, that boy was a mess. Peter and Mary Jane went on a walk to break the tension, he and I stayed behind to clean up... a mess, Jolie, a real mess."
        Angelica looked down, an image of the brown haired boy flashing in her mind.
        May waited for her to say something, but she didn't, "I see a lot of Ben and I when I look at you two. Ben had his own world aside from the one I was in with him, he never let me in on it. Harry... told me about what happened between you two in the staircase. He asked for my advice. I told him that if what he said was true, he needed to prove it."
         The blush hadn't left Angelica's cheeks, "what if he changes his mind? What if he decides that Norman's opinion is more important? I couldn't handle that, May."
         She smiled, "you never know what something could be unless you try."
         "But-"
         "No buts," May interrupted. "Harry loves you... very much. It would be such a shame if you let something, especially Norman Osborn, ruin that."
         "I don't want to be the reason Harry and his father don't have a relationship," Angelica confessed. There it was, the reason behind it all, the reason she was so afraid. "I want him to be happy. And if I'm getting in the way of that, I'd leave in a heartbeat."
         "Harry's relationship with his father was never ideal. You know that," May reasoned. "From what he told me, he'd choose you over him every time."
         "Maybe he shouldn't," Angelica was staring in the distance, but still listening intently.
         "You need to think about yourself for once," May scolded.
         "It's hard when all I ever think about is him."