This Isn't It

"Good morning," thefalsely cheerful voice of my nurse, Sharon, greeted me a few mornings after as soon as I woke up.
I forced a smile back and allowed her to help me up, grabbing my wheelchair for me as well. Twenty minutes found me in the dining hall, sitting among much older patients, most suffering from things such as cancer, heart disease, etc. I felt badly out of place. I quickly stuffed the inedible food down my throat so that I could get away from all the curious glances I was receiving.
"Sharon, I think I'm okay, can I leave?" I asked. Little did she know this would only be the first of many questions like it.
"I don't think so, not yet," she gave me a pitiful smile.
"No, really. I mean, people have broken bones and such all the time. They're walking around all over the place." I knew this from my continuous staring out the window in hopes of remembering anything from my past. "I mean it's only a severe concussion, a broken shoulder and wrist, and a fractured ankle. I think I'll live."
"I know you'll live, but the doctors would like for you to stay so we can make sure your head will continue to heal."
"I can assure you my head has healed."
She sighed. "I think this is a debate for you to have with Dr. Mascolo," she left the room, only to be replaced with the doctor.
"Sharon tells me you're ready to leave the hospital," he said in that matter-of-fact way of his.
I only nodded.
"Well I've actually been thinking-"
Dr. Mascolo was cut off by a knock at the door. Seconds later, it opened to reveal Zack and Alex. My frown quickly turned into a wide grin as I greeted them. Doctor Mascolo continued. "I've been thinking that you may leave the hospital as long as you get a checkup every two weeks. At least."
My eyes widened. "Really?"
He smiled and nodded.
"I'll definitely do that, then."
"I thought you would," he said, standing up and heading for the door. "I'll go get some papers for you and be back in a little while."
Before the door had even closed Zack was sitting in one of the chairs by my bed, handing me some magazines and a Coke. I accepted both and looked through the first magazine as I sipped my drink. "What are these for?" I asked.
He shrugged. "We figured, since you couldn't remember, that you'd like to know some of what was going on lately. I mean, they're really only sports and music magazines, but still. It's something, right?"
I smiled and nodded. "Yep, thanks." I flipped through the first magazine, a Sports Illustrated, mainly looking at the pictures. I stopped on one of the pages. "Who's that studmuffin?"
Zack glanced over. "Fernando Torres. He plays soccer in England and Spain, I think."
"Well I know where I'm going when I get outta here," I joked.
"Speaking of your plans for when you get out of here, what are they really?" Alex asked, looking away from the tv for the first time sine they sat down.
I shrugged. "I guess try to find home."
"How are you planning on doing that?" Zack asked.
I really had no idea, but didn't want to seem like a charity case to either of them. I shrugged again. "I’m sure it won't be that hard to find my family. Someone's surely looking for me somewhere, right?"
They both nodded, and Alex said, "Well, we were talking earlier, and we thought it'd be cool beans if you wanted to stay on the bus with us and accompany us on tour. Maybe if you see somewhere that looks familiar on the way, it'll help you find your family?"
I glanced at Zack to make sure they really had discussed it, and Alex wasn't making it up on the spot. "I couldn't do that. I feel bad enough already, I mean you guys have lives and everything..."
"We want you to! We'd feel bad if we just left you here!" Alex insisted.
"So...you're offering because you have to?"
Zack shook his head. "Ignore Alex. I do. He means to say that we want you to come with us, you're a really cool person and we want to help as much as we can."
The more I thought about it, the more I realized I really didn't have any other option than to sleep on the side of the road and hope I would find some way to get some food. "I...I don't know..."
"Then it's settled! You're coming with us!" Alex and Zack said simultaneously.

&&

"Okay, Brooke. You're all set! I hope you feel better, make sure to do your exercises every day!" Dr. Mascolo told me as I hugged him goodbye and thanked him for everything.
"Sure thing, Doc!" I waved, following the guys to their bus.
"Just be happy we have the bus now, when we found you we were in this teeny tiny little van, all smooshed-like. It was very uncomfortable," Jack was informing me as I stepped onto the bus before them.
I stared in awe at the hugeness of the bus. "Jack, I think your definition of small and my definition are drastically different."
He raised an eyebrow and glanced around as well before saying "Nope."
I smiled and followed Zack to the bunks, where he dropped my Ziploc bag of things I had accumulated at the hospital over the past week. "We'll have to find you some clothes and everything, but for now, I think we can find you something."
"That's fine, thanks," I accepted the huge shorts and matching huge shirt. One of the nurses at the hospital had gotten me some underwear somehow, I decided not to ask. Some things are better left unknown.
"Until we find somewhere else, you can take my bunk and I'll revisit my 'sleeping-on-the-couch' days, so...have at it," he smiled and started to leave.
"Zack!" I cried. "I can't just come in here and take your bunk, that'd be so awful of me! I can definitely sleep on the couch just as easily."
He shook his head, but then, seeing as I wouldn't budge on the subject, shrugged. "We'll talk about it later. I think now, we're finding somewhere to get you some clothes and eat. 'Cause we're always hungry," he smiled and led me to the front of the bus, where the guys were watching the Ravens play the Patriots. "Who's winning?"
"Patriots," Rian grumbled. "Stupid Tom Brady."
I remembered reading Tom Brady's name in one of the magazines they had brought to me in the hospital. "Quarterback....for the ...Patriots?" I asked/stated.
Zack smiled. "Yep! Nicely done."
I bowed jokingly before sitting down in between Jack and Rian. For the next half hour or so I cheered when the guys cheered and yelled when they did. As we stepped off the bus, the topic of the game continued. I shivered as I tried to hurry on my crutches behind them; I was getting much better at walking with them, though. Soon I wouldn't need them, I was sure.
"Dude, Zack! Give her a piggyback! You rude arse!" Alex chided, taking my crutches, and forcing me to jump on Zack's back.
"I'm sorry, Brooke. You were so speedy I nearly forgot you had them," Zack said.
"It's fine. I forgive you," I smiled.
We were interrupted by Jack asking, "Okay, so are we going to get clothes first, or to eat?"