Something More

Chapter Twenty Five

A soft hand shook me awake. I felt flushed and cold, contradicting the sweat against my skin. "Edd, you're burning up. Are you sick?" I opened my eyes, attempting to sit up. A wave of nausea sat uncomfortably thick in my stomach. My mother took my beanie off, combing her fingers through my shoulder-length black hair. I shivered against the cold skin of her fingers. Any protest of being touched stayed in my throat, my body too weak.

"You're burning up!" She softly pushed me back onto the bed, a hand at the back of my head to cushion the impact. My vision swam. I didn't realize how much I truly resembled my mother, was that the reason Kevin liked me? Did I remind him of a girl? Memories flooded my mind of different voices calling me weak, nerdy, and girly- one of which was Kevin himself.

"I think we should take him to the hospital. He has a bump on the back of his head." My parents were both fidgeting over my body. I hadn't noticed my mom leave to get his attention. "Look, next to his scar. I touched it to check his temp and he didn't even flinch."

My dad roughly sat me up, one hand under my arm and the other behind my back. He lifted my shirt then, I jumped at the feeling of cold metal against my back. "His heartbeats uneven. Let's take him." I was vaguely aware of him tossing his stethoscope over his shoulder before easily lifting me. He didn't have any trouble, maybe I was practically a girl.

My vision went in and out. I heard the sound of a car starting and my mom speaking to one of the neighbors, probably to explain away the commotion.

I don't know when I fell asleep. My body still felt limp and heavy, but my mind was more alert. The bright LED lights and white walls told me I was in the hospital. I was undressed-wearing a paper blue gown- and tucked securely under the covers.

"You're awake." The tear-filled eyes of my mother sent a heavy feeling into my chest.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to worry you." Her eyebrows narrowed before she giggled.

"Well, I'm glad you're taking accountability for giving me wrinkles." She teased.

The door opened to our room and my dad walked in. He wore his signature white coat, looking down at a clipboard. "Honey, I saw Vanessa Bartonschmeer. She's an on-call nurse here, what a small world." I recalled Nazz mentioning her excitement over her mom's new job, she left the fashion design world to follow her dream. When his eyes met mine his smile widened considerably. "I'm glad you're awake. You have a minor concussion you're still healing from. When did you get hurt?"

When haven't I gotten hurt? I felt like the school punching bag on and off over the last year, it wasn't until very recently that things were cooling off. I shrugged, avoiding eye contact with them both. The last thing I needed was to drag Eddy's name through the mud from Sarah's diary incident. It was the only thing that came to mind on how I possibly would have gotten this injury.

My dad continued. "Have you felt any strange symptoms? Dizziness, headaches, nausea, or forgetfulness?" Alarm bells went off in my head. My widening eyes were answering enough. "I see. If that's the case I'm going to tell them to keep you under observation. Lucky they know me here, or I'd have to sit back and watch someone else take care of you." My dad pats my shoulder before turning out of the room just as soon as he came.

My mom began to rub her fingers through my hair. I flinched but otherwise didn't move. She smiled again, patient as she pulled the folded striped fabric of my hat from her purse and slid it back onto my head.

My mom's cell phone began to ring. She pulled it out, flipping it open to press against her ear. "Doctor Vincent speaking." She greeted. Her eyes went back to me and she gently rubbed my hand as she spoke. "Please excuse Eddward for the next few days. He has a mild concussion." I heard the sound of a woman on the other line. "He can make up the-" I frantically shook my hands and head against the idea. I felt fine enough and my classwork, if I was being truthful, wasn't difficult to complete. "If you could have one of his friends bring his classwork I think he would love that." She corrected, smirking and shaking her head.

Hours passed remarkably slow. My mother went home to properly rest for an upcoming-overnight shift and my father stayed back as a replacement for a staff member that called out sick. He occasionally went in and out of my room to check on me, but otherwise, he left me alone. I flipped through the channels on the TV, trying to find something educational when I heard a knock on the door. I sat up a bit, expecting Eddy or Ed. I didn't expect to see Kevin, especially given his fear of needles and hospitals. He held a stack of papers in his hands, almost using them as a shield. When his eyes landed on me, I could see the tension leave his shoulders. He quickly made his way inside and closed the door.

"I brought your stuff." Confidence normally exuded the jock, even times in the classroom when the teacher would call on him for answers he didn't have. Now he was awkward, almost unsure of himself. He walked further into the room and set a stack of papers down on the table beside me. I watched him reach into his bag and pull out a mechanical pencil. I preferred the No.2 myself, but I wouldn't object.

"Thank you, Kevin." I smiled kindly. Despite everything, I was still surprised he was there. An errand boy was never something I imagined he would do, especially for my benefit.

"Does it hurt?" Kevin finally said. His voice was rough, eyes trailing over me briefly before landing on my head. "I don't know how you managed a concussion. That seems like a lame way to go." His attempt at a joke failed, even to his ears. I smiled regardless.

"I feel fine. Thank you for the concern." I wasn't sure what sort of thoughts crossed the ginger's mind. His cheeks flushed softly. He looked away then, avoiding eye contact. "Something the matter?"

"How can you look so calm after what happened?" Kevin brought his hand to his face, rubbing the reddened skin softly. I tilted my head in confusion, not quite understanding. He sighed, leaning toward me. His face was just a few inches from my own. The memory of his warm lips took me aback, the nervousness I already felt in my chest skyrocketed. The sound of my heartbeat speeding echoed in the room-only heightening my embarrassment. He smiled warmly, the confidence in his personality returning. "Good to know it's mutual." He whispered, almost to himself. My heart sped, it felt like my chest was about to explode.

My dad suddenly burst into the room. His face was pale and panicked. The look of fear suddenly washed away at Kevin leaning over me. His eyes narrowed at the EKG monitor beside me, still beeping away at an alarming pace. Kevin leaned back then, his hands up almost to nonverbally say he didn't touch me. My heart slowed significantly.

"Kevin, I appreciate your attraction to my handsome son. He looks like his mother, so I don't blame you. I don't appreciate you almost giving him a heart attack. Until further notice, keep approximately 2 feet of space at all times." My dad pointed to his white coat. "Doctors orders."

Kevin's cheeks flamed up again, this time worse than the last. "I don't find your son attractive." He avoided eye contact. "I wasn't gonna touch him."

"Oh really?" My dad placed his hands on his hips. His tone and actions imitated my mothers. "Look at my son when you say it then." Kevin's eyes widened in shock.

"If you could stop, that would be wonderful." I narrowed my eyes at my father. I could distinguish the almost transparent smile on his face, clearly teasing Kevin.

"Don't tell my parents." Kevin suddenly said. His tone defeated, his newly found confidence destroyed in an instant.

"Why would I? I don't particularly think it's their business, but it wasn't hard to figure out. It'll be your choice if you want to come clean. Just no funny business with my boy." A small alarm vibrated from my dad's pocket. He pulled out a pager, reading the message. "I have to run. I'll be back to check on you Edd." The door closed behind him. An exhale left Kevin's chest at the sight of my dad exiting.

"You told your folks?" Kevin side-eyed me. His expression wasn't friendly. I didn't understand why.

"You came up in conversation."

"Who else did you tell?" He glared now.

"What's the problem?" I glared back, deciding to ask directly. Why did it matter if my parents knew? My head began to pound at the temple. "My parents have never taken control over who I was interested in." The anger bubbling within me pushed away any feelings of embarrassment.

"You didn't tell the dweebs?"

"No one, other than my parents, is aware."

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