Diamonds & Coal

“Hey,” Jon sank into the couch next to me and I wondered how he found me in the hugest hospital I’d ever seen in my life.

I had been waiting in the giant entrance hall alone until that point. It was roughly the size of a football field and four stories high with all glass windows on one side to show off a very Zen courtyard complete with a waterfall and rock garden. I thought to myself that this must have been the hospital where they took all the rich sick people, and maybe the sick monks.

“Hey,” I breathed, briefly lifting my head then letting it fall back to the arm rest I was slouched against.

“Where is he?”

“They just stitched him up,” I explained, drained from all of the excitement the last hour and half had provided, “They want to keep him over night, make sure he doesn’t have a concussion or anything. They’ll come tell us when he has a room.”

“Ahh, okay,” He mumbled and became very interested in the palm of his hand.

“Where are Brendon and Spencer?” I asked finally.

“Probably doing doughnuts in an empty lot with Ryan’s car or something,” He told me distantly, now leaning way back to look up at the ceiling, “They said they’d be right behind me, but…”

I pushed myself up a bit in my seat and gave Jon a little nudge.

“What’s with you?” I frowned, “You’re being sort of… Aloof.”

“Am I?”

I gave him a look that in itself called his bullshit so he shrugged.

“I don’t know. It’s just weird, right? I guess it just hit me on the way over…” He was shaking his head, “I mean look at you Danya. You’re pregnant.”

“What?!“ I gasped suddenly looking down at my stomach, “Oh my god, Jon. Why didn’t you tell me!?”

He looked at me simultaneously annoyed and amused, “I’m just kind of freaking out here.”

“Oh, yeah. I can see how this would be hard for you,” I raised an eyebrow and he responded with a sigh.

“You know what I mean,” He said pointedly, “Honestly, we didn’t really think we’d ever even see you again.”

I leaned over to hug his arm, resting my head on his strong shoulder, closing my eyes.

“Honestly, that was kind of the plan,” I admitted softly.

“Why?” He breathed sadly, and I gazed up into his confused face, “Why would you keep this from us… From him?”

“I um…” I searched for an answer, but instead came up with an excuse, replying, “I haven’t even had a chance to talk about this with him yet, so…”

He nodded, “Sure, sorry…”

“But I did have reasons,” I swore to him, “Other than just being too scared.”

Jon sighed again, but reached over, wrapping me up in a hug. I relaxed and realized it was the most comforted I’d felt in a really long time. Looking up I saw Spencer and Brendon making their way towards us, smirks on both of their faces and Brendon was twirling Ryan’s keys around his finger.

“I do not like those looks…” Jon mumbled.

“You can’t prove anything,” Brendon said back with a slightly guilty sounding indignation as the two sat down across from us.

“Where’s Ryan?” Spencer wondered.

Thankfully, Jon spared me by updating them on Ryan's whereabouts and current condition. I then carefully avoided conversation for the next half hour until a nurse came to take us up to see Ryan.

Jon and I followed quietly behind Brendon, Spencer and the young woman in scrubs, arm in arm.

“I missed you,” I confessed halfway down a long corridor, “I can’t lie.”

“We missed you, too,” He half smiled, “And your own especially biting brand of sarcasm.”

“You missed the abuse,” I giggled softly, “And I missed having someone to match wits with.”

“426.” The nurse stopped, turning to us and added quickly, “Only two at a time. There’s a small visitors room at the end of the hall.”

She left the four of us, all looking at each other, silently asking which two should be first to see Ryan.

“I guess I’ll be down the hall,” I announced softly and Jon quickly caught up with me as I made my way past Ryan’s hospital room.

“Are you sure, Danya?” He asked, “I don’t think they’d mind waiting.”

“It’s fine, Jon,” I sighed at the door of the waiting room, “I don’t know how long I might be.”

I was glad to see that the small room was also completely empty. There were couches at one end and a few children’s toys at the other, with a coffee table in the middle holding an array of outdated magazines you’d only really expect in a hospital or doctors office like ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ or ‘Popular But Really Boring Science’.

“Right, I guess you two have a little bit of talking to do,” He slid onto the couch next to the spot where I’d fallen moments earlier.

“I’d say so,” I let myself laugh for the first time since arriving at the hospital.

“So, um,” Jon turned to me after a few moments, “Do you know what you’re going to do yet? I mean, do you have a plan or anything?”

“I uh,” I took in a deep breath, “I’m moving home.”

“What?” He stared, “You’re… When?”

“Unless I find a reason to stay…” I bit my lip, “I fly back to Montana tomorrow.”