After Hours ➳ Dinah Jane

eighteen

DINAH'S POV

I could feel the world start becoming real again as my eyes opened to see a bright white light above me. For a second, I thought I was dead. That was until my vision cleared and I was able to realize it was just a hospital room. Nothing more and nothing less.

Honestly, I was thankful. I was alive. I just didn't know what damage I had put myself through, yet.

I turned my head, slowly, and I could feel a certain weight press down on my
body. Everything hurt, especially my head.

"Y/N?" I groaned out, slowly.

A hand shot on top of mine and as I looked down to see the freshly manicured nails, I knew it wasn't my girlfriend.

"It's okay, Mama. I'm here." Mom told me softly, rubbing her hand over the top of mine. "Just get some rest."

"But I want to see her." My throat was sore and gravely. I could barely get the words out.

"See who?" Mom queried.

"Y/N."

"No, sweetie. You're okay, but you need your rest." She protested as she reached out for the 'call' string to alert a nurse.

"Mom, what happened?" I asked calmly,but my head ached and pulsed slightly. Not as bad as it has been but it still hurt.

She reached out her hand and placed it over my forehead, rubbing softly so I could feel a bit of comfort. "That's not important right now, Dinah. Just get your rest please."

I coughed a little before begging her once more, "Lemme see my girlfriend."

As soon as I said that, a nurse with a tray came into the room and set it on the side of my bed. She didn't look too old but I was thankful that she wasn't a teenager. "Look who's awake." She smiled, going to the sink close by to wash her hands before slipping on some latex gloves.

"I need to see Y/N." I said with a raspy voice.

"Who's Y/N?" The nurse questioned after walking over to where my IV was. She messed with the contents in the tray for a moment as she waited for me to reply.

"My girlfriend. I need to see her."

The nurse pulled out a needle and stuck it into a vile to suck up the contents. After flicking the edge of the needle so the medicine would come out, she smiled. "You'll be ready for visitation in no time." She stuck the needle into a tube on the IV and pushed down the plunger. "But right now it's almost four in the morning and you need your rest."

"But I-" I tried to protest but whatever she gave me had the worst effect on my mind, causing a drowsy feeling to wash over me.

The room got blurrier and my eyes got heavier. I decided not to fight it and let myself get a little more rest.

YOUR POV

"I can't believe you're missing your last classes for me." I frowned, leaning my head on Lauren's shoulder. "I told you that you should've left with Ally and Mani."

Lauren put her arm on my stomach and rubbed a few circles into my skin through my shirt as a way to coax me. "Now, why would I do that when my best friend is all alone in a hospital?"

"Your grades depend on it. That's why. Don't you have finals or something?" I sniffled, feeling her head lean against mine.

"Yeah but I bribe the professors anyways."

"How?"

"You remember in tenth grade when I needed to get a C in Mr. Donald's Geography class?" She laughed and I nodded, not turning to look at her. "Well, I came into his class after school and asked him what I could do to assure myself that I wouldn't fail. And he-"

"Y/N!" I heard someone call from behind me.

I turned my head quickly and saw Milika standing beside a door. "Come here."

I turned my attention back to Lauren and she nodded me off, putting a quick peck on my cheek. "Don't worry. I'm not going nowhere."

I nodded and stood up on my feet. I pushed my hair back out of my face before walking towards her mother. We passed into a hallway, side by side, and walked 30 yards before she stopped and turned to me with her arms crossed. "Okay, Y/N. This is how it's going to go." Intrigued, I decided to hear her out even though she's been nothing but cruel to me ever since Dinah and I came out. "For some reason, my daughter wants to see you."

"She does?!" I exclaimed, trying to move towards the door we were close by but she stepped in front of me.

"Listen, I know you love my daughter and she loves you. Honestly, you're the first person she asked for, but I don't want this to work out." Her mom admitted. "After this, the doctor said he's surprised she even made it this far. Luckily, she doesn't have any speech issues. And so far that we know of, she's okay physically. The doctor says it's a miracle but he doesn't want to jinx anything."

"So?"

"Dinah still looks sick. The doctor even said that she may need to recover in a calm and un-stressful environment until she's healthy enough to take care of herself."

"Well, I'll take care of her." I sternly responded.

"You're a kid, Y/N. Dinah spilled beans about how she met you. She's told me everything. How she was your teacher and how you met at a bar on campus. Listen, I think this is the reason why she had all of this pressure on her brain. It was a stroke, Y/N. She got lucky this time but what about next time. She's about to be 24. There's no reason why she should be having these problems."

I was offended. "So, you think I'm the cause of all of this?"

"Damn straight. Before you came around, my Dinah was happy and healthy." Her mom's scowl burned into my skin. I hated the way she was looking at me.

"I love Dinah. I would never do anything to damage her well being."

"If you love my daughter, you'll leave her."

I shook my head and scoffed, "I'm not leaving Dinah's side. Especially now when she needs me the most."

"You won't be saying that when you see her in that bed. You caused this. No one else."

"I didn't cause anything." I rolled my eyes and pushed passed her to enter into the hospital room.