Never Leave My Side (A Teen Pregnancy story)

Just Another Hospital Visit...

It took until late afternoon for both of us to get over ourselves and apologize, but we eventually did. For Gabry, it was just as emotional as the whole argument had been and I just felt like a total jerk for allowing the fight to happen.

But that was over and done with and two weeks ago.

Now we were patiently waiting in the hospital elevator to visit Darry, who'd just been transferred to the VA hospital in our county last week. Dallas was still in basic and wouldn't be out of there until the end of the month. Then he would be transferred to wherever the Army decided.

We just had to wait for his nurse to give us an okay to go in. It was just Gabry and I at the moment; her parents needed to go home and get some sleep. Darry had asked for them about ten o'clock the night before and they dropped everything to go see him.

A redheaded nurse walked out of his room with a small smile as she shut the door behind her. "You can go in now... I can tell he's perking up a little... all of the servicemen start to flirt when they're feeling a little better." She smiled again and then let us go through as she walked back to the nurses' station.

I let Gabry go first, as she knocked and then opened the door to go inside. I followed close behind her, shutting said door and bracing myself for what I was about to see.

My face remained stoic as I took in the first few glimpses of Darry. Anywhere there wasn't a bandage, there was a bruise or cut, slowly on its way to healing. He was wrapped in a cast from mid chest down to the start of his legs and his left leg was up in traction. Blankets draped across his upper chest, covering his arms, and over his good leg.

Once glance at Gabry and I knew she was already not coping well with anything she saw. She bit her lip and then looked over at me, before sitting in a chair next to Darry and reaching for his hand. "Hey, you." She whispered, all attention was now devoted to her brother.

I took a seat next to her, and leaned forward with my elbows resting on my knees, hands clasped, so I could hear him better. Not that he would be talking to me, but it would still be nice to hear his voice.

"Hey, Gabry..." He turned his head towards us a little and saw me. "...Jason." He added, his voice cracking on my name. "How are you?"

"Okay... you worried me so much, Darry." Gabry whispered and then kissed his hand. "Don't do that again, please."

He shook his head slowly and looked at her. "No... I don't think I will again for a while..." He assured her and then glanced over to me. "You?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Me? How'm I?" I shrugged. "Things have been worse... I hear you're quite the charmer around here, Darry."

Her brother chuckled weakly and then ended up coughing. "Who told you that?" He asked, his voice having a hint of humor in it.

"Oh, just that pretty little redhead nurse of yours. She says, you've been flirting." I teased lightly.

"You bet I have been. I'm going to take her on a date."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"Well, how does she feel about that?"

He shrugged as best he could, which in reality was just one shoulder moving slightly. "I dunno... haven't asked her yet."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. Man, I missed him. "You'd best get on that then, soldier. Before some other competing patient sweeps her off her feet."

Darry was quiet for a second, and I thought he'd fallen asleep until he started talking again. "I will. As soon as I'm allowed to get up."

Gabry sighed at that and then looked over at me. From the way he looked, I didn't think he'd be getting up for a very long time. Even after he was allowed to get up.