together again // tronnor au

twenty-three

Connor's POV

Beep! Beep! Beep!

I didn't even have a shift today, so why was my alarm clock on?

I tried rolling over, but didn't get very far. I winced quietly, as I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and ribs.

I must have slept wrong.

I forced my eyes open slightly, light immediately seeping through.

Why was it so bright? I always slept with my door closed and curtains drawn. Maybe I forgot to shut them yesterday.

"You're awake! He's awake!" I heard a voice somewhere from my room. Dad?

"Oh my gosh, he is! Get the doctor!" I heard the familiar voice of my mum.

What were Mum and Dad doing here? Weren't they supposed to be in Minnesota? And how did they even get into my apartment?

I opened my eyes some more, finding myself looking up at an unfamiliar, white ceiling. This wasn't my room.

I turned my head slowly to the side, and saw a doctor rush into the room.

"Hi, Connor. I'm Dr. Lee." He smiled, holding a clipboard. "How are you feeling?"

"Where am I?" I asked, even though I had already figured out that I was in the hospital.

"You're in hospital." Yup. "You were attacked two nights ago. Do you remember anything?"

Suddenly, it all came rushing back to me. The alley. The lady. The man. The knife. The pain.

I nodded, slowly, still terrified from what happened.

"Where does it hurt?" Dr. Lee asked.

"Around my stomach and ribs. And my jaw kind of hurts when I talk." I winced.

"That's all completely normal. You broke a couple of ribs and you were stabbed in your lower abdomen. As for your jaw, you were most likely hit or punched there, so it's a bit bruised now." He explained.

"Oh, okay."

"Does it hurt anywhere else?" He asked.

"Nope." I said.

"That's good news, then." He smiled, slightly.

"Am I going to be alright?" I asked, scared to hear the answer. I looked over to my mum and dad, who were holding hands, with fear in their eyes.

"You should make a full recovery. Your ribs and jaw should heal fully within 6 weeks. As for your stomach, you lost quite a lot of blood and your tissue was damaged, but we have done everything we can and you should have a smooth recovery. It will take a few months and you may be in pain some days, but we will supply you with a wheelchair. Don't worry, there is nothing we didn't expect." Dr. Lee said, looking at his notes.

We all sighed with relief.

"Thank you, doctor." Dad said, gratefully.

Dr. Lee nodded and walked out of the room.

"Oh, Connor, we were so worried!" Mum rushed to me.

"How did you know to come?" I asked.

"We got a call from Bethany saying that you had been attacked, so we booked the soonest flight here." She told me. "Dustin, Nicola, and Brandon are still there, but they send their love."

"Oh, I see. Tell them I love them, too. How did Bethany know I was attacked?" I asked.

"She said her friend found you in the alley and you had blacked out. I was so scared." Mum cried, hugging me carefully.