His Safety Net

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

       Beep.

       Beep.

       Beep.

       That annoying, repetitive sound was all I was hearing. Nothing else. The sound did start off a bit muffled, but it was slowly getting more and more clear. 

       As the beeping was getting clearer, I was able to make out a few more sounds. People talking was a dominant one, though I couldn't really make out what they were saying yet.

       My eyes were still closed and honestly, I didn't want to open them. I already knew the outcome of what I tried to do and honestly, I didn't want to face it yet. I failed. Like with everything I do.

       I tried to listen to the conversation with whoever was in the room but the voices were still a bit muffled for me.

       A few more of my senses started becoming more apparent as time went by. I could feel something covering my mouth and my nose, but I still didn't want to open my eyes to see what was going on.

       Though if I had to guess, I had a pretty good idea.

       Eventually, I did ope my eyes to see exactly what was going on. Though before I even gave myself the chance to look around the room I was in, I tried taking whatever was covering my mouth and nose off, but I felt way too weak to do so. It took so much energy to even lift my arms to my face.

       Someone ended up coming to my side and taking the thing, which turned out to be an oxygen mask, off. I looked over to see who it was and honestly, I wish I didn't look over. Not because I didn't want to see him, but because I was immediately hit with a wave of guilt.

       "Hey," Jerome said softly. "Are you okay?"

       I didn't reply. I just looked away. I didn't want to talk about it at all. I didn't want anyone accusing me of being selfish or telling me that there was always another choice.

       I didn't feel like there was another choice.

       Jerome wasn't the only one in the room with me. My parents were here as well. They must have been the ones in the conversation I could sort of hear when I first woke up. Once they noticed that I was awake, they walked over to the bed I was on.

       "Nolan, I'm so glad you're okay," Mom said. "We were so terrified when we found out that you weren't out with Jerome, and when we saw that note left with your cell phone. And when Jerome and I found you in the building..."

       So that was why I was in the hospital now...

       I didn't say anything to my parents or to Jerome. I didn't feel like talking about at. I just avoided everyone's eye contact.

       "Nolan?" Mom asked once I didn't say anything at all.

       I still didn't reply to her. I just looked down, hoping they would just drop the conversation and not ask me about what happened. I didn't want to talk about it right now. Or at all. I just wanted to be left alone.

       Since Dad realized I wasn't going to say anything, he said to Mom, "We should go tell the nurse he's awake."

       "Yeah, okay..." Mom said.

       They left, and I couldn't help but feel like they were disappointed in me. Or mad at me.

       Jerome was sitting sitting in the chair beside the hospital bed and it took him a while to say something since he knew I wasn't going to reply. Eventually, he settled with, "I brought you something." He reached beside me and picked up the giant teddy bear that I won during the school carnival. "I tried finding something that would give you comfort being here and... I thought this would do."