Promise Me Forever

One Month Later

I sat the McDonald's bag down on the counter next to my cell phone, and put the case of beer in the refrigerator. The guys were coming over, and the girls were going out on their monthly Girl’s Night.

My phone buzzed as I started to walk out of the room. I quickly caught it before it reached the end of the counter, and slid it open. New Text Message from Jimmy, the screen read the red light in the corner flashing.

We’re on our way

I didn’t bother responding, instead I walked into the living room and turned on the stereo, the familiar rock station playing immediately. I turned it up until I was sure we would be able to hear it out back, and ran upstairs to change into my swim trunks.

I passed Jade’s room on the way to my own, and it made me think of how she looked earlier. Her face didn’t have the same old sick look to it, and she looked as if she was just sleeping. But, I could only wish that was the case.

We haven’t had a problem with Josh trying to come around. Probably because we’ve been at the hospital everyday, for hours on end. But, today they guy convinced me that nothing was going to change, and we should have a fun night.

I grabbed a towel from the linen closet on my way back into the living room. The guys should be smart enough to think to bring their own. If not, then that was their own fault. I unlocked the front door, they never knocked and if the door was locked they’d just go around back and get in that way.

“What’s up motherfuckers?!” Johnny yelled as he ran into the house, Brian, Jimmy, and Matt trailing after him each with a 12 pack of beer in their hands. How come I didn’t get the memo that they were bring their own beer?

I guess Johnny already had a couple drinks today.

I have then a questioningly look and turned on my heal, heading for the backyard. I turned on the jets in the hot tub and stepped over the edge into the bubbling water. The guys followed suit, but they used the stairs.

“Uh, any new news on Jade?” Brian asked as he propped his feet up in front of him.

“The doctor said that she was doing better than most people a month into a coma. She looks much better also. The color in her face is back, and she just looks like she’s sleeping. I’m just worried about when she finally does wake up. She won’t remember me, she won’t remember any of us,” I answered thinking of Jade lying in the small hospital bed.

“They said that she’d remember eventually, though. You just have to remember that,” Brian said. It had been a long time since I’ve seen his soft side, and I think all of us were shocked by it.

“Well fuck this distressing shit. I’m getting in the pool. Anyone up for getting their ass kicked in volleyball?” Jimmy asked getting out of the hot tub and jumping into the pool.

I staying behind, knowing that since there was five of us, the teams wouldn’t be even. Besides, since we talked about Jade, I wasn’t really in the mood to play anything now. I could be the ref if they needed me.

“Hey, if you’re just going to sit there, go inside and get the beer!” Johnny called the spiked the ball up and over the net.

I nodded and walked inside. There were four cases sitting on the counter, but hot beer is gross. I opened the fridge and grabbed five bottles out of the case that I bought. “Get some chips too!” I heard Jimmy say.

Rolling my eyes I put the beer down and opened the pantry, there were Doritos and some plain potato chips. I grabbed both then ran them outside. I didn’t want to be like Johnny and drop one of the bottles because I was carrying too much.

They all vacated the pool and started eating the chips. I jogged back inside and got the five brown bottles off the table and when I walked back outside, Brian was talking on my phone.

“Yeah, I’ll get him,” he said holding the phone out for me to take.

I took the phone without asking any questions. “Hello?”

“Hi, this is Marie Steward from Huntington Hospital. My call is concerning Jade Millson,” she said and my eyes went wide. This call could either be great or it could be terrible.

“Is she alright?” I asked warily.

“Actually, she’s awake. The doctor said that we should call you,” she answered and I swear all the guys saw my eyes light up.

“I’ll be right there,” I cried before shutting my phone and running through the house to get a shirt and my car keys.

I was searching through my drawers trying to find an appropriate shirt, when the guys can rushing into the room.

“What’s going on?” Matt asked as I found a shirt and pulled it over my head.

“Who’s car did you bring?” I asked wanting to know who had to stay behind, and call the girls.

“Johnny’s, why?” Matt questioned.

“Jade’s awake. Now since Johnny’s wasted practically, someone needs to stay here and call the girls. I’m going to the hospital. Whoever’s coming with me needs to get their asses down the stairs and into the car now,” I shouted enthused that I’d finally get to see Jade.

I rushed out of the room and down the staircase and straight out the door, grabbing my keys from the table. Matt, Johnny, and Brian were running out the door just as I had the car started. They hurried to get in, in fear of me leaving.

I didn’t talk the whole way there, getting distracted from a conversation would only make me drive slower. And I wanted to be with her as soon as I could. However, the assholes in the backseat were talking and still distracting me.

“I’m going to laugh if he gets pulled over,” Johnny whispered thinking that I couldn’t hear him.

“Heard that.”

They shut up after that.

-------------------------

“Jade Millson please,” I said, out of breath from running, to the receptionist.

“They’re doing some x-rays on her now. But you can go up to her room. Do you know where it is?” she answered hitting a button that would unlock the doors, letting us enter the back of the hospital where the patients were.

I didn’t answer her. She probably figured we did since as soon as those doors were open, I took off running towards the elevator. The doors were barely open when the rest of them reach me, but the all managed to slip in.

Everything seemed to not work in my favor today. The elevator seemed to be going extra slow, and the idiots that were with me just kept slowing me down, more and more. As soon as the doors opened on the sixth floor I was out and headed towards her room.

There was a nurse in the room, switching out the bags that went to the IV. But this time, it wasn’t water. This substance was a blue-green color. And I had no clue as to what it did.

“What kind of medicine is that?” I asked sitting down in the chair that was by the bed.

“It’s a new thing that they want to test. It’s supposed to help the brain restore memories at a fast pace. But, it only works on short term memory loss, like what happened to Jade,” she explained hooking the bag up to the tube.

“Oh.”

“God, Zacky. You’d think that you were running form a fire as fast as you got to this room,” Matt said casually walking in the room and sitting down the table while Johnny and Brian sat in the chairs around him.

My attention was direct elsewhere when I heard voices outside the room.

“We’re just very happy that you woke up. And we want to make sure that you’re okay,” a lady’s kind, sweet voice said as she wheeled a chair into the room.

And in that chair, was Jade.