Hope | ✔

Chapter 8: Late Night Visit

"I want you to know, but i don't want to tell you."

Jaimie-mae woke up to a dull pain in her head that made her groan uncomfortably.

She was laying down, but it did not feel like her bed. She scanned the off white room and rolled her eyes when she realized she was in a hospital room. She came to visit a boy in one and ended up in one herself.

She lifted herself up on her elbows and immediately cringed when she realized she probably had a flashback in front of a boy she barely knew. He probably thought she was crazy for screaming at what seemed like absolutley nothing.

She wanted to leave so bad, but she figured she'd go and apologize to Fabian first. She hoped he wouldn't tell her to not come to dinner anymore even though she wasn't really looking forward to it anyway. She'd rather choose not go out of free will, instead of not going because she was rejected and he didn't want her to come because he thought she was insane.

Just as she was about to get up, there was a knock at the door and then it cracked open.

"Heyyy Jaimie," Fabian said quietly. "Can i come in?"

"Sure," she replied with a small unsure smile.

He walked in awkwardly with the crutches, trying to get through the door without it crushing him.

After about twelve seconds of him awkwardly struggling, Jaimie-mae found the strength to get out of her bed and hold the door open for him.

"Thanks," he said, clearly embarresed.

She giggled at him and followed him further into the room. She climbed on the edge of the hospital bed then realized how rude she was being. Fabian had a broken leg and had come to see her and she wasn't being a good 'host' at all.

"You can sit with me on the bed."

He smiled at her. "Okay."

He wobbled over and somehow lifted himself up onto the bed. He made a few grunts of pain and held his side as he settled into the bed. Once they were both taking up equal parts of the bed, Fabian decided to break the silence.

"Did you know that we're next door neighbors."

"We are? I've never seen you near my house."

Fabian laughed at her cluelessness. "Not like that. We are hospital room neighbors."

"Oh," she chuckled nervously. She was suddenly very aware of the lack of space between them. She could feel every little brush of his arm against hers. "What time is it?"

He pulled out his phone and squinted at it as the brightness of the phone blasted through the darkness of the room. "It is 2:51 am. Sorry if i woke you up. I just had to make sure you were okay."

Jaimie-mae's heart danced in her chest at Fabian's confession.

The air around the room suddenly got serious. "Are you okay?" Fabian asked quietly.

Jaimie-mae cringed slightly because she knew he was talking about what happened yesterday afternoon but she answered anyway. "Y-yeah, im okay." She could start to feel the familiar feeling of a lump in her throat from the tears that had risen in it.

"You know. Its okay to not be okay sometimes," Fabian said seriously as he looked at her. His eyes flickered around her face for a few seconds.

"You don't think im insane?" Jaimie-mae asked quietly.

"No. Why would i?"

She shrugged. "It probably looked like i was screaming at nothing."

"With the way you were screaming, i didn't think it was just nothing. It had to be something."

Jaimie-mae smiled to herself. He made it sound so normal. Like he understood.

"Why were you... freaking out? If you don't mind me asking."

Jaimie-mae didn't like to label what she had. Putting a label to it made it all more real. And when it was real and had a name to it, she felt completely lost. She debated to herself if she should tell Fabian. She had only really known him for about a full three days, but she felt more comfortable to tell him than with anyone else she had known for four months.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. You should probably know if we are going to be hanging out later."

A smile immediately graced his charming face. "So you want to hang out with me after i get out of the hospital?"

"Ugh... i mean. Well. Yeah?" she stuttered nervously.

He chuckled. "I want to. I can't wait."

"Yeah," she said with a small smile. "But just so i don't scare you when you see me next time, i-i have um... PTSD."

Fabian stared at Jaimie-mae, shocked. Jaimie-mae fidgeted nervously under his stare.

"Well sh- Jaimie. You are so brave," Fabian said quietly as he wrapped an unexpected arm around her shoulders. She tensed slightly but quickly relaxed under his comforting touch. She didn't know when the butterflies started but they were there and flying around like mad. "Honestly if i were you, i would probably avoid everything and stay in my house all the time like a hermit."

Eventually he pulled her into an awkward hug; due to his injuries. Jaimie-mae's heart was stuttering like crazy in her chest and a smile was threatening to break out on her face.

Jaimie-mae giggled quietly when they pulled back from the hug. "Thanks Fabian."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "For what?"

"Calling me brave. I don't usually feel like that. And not ditching me after i told you," she said with a quiet yawn. She covered her mouth and spoke through it. "Your the first... person from this town i've ever told."

"I feel special now."

Jaimie-mae laughed and then yawned again.

"Tired?" Fabian asked as he subtly pulled her tighter against him.

She hummed and nodded her head. She slowly and gently rested her head on his shoulder. Fabian's heart beat faster at the guesture. He wanted to punch himself for getting those feelings.

Fabian watched as she made herself comfortable against his arm. He smiled tiredly at her as her small figure curled up a little beside him. He hesitantly slipped his arm down to her waist; waiting to see if she felt uncomfortable. When she didn't complain, he held her a little tighter and slipped down a little so he was more comfortable in the small hospital bed. He hissed when he felt a pain in his ribs flare up, but unconsciously, Jaimie-mae moved to support his side and he immediately felt soothed. Eventually he fell asleep with a content Jaimie-mae beside him.