angela's pov
michael woke up yesterday. he told me he loved me again yesterday. he asked me to be his girlfriend yesterday. obviously, i said yes. i'd been waiting for that moment since the day i knew he liked me as more than a friend.
despite waking up yesterday, michael was already eager to stand and walk again. there was no way he could support himself on his own. he was weaker than i thought he was going to be. he needed an escort to go to the bathroom because he'd fall on the way if he didn't.
"i'll be fine, i promise," michael argued as he sat up in his bed. i sat next to him, my hand atop his.
"don't try to stand, you're gonna hurt yourself." he didn't listen, though. he pushed himself up, his black basketball shorts rippling as he stood. he was able to stand without me touching him, at least. i rose before him and he put his big hands on my waist. he still towered over me, even though he was somewhat hunched over.
michael stuck out his tongue. "i told you." the plastic device hooked on his finger pressed against my side.
"now walk," i raised my eyebrows. he could barely move his feet, as he was tangled in lots of wires and tubes and cords.
"i don't know, i kinda like this spot," mumbled michael, indicating that he couldn't walk. i pushed him gently back down onto the bed so he was sitting. "ouch," he joked. i sat beside him and leaned my head on the shoulder of his soft, red t-shirt. It was worn out and had lost it's stiffness, having been dated 2009 in the white print.
there was a gentle knock at the door to the new room. michael was no longer in the critical care wing, but rather in the normal unit. peyton poked her head inside. "have you seen ashton?" she asked, looking happy to see michael well.
"have you tried the lobby?"
"no, i was looking in this floors waiting room, but i'll try," she said and shut the door behind her.
"she'd be cute with him," michael said, looking over at me. i nodded in agreement. he leaned his head on my shoulder. "my heart hurts," said michael dramatically.
"in which way do you mean?" i asked, standing and walking to the big windows that overlooked a peaceful park-like field. becky told me they had it there to calm patients. many people sat on the grass or on benches. children swung on swings in the play area. everyone looked so happy. a little boy with a bald head swung next to a little girl. they laughed together. chances are, they'd never met before, but happiness unites people.
i listened to michael cough and then clear his throat. "in the i-just-got-shot-last-week-and-it-almost-punctured-my-heart type of way," he said sarcastically. every time i thought back to watching him slowly die, i got chills. him falling, him bleeding out, him gasping for his last breath, him staring up at me as we waited for the ambulance.
i didn't respond. soon, michael spoke up again. "ang, what's wrong?" he asked. i still stared out at the green grass lit by the blazing sun. luckily, it wasn't hot inside due to the air conditioning.
"why'd you take the bullet for me?"
"i wasn't going to let you get shot," he said in a whisper.
"are you sure that's the only reason? i know you wanted to die, but i didn't know you were that desperate to," i said, turning to face him. i had forgotten that he had his back turned towards me. he messed with his laminated paper hospital bracelet.
"you think that's why i pushed you out of the way? so i could die?" he sounded as if he was guilty. he sounded vulnerable and scared as well. i wasn't sure how to answer because yes, i did think that was the reason...partially. "when i knew you were still out there, i didn't want to die anymore. i just wanted to protect you. but it's all fine now, right? you're safe, i'm safe. you could be dead if you were the one who got shot. i would be dead if you were the one who got shot."
i looked back out the window. there was now a couple sitting on a picnic blanket in the middle of the field. the girl was in a blue t-shirt and jeans. she had short hair, pale skin, and an oxygen tank. the boy was in khaki cargo shorts and a basketball jersey. he had a prosthetic leg, vibrant blue eyes, and black hair.
"angela?" i snapped out of my glance and turned to look back at him. he looked afraid.
"sorry," i apologized and looked back out the window once again. "it's just...you're not okay. you're in the hospital. you almost died. you can't even walk."
"i am okay; i'm alive. i'm glad i was the one who got hurt and you weren't. i wouldn't have made it through this like you did. i wouldn't have lasted this long."
"what are you saying?"
"i'm saying that i lose hope easily," michael murmured and sniffled.
when i turned around, i saw michael's head in his hands. i made my way over and sat beside him, placing my hand on his back. he looked up at me with red eyes and threw his arms around me. his forehead pressed against my shoulder. "why are you crying?"
"i imagined a life without you."
it was hard to think of what to say to him. "michael, i'm not gone. i'm right here," i whispered in his ear. he nodded. this was the first time i'd ever seen him cry like that. on the outside, he was clumsy and a clown and wanted to impress everyone. on the inside, he was scared of what people thought of him, he was soft, he was sensitive, he cried when you weren't looking, he'd risk his life for you.
he sat up straight and tall, wincing on the way up. there weren't as many tears in his eyes. "i'm safe. i saved you, and that's all that matters, right?"
"to you. the only thing that matters to me is that you're sitting with me right now. you're alive. so am i."
michael sniffled again and nodded, a smile now on his face. "right."
•••••
"fuck, that fucking hurts," michael complained, but kept a smile on his face. he was able to walk now with my assistance. well, ashton's too. we ushered him out the front doors of the hospital and along the sidewalk. peyton walked beside ashton, while luke and calum were beside me. they both offered to take my spot and help michael, but i refused.
we trudged across the grass and finally picked a spot, closer to the sidewalk than to the middle of the field. michael sat first out of all of us, his legs out straight before him. he propped himself up with his arms behind him.
"it's such a nice day, don't you think?" asked peyton, messing with a blade of grass. it had surely cooled down since the hot morning. it was around four now.
it'd surprised me that they actually let michael go outside, let alone leave his room. michael looked around. "the last time i was outside, god knows how much danger we were in," he said and looked at me.
at this point, everyone knew about us officially being together. none of us knew what ashton and peyton had between them. beth and calum had been talking, but that's it. luke was still single.
speaking of luke, he finally broke the silence. "michael, what was it like when you were unconscious?"
michael bit his lip, probably trying to think of a way to sum it up. "well, yes, i could hear you. it felt like i was trapped in a dark room and i couldn't see anything, only hear. i felt pain. it felt like i had a heavy boulder on my chest. i couldn't breathe on my own. i couldn't move. i could think. sometimes, it felt like i was sleeping inside the coma. i'd 'wake up', but it was more like gaining focus again."
"you could hear us?" luke asked.
"yes. i could hear all the perverted things you said, luke," stated michael, making us all laugh. "and i never thought teenage boys could cry as much as you guys did."
"we just missed you, that's all," calum defended, obviously embarrassed for crying.
i picked at the bandage on my forehead that covered my stitches. it'd become a nervous habit, even when i wasn't nervous. "sorry for complaining so much, then," i said.
he grinned at me. "i like hearing you talk, so don't apologize."
FINALLY A NEW CHAPTER SORRY FOR THE WAIT GUYS. AND DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID WITH HAZEL AND AUGUSTUS IN THE FIELD LIKE THE OXYGEN TANK AND THE PROSTHETIC LEG AW CRYING BYE VOTE PLEASE AND COMMENT BYE LOVE YOU
