Consumed By Fate

Chapter 2: Out of Here

When I came to, it was 4:33am. The room smelled like quarantine. IV drips where in my arm. The television was on Fuse. My hand was very warm, and clammy.  I looked down to observe why my hand was warm, and I found the reason. Kevon was by my bedside, asleep, but holding my hand. I became alert, and started to remember what happened. I looked around the hospital room to see where Echo was.

"Ah, so you're finally awake?" I heard him say. I pivited my head only to find Echo in the hospital bed next to me. "I'm glad I finally have someone to talk to instead of being yelled at by that guy holding your hand." he said while he took a sip of grape juice from a small foam cup. He sat the cup aside then slowly got out of bed, and limped over to my beside across from Kevon along with his IV drip.He then sat in the guest chair. I sat up as much as I could, then I calmly asked "What happened to you?". He sighed and said, "I can barely remember. Kevon said that after they wheeled you away on the gurney I fainted." he chuckled briefly then continued. "I guess all of that adrenaline wore off."

"How long was I out?" I asked while yawning. "Well after your surgery y-" "Surgery! What surgery?" I yelled which made Kevon stir. Echo hushed me then motioned to my gown. I carefully lifted the material. I had layers upon layers of gauze covering my entire mid section. "Turns out that I did, in fact, break your ribs. Three of them actually. One punctured a lung. I guess that's why you couldn't breathe." he yawned. "You were slowly bleeding to death, and I was to blame." he said. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know. I was the idiot who stepped in front for you." I replied, trying to make him feel less guilty. "Let's agree to disagree." he retorted as he picked up my apple juice, and took a swig. "You still didn't answer me. How long was I out, and why are you in here?" I asked, determined to find out more information. "Well, you haven't neseceraliy been 'out'. You've come too a few times in the past week. You weren't yourself though. You weren't really conversing with anyone as much as you are now. Kevon hasn't left your side since you came out of surgery. He sweared that he'd got into 'Mortal Combat mode' if you died." he answered. I waited patiently for the next answer. "I had a minor concussion." he started. "At least, they said it was minor, but just in case, I'm staying awake. My apologies if I'm keeping you up, you should get some rest."

I didn't argue. I was actually very tired. I gripped Kevon's hand tighter, and laid back down. I closed my eyes, and listened to Echo limping away.

When I woke up the next morning Kevon was gone, and Echo was still awake, munching on trail mix.  "Hey Remi." he said, kind of jittery. "Don't tell me you haven't gone to sleep." I said while looking at the clock. It's Almost noon. Echo hushed me while the nurse came in.

"Hey. mister Jordan." she said, and I saw him grimace at her for saying his name. "Here is your lunch, and your release papers. You have to call someone to take you home though, we aren't allowing you to drive today." she said. "It's alright, I have a friend who will take me." Just then Kevon walked in. His smile went from subtle to blinding as he looked at me. 

"It's heart-stopping to see you awake, darling." he said. I'd missed his voice. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Remi. I thought our little fuss was going to be the last conversation we had." he walked over and kissed my forehead. The nurse smilled at us, although it looked as if it was more toward him. "For you miss Morris. You're on the health diet. Here you go." she handed me a menu as I sat up.

"When will I be getting out of here?" I asked. "Well, it says here that you should be getting out either tomorrow or the day after." she answed as she fumbled through my paperwork at the end of my bed. "That's good to know." I sighed. Echo gestured for Kevon to come here. "Hey, can you take me home. I'm getting released, and I can't drive." he smiled. "Sure E, no problem." he said gripping his keys. "Back in a sec." he said as he and Echo left out of the room. After eating my lunch I dozed off only to wake up to Josh standing over my bed. I gave a subtle smile.

"Hey, hun. I got some bad news." he said, his voice was kind of raspy. I braced myself for the worse. "Julius set Echo's condo on fire, and the tornado tore up our homes." he said in a monotone. "We're moving out of town." I still didn't know who Julius was, but I'm guess he's some derranged maniac. I didn'y really understand why Josh was as upset as he was. I'm assuming that he'd gotten attached to someone else after he'd gotten over me. "What's bad about that?" I asked. He didn't answer. He just sat down, phone in hand, staring out into space. I didn't know what to say. I didn't have a life here anymore. I don't have a reason to stay after I killed my best friend, and high school is almost over. Might as well get out of here.

Kevon and Echo walked through the door. Echo looked worried, but his worried inner core was blindsided by his infuriated outer core. As crazy as it sounds- Echo sings when he gets really upset. I learned this when I heard him singing after this guy slammed into his bumper on the freeway. I endured a variety of songs. He isn't that bad of a singer. All the while Echo is singing quietly and pacing back and forth, the nurse was going on a rampage. "Why are you back here? There are to many vistors! What is this? You have to go. Out! Out now, all of you." she yelled as she motioned for the door. Then, the doctor walked in.

"Nancy, will you calm down a bit. There are only three people in here. She doesn't even have a roommate. It's not like they're disturbing anybody." he said in a serene voice. The nurse grimaced, then she gave a faux smile. "I'm sorry. Thirteen hours on the job." she said as she abruptly strutted out of the room.

"Miss Morris, you will be up and out of here tomorrow."said the doctor whose nametag read MD. Gaetano Di Pulmu. "I do, however, reccommend you take it easy after we release you."

I knodded, although with all this crazy stuff going on I didn't know how I was going to "take it easy" like Gaetano said. I rolled over to my side, and closed my eyes, because with sleep eveything comes faster.

My method worked, and the next morning everyone was here, and I was ready to go. After I was discharged we were on the road, and off to start our new life. I had to get a whole new wardrobe. Since I moved out of my mom's house and into Echo's condo, all my clothes were torched in the flames. "Where are we moving to?" I asked absent minded. Kevon responded, but his response was a mere mumble. When I came back to focus I asked the question again, this time paying attention. He mumbled again, and I soon realized he was mumbling on purpose. "Excuse me?" I said, leaning foward to hear. "Peck" he said in barely a whisper. Josh tried to coax me into staying calm by telling me my doctor told me to take it easy, and I did everything in my power to not go beserk.

Peck, Michigan. The place where I grew up. The place where I'd met Josh. The place where trouble happens. I'd thought I'd left all those bad memories behind, but now I'm returning to the epitome of my depression. Time to face this metephorical Jabberwocky. There was a long ride from Chanton to Peck, so I had to get used to being crammed in a car for a few hours. Then I just decided to put in my earbuds and take a nap.