Train Wreck

eight

Alice POV

Beep.....Beep.......Beep......Beep......Beep.......Beep....

A rhythmic noise woke me and I pried my eyes open before stretching slowly.  My arms were caught on tubes and wires which made moving difficult.

"Beep?"

Where am I?

Hospital room... Okay... okay... You were rescued... that's right.... you were singing in the woods with Remi and then a chopper came down...

"Lissy!" Benji's voice echoed through the hallway as he entered my room in a wheelchair that was pushed by an extremely attractive blonde man, "Want the apple or orange juice?"

"Uhhhh... I guess apple?" My question was greeted with a laugh from Benji and the nurse who shook his head at me.  He had a smirk and the kind of vibe that made me feel like we would be friends.  

Maybe it was the god-awful crocs he wore that had red racing stripes on the side, but this guy seemed like he did not take himself too seriously.  That was a trait I always enjoyed seeing in others.  Benji also appeared to get along well with his nurse, easily joking with him as I stretched and tried to get my bearings.

"I don't think you remember meeting me a few hours ago, but Benji and I are best buds now. I'm Jesse Sawyer," He offered me a bright smile, eliciting goosebumps before dramatically presenting a bottle of apple juice to me with a bow.  I giggled and accepted, shaking my head at his silliness, but noticed the smile on Benji's face and made a mental note to thank Jesse later for helping us feel so comfortable.

"Liss, Jesse said he can take us to go see Remington once he's out of surgery!" Benji's excitement made me smile until the words sank in and I was instantly alarmed.

I let out a long breath and watched my tone as the word came out of my mouth, "Surgery?"

No... no... he needs to be okay...

Jesse nodded, immediately sitting at the edge of my hospital bed while I tried to keep breathing as the word registered. "Remington gave us permission to keep you two updated on his condition so I am allowed to tell you he is in for internal bleeding."

My eyes blinked away hot tears, "Okay, so is he okay?  I mean, when can I ..."

"No," Jesse stopped me as I tried to sit up, struggling to move so I could go to him.  "Alice, no.  He will be okay.  Seriously.  Remi is doing just fine and under the best care possible.  He's more of a fighter than you know."  He paused and lowered his voice slightly before continuing, "Plus, you may need surgery also but right now you're not stable enough."

"Mood."  

Benji's one-word deadpan response gained a loud burst of laughter from both Jesse and myself.  I groaned in pain but grinned at the smirk on his face, pride in his wit and perfect comedic timing.

"What happened to Remington?"  I asked, taking measured breaths while Jesse helped me sit up.

"We are not entirely sure, but he did have a concussion so you were right to keep him awake."  Jesse held my gaze a long moment, "Alice, you saved his life."

I blushed and looked away, shrugging, but Jesse pretended to smack Benji on the back of the head which only set him off into another round of giggles.  He continued, "Alice, you have broken ribs and may need surgery for your collarbone depending on how the X-rays look after swelling goes down. Beyond that, all three of you have severe smoke inhalation, and your bodies are just banged up. It will take a while before you feel like a human again."

Benji sobered slightly, collapsing back into his wheelchair. "Oh shit. The job, Lissy!"

Jesse gave me a quizzical look, "Job?"