Often [COMPLETED]

Day Four

Crash

His body stiffened, bright lights hindering his vision. Voices, more voices. More sounds. Something scraping against the hospital floor.

"...another room-!"

"...I need-no, help me over here-"

"Lukas, don't-don't worry. Don't worry p-please. I'm...I'm fine-"

Jesse's voice. Something had happened. What-?

And then he could see, a spiral of sunset, a bright shade of yellow blinding him. Flashes, door slams.

He panicked, fidgeting. His body grew hot, he kicked off thin sheet. His hands gripped his shirt and clenched it tightly. And then, he awoke.

Upon the darkness he came to a realization of his fantasy. A dream, or some sort of nightmare.

"Jesse?" He spoke out into the silence. What time was it? He reached behind him, feeling for the window, the warmth that the sun would've given if it were morning. But there wasn't any window. Just a wall.

His heart raced. They moved him.

"Hello?" He cried out, louder, forcing himself not to panic. But why would they move him?

Before he could call out again, the door creaked open.

"Hello honey, it's just me. Are you alright?" He recognized the nurse's voice and his chest fell.

"What time is it?"

"Well let's see, almost ten AM. Are you ready to take your bandages off?"

"Where's Jesse?"

"She's sleeping. We had you separated in the middle of the night, we needed to perform a procedure on her." His breath hitched. "But you shouldn't worry about that right now, it's time to remove your bandages."

That piece of doubt irritated him like a bug bite, but before he could think of a protest, she dismissed herself quickly, the closing of the door ringing in his ears.

*

He felt lighter. Like a weight falling off his chest. The bandages, thrown into the wastebasket. He was afraid to open his eyes.

No, don't be afraid.

Why was it that he heard that in Jesse's voice?

The nurse finished with him, informing him that whenever he was ready, he could take a look.

It was bright. Blinding. A smile etched on his face so wide that it hurt. He could see. He could see.

It was blurry of course, but he could barely mind at the moment. He could make out the sunlight glimmering down from the window, the white hospital bed, bright blue chairs. Oh god, it felt so good.

"How is it?"

The nurse's voice was muffled as he jumped off the bed and ran to Jesse's room.

*

Maybe it would've been better if he'd left the bandages on. Then he wouldn't be able to see. He wouldn't be able to know. Of course, he would've found out eventually. But he wouldn't be able to see her like that. For the first time...

Motionless. Laid out on the bed. Sheets kicked to the floor. Skin pale. Image embedded deeply in his head.

"Jesse?"

It was her. After so long, he was finally able to see what she looked like. But not like this. He wished it wasn't like this.

Her dark, shoulder-length hair fell fell against the pillow, arms sprawled at different angles at her sides, eyes shut. But what surprised him the most, was her legs, in just the fact that she didn't have any. Her stumps were visible now, clear as glass. The reason why she never got out from bed. Why she didn't kick him. Why she was here.

His stomach churned. What had happened? How did things get this bad? He stood still in the doorway, waiting for a reply he would never get.

It was then he realized how much he yearned for her voice. A smile, maybe. A laugh and a friendly wave, some words of reassurance. But it was quiet, deadly quiet. A quiet that was usually filled by her humming, her singing, her laughing, her talking.

Lukas knelt at her side, reaching for her hand. Held loosely, was a folded letter with a picture.

A picture of the boy and the girl in the hospital, both smiling back at him.