Keep Me Safe ~ Ashton Irwin

Chapter 40 - Realisations

RECAP:

"What's your last name?" She randomly asked, the zig zag patterns fading as she raised her hand higher, positioning it to the side of my neck.

I chuckled a little before answering. "Irwin."

"Irwin." She copied, the name rolling off her tongue slowly almost as if she was sounding it out.

"Ashton Irwin." She said, as if mentally logging the name into her mind.

"It suits you." She turned her head up to face me and i moved my head a little so i could get a full view of her face.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"What's yours?" I asked.

"Everette. Hayley Everette." She said. "It's my mums name."

"It suits you." I told her, as she turned her head back to a comfortable position.

"Thank you." She whispered, a light chuckle escaping her lips.

~~~~~~~~~

A couple of hours later, when she was calm i managed to talk her into getting back into bed. Now she was sitting up with her legs tucked under the sheets and i was sat with my legs crossed on the bottom of the bed, making small talk with her to take her mind of things and trying to get to know each other.

"So what's your favourite colour?" I asked, taking a good look at her facial features. The bruise on her eye had gone down pretty well thanks to the nurses even though she protested a couple times. She still refused the examination and taking a couple of tests, but she did allow them to stitch up the major wounds and clean them up after some persuading.

"Purple. No Yellow. Both." She answered, furrowing her eyebrows to come up with an answer.

"Yours?"

"Red."

"Like blood?" She said, a look of worry crossing her face.

"N-no, like uh...like" i thought about it for a moment "roses?"

"Roses." She repeated, and i wondered if she would continue to do that with every further question i would be answering.

"How old are you?" She asked, turning her head to one side, her gaze focused directly on mine.

"How old do i look?" I chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

"Like.......young..ish." She said seriously.

I laughed and i could've sworn her lips tugged into the smallest smile.

"I'm 20" And a half." I quickly added. "It counts you know."

"Oh."

I asked her the same question and she told she was eighteen and three quarters, which counted. We kept at it for a while, just getting to know each other and i thought it was going pretty well because she seemed more calm, relaxed in fact. The doctors popped in a little while later just for a casual check up, she still seemed weary of them but i just kept her talking enough to distract her attention away from them.

At 7. o'clock a nurse came in and set up Hayley's supper on a small tray on the table at the end of the bed. It consisted of a baked potato with gravy, mushy peas and a small cup of water. She didn't eat her breakfast this morning and rejected her lunch but i only hoped she would at least attempt to eat this.

"You hungry?" The nurse chirped, adjusting the name tag on her uniform that read Suzanne.

"Starving." She replied, a fake smile evident on her face as if she was afraid to tell the truth.