Is this the final stop? (Toni Shalifoe)

Chapter 66

AN: HAPPY PRIDE MONTH Y'ALL!! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

It is also my birthday! So it is a very special publishing day for me, too!! Enjoy, besties!

While Shelby has been delegated on homework duty by Jobeth and forced to attend her own classes, she's made sure Toni won't fully miss her presence. There's been a scheduled cycle of visitors. Planned by, yes, one Shelby Goodkind. And Jobeth made it absolutely clear to both of the girls that Toni will not be falling behind. Hence, assigning Shelby to Toni's homework duty.

Toni is both impressed and intimidated that Shelby knows each one of her friends' schedules, but she guesses that can fall under her Class President responsibilities. Honestly, she's grateful to have the company. From Fatin overnight, to each of the girls who have spent their free period entertaining her in their own ways. The daylight is pouring in from the windows and Toni's been handling it well. The shades are helping, but she's relieved to escape the pitch black room.

Nora went on a long lecture discussing the science of what a broken rib does to the body. Which, in retrospect, was more fear-inducing than educational. Martha was a great second substitute, she talked her ear off about a cutie in her chemistry class named Marcus. And yes, she did confirm that they have chemistry in a romantic sense, not just a school sense.

Dot and her had a real heart to heart. It also ended in them rating the Survivor clips they watched all morning. She ended up scribbling her name on Toni's cast. But at second glance, Toni only sees a period.

A dot.

When it comes to Rachel Reid, Toni thought the rules would be more laxed, and that they'd just sit in the hospital room together, eating lunch.

It's Rachel's turn now. And she couldn't be more wrong.

Because Rachel assumes the role of coach in Toni's recovery plan. The girl is pacing and chewing her food and sifting through pamphlets, one-pagers, and clinal peer reviews on every possible related injury. She speaks fast, almost tripping over the words, annoyed she has to finish each one individually, "I've already spoken to the doctor, now that the chest tube has been removed, he's supplying us with good breathing techniques—don't look at me like that."

Toni definitely looks at her like that. Like she's insane. Because she is.

"Your rib is going to heal in the right way if I have any say in the matter—and don't answer that, I certainly have a say in that matter." She takes a drink from her sports bottle, it makes little guzzling sounds as she downs the whole thing.

"But—"

Rachel steps back, popping a hip as she says, "Do you really want Shelby heading this up?"

This shuts Toni up.

"That's what I thought. So. The breathing exercises. They will help the rib heal back into place," Rachel says. She pulls out another printed instruction sheet from the pile. It's mangled and has notes written in every margin.

"Rachel—"

"The only thing you need is yourself and a pillow to hug. You'll be able to do these at anyone's house. There are zero excuses to fall back on. But you'll transition out of the pillow as you get your strength back." She grabs the extra pillow on the bed and fluffs it up, getting ready to practice. Rachel flips to the back side of the paper, there's more notes and circles and dates.

"Rachel—"

"The timeline reads about six weeks, but if you really focus on it we can get that down to five—"