Fixing You

Chapter six

hola!!!!

chapter six *sigh* we're getting so far haha

thanks to everyone who has kept with the story i promise we'll be getting into it starting the next chapter!

anyway so.........

HUDSON'S POV

It was dark.

In my nightmares, it was always as dark as it could be, when in reality it was twilight when it happened. At least that's what I was told. They said it was still bright enough for the driver to see me, which is why so many questions were raised. It was speculated and eventually concluded that the accident was the result of drunk driving. I would never walk again because of some stranger's stupid decision.

I knew I was dreaming as I stepped onto the road in slow motion. I knew what was coming, but I had yet to master the art of waking myself up.

Suddenly but not unexpectedly, bright headlights flashed to my right, momentarily blinding me. I raised my arm over my eyes as a shield against both the light and impact.

In my dream, I screamed as the car advanced towards me. This, too, was my mind's creation; when it really happened, I hadn't had time to scream. I barely knew what was coming before I felt the intense pain.

Sometimes when I revisited my worst memory at night, the car would grind to a halt just before it collided with my body. Although just as terrifying, I considered this a better night.

This was not one of those nights.

The feeling of the impact was something I would never forget. The front of the car slammed into me like nothing I'd ever felt before. I cried out as I felt my hip twist round unnaturally, the sharp pain shooting up my spine.

The pain was the only thing I remembered about that night.

My eyes shot open and I found myself in bed, sweating so profusely that my t-shirt clung to me. I could feel a dull ache along the right side of my body, reminding me that my nightmare was a reality.

The door burst open and Daniel strode in briskly, clapping his hands. "Wakey, wakey! Up and at 'em, Hudson!" he said cheerily before noticing my pained expression. It saddened me to see my pain replicated on my younger brother's face.

"Another nightmare?" he asked softly. Pity surfaced in his eyes as I nodded. I hated this. I hated that I caused Daniel so much pain and worry on a daily basis. I hated seeing bags under his eyes as he worked himself to death trying to scrape enough money together to take care of us. I hated our mother for being too drunk to bother even trying to look after us. But most of all, I hated myself for splitting our family apart even more, for not being able to help Daniel. I knew I ought to get a job, but what could I do? Who would hire me?

Daniel swallowed and attempted to look cheerful again. He knew I didn't like to talk about my nightmares. "Well, we have to hurry. You know Grace gets bitchy if she's late to school."

I just nodded again and waited for Daniel to help me get dressed and into my chair. Any pride I had once had was lost by now, but Daniel was the only one I permitted to help me to this extent. Neither of us felt as embarrassed as we had in the beginning, but it was still awkward.

Some days, usually after one of my nightmares, the cruel reality of my inability to walk would hit me, and I would get snappy and irritated easily. Daniel and Gracie knew me well enough to know when I was having one of these bad days, and they would leave me be. But at school, nobody knew me and I was provoked by the smallest things.

Gracie pulled up outside the house just as Daniel and I were finishing breakfast, and she rang me to tell me she was outside rather than just honk. She was ever conscious of our elderly neighbours, who would probably still be asleep at this hour.