The Bruises She Hides

Chapter 19

"And not just as a friend... as like more than a friend but only i-if you want to. If you don't that okay I mean your choice right. I'm not exactly romantic confessing my love in a hospital, I understand if you say no but..." my rambling is cut off by a small hand squeezing my own. Though she can't physically say the words back due to the breathing tube in her throat the look in her eyes says it all. She loves me back. Her mouth remains the same but her eyes crinkle slightly showing me that she's smiling. "l love you," I repeat, much stronger this time.

The rest of the day is a blur. From the heartfelt reunion of Dani with Alex, Morgan and Izzy that lasts barely an hour before she is rushed off for all the extra post-coma scans and x-rays that needed to be taken. Having the breathing tube pulled out and her leg re-plastered. She also had to give the police a statement in private, which all of us respected. More so out of fear of what we would hear than respect.

Finally things seem to have slowed down. Now the three of us were sitting in her hospital room talking about everything except the reason we were there in the first place.

"So you two are finally together huh?" I look up to see Morgan giving us a suggestive look. I nod taking Dani's hand in mine for the tenth time today and kissing it lightly.

"Took you long enough," exclaims Alex, "thought it was going to be like the movies and you would wait until she's married or something." And I'm so thankful I didn't.

"By the way you owe me 50 dollars so pay up," I see Izzy hold out her hand to Morgan who reluctantly hands over the money, looking as frustrated as I've ever seen him.

"So what was this bet you've had for years exactly?" Dani pipes up from beside me her voice is still kind of raspy from not being used for so long.

"We bet when you two would get together, Morg reckoned Fin would tell her after graduation I said before so I win," she waves the bill in the air triumphantly annoying Morgan even more.

"So none of you thought I would be the one to confess?" asks Dani.

"Nah your both as clueless as each other about your obvious compatibility," states Morgan almost factually.

Silence falls over us, the mental exhaustion of today finally settling over us. Alex is the one to finally break the silence though with the question that has been on our minds the entire time.

'Why didn't you tell us?" Fear briefly flashes in her eyes before she looks up timidly opening and closing her mouth clearly struggling with her words.

"We would have helped you, you didn't have to go through that alone," I clarify, had she told me something like this I would've taken action years ago.

"H-he would threaten me. That h-he would hurt whoever I told, I-I didn't want to put any of you in danger," my heart broke at her words. All these years she went through so much by herself to protect us.

"Well it's our turn to protect you now," says Izzy smiling lazily at Dani who returns her smile happily. Things are finally normal, at least as normal as they can get for us.

Dani falls asleep, after us convincing her to finally rest her eyes instead of forcing them open to talk to us. Her sleeping calms me for once because now I know she'll wake up from it. A nurse walks in to check on her and sadly informs us that visiting hours are over.

We all get up slowly not really wanting to leave but as we reach the door I see her doctor on the other side of it. Fear builds up in me once again. Once were all in the hallway he gestures to an empty hospital room and we all reluctantly follow him inside.

"Is everything okay?" asks Alex his usual reserved demeanor now replaced with a visibly anxious one.

"Yes and no. Yes she is stable and the police are doing all they can to set a court date but we did find something quite devastating. From all your knowledge was Miss Herron romantically involved with anyone this year?"