Every day since the accident, he brooded this way. He tried over and over to wake her with his mental pleading. These same thoughts were continually flowing through his head the Saturday morning she woke up.
Chapter 8
Lily still couldn’t believe Slade was the mystery street hobo. She blinked her eyes slowly one more time, hoping he would disappear, but he didn’t. He was still there slouched over his hands. He was still staring at her, but his expression had changed from shock to complete relief. He looked almost happy. He stood up and walked his slouchy walk over to her bedside. He opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but then closed it and stepped back to snatch up the wobbly hospital chair from the corner. He placed it gently down beside the bed, set himself in it and resumed nearly the same position he had been in when he was across the room. Neither of them spoke. They simply stared at each other not knowing what to say. Lily decided she would be the bigger person.
“Why are you here,” she barely croaked out. Her mouth was so dry. Her tongue felt like gritty sandpaper rubbing against the roof of her mouth. Well if he was here, he might as well be put to good use.
“Water,” she requested in a whisper.
He bounded out of his perch and soon secured a small paper cup of water from the sink in her room. Lily weakly lifted her hands to take it, but he wouldn’t let her take it. He gently put the cup to her lips and tilted it so the glorious, cool water flowed into her parched mouth. When she had had enough, he set the cup on the table and set himself back in the chair. Lily began again.
“Why are you here?”
“I was hoping, well, waiting for you to wake up,” Slade responded shyly. “I guess I should call the nurse.”
Slade stood to press the call button on the hospital bed.
“No, wait. It won’t hurt to wait. The nurse should be in any minute to check on me anyway.”
“How do you know that?”
“I could hear them come in and jabber away at me. They come every hour or so.”
“Wait, you could hear everything this whole time?”
Slade looked a little alarmed.
“Not the whole time. Just for the past few hours, why?”
“No reason,” he replied quickly.
Lily was curious about his reaction, but didn’t have the energy to pursue it.
“Look,” Slade continued. “I know you must think I’m a jerk, but hear me out. If I had known this would happen, I never would have even touched your wheel chair. Not in a million years. I know it seems like I’ve done a lot of dumb things at school, but that’s not really me. I just want you to know that I would never purposely do this to anyone. I am so sorry that this happened to you. I hope that someday you can forgive me.”
When she didn’t immediately say anything he grimly stood up and started towards the door.
“I know.”
“You know what?”
“I know you didn’t do it on purpose. It was an accident. I do still think you are a jerk though. You’re horrible at school,” Lily spoke honestly.
“I know.”
“You do? Why do you act like that then?”
“Well, I…”
A thin, blonde nurse came in the room. When she saw Lily was awake, she jerked and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, you’re awake! I’ve got to tell your aunt,” she said slapping her hand to her forehead. “Oh, and the doctor too, of course. Is there anything you need before I go?”
Lily shook her head gently. She was very weak from lying in bed so long. Slade had moved to the door and was holding it open as the nurse hurried out of the room.
“Are you leaving then?”
“Yeah, once your family knows you’re awake they will probably be here soon. I’ll just be in the way.”
“Okay, well goodbye then,” Lily said indifferently.
“Would it be alright if I came back tomorrow?”
“If you want,” Lily replied coolly, not wanting to show any shred of interest in him.
“See you tomorrow then.”
***
The next day Slade wasn’t the first to visit her. After breakfast, Malaya marched in the room. In her arms she carried a gigantic basket haphazardly filled with food, games, and books. Malaya dumped the basket at the end of the bed, and flung herself at Lily’s open arms. In the few hours Lily had been awake, she had already begun to loathe being