Seize the Day

Cadey took her eyes off of the television on the wall in the corner of the room and noticed Zacky, who had plopped himself in a chair near the door. He was typing away on his phone, and Cadey wondered what he was doing.

“What are you doing?”

Jimmy followed her eyes to see her looking at Zacky, and his smile fell. He didn’t understand why Zacky had been so…quiet lately.

Zacky lifted his eyes up, going from Jimmy to Cadey, “Texting.”

“Who?”

Cadey had become much more curious, and she really had no idea why. She figured it was because her brain was a little shook up and she just wanted to…understand. She wanted to know what was going on.

Zacky’s gaze went back to Jimmy before going back to Cadey, “Syn.”

“Isn’t he out in the hallway?” Jimmy asked, a confused look taking over his features.

Zacky nodded and mumbled, “I’m too lazy to go out there.”

Normally, Jimmy would’ve had some smart and witty remark, but he didn’t feel like now was a good time for that.

Matt waltzed into the room, giving Cadey a smile before seating himself in a chair next to Zacky. He gave Jimmy a look that Cadey didn’t understand, big surprise there, and Jimmy frowned.

“Are you gonna do it, or should I?” Matt asked.

Zacky tore himself away from his phone long enough to give a slightly weary look to Matt and then Jimmy. His eyes avoided Cadey’s.

Cadey may have still been a bit disoriented, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t feel the tension.

When Jimmy didn’t respond, Matt sighed and averted his gaze to Cadey.

“We have to leave for tour tomorrow. We can’t wait any longer. Our manager won’t allow it.”

Cadey processed the information, her body seeming to deflate the more she thought about it.

“So…I’ll be in here…alone?” she asked, worry in her tone.

“No, you won’t,” Jimmy said sternly. He put both of his hands around one of Cadey’s. She was amazed at how small her hands were compared to his.

Jimmy turned to Matt, “There has to be some way-”

“I’m trying to convince the nurses to let her out early,” Matt said. Cadey admired his calmness.

“What’d they say?” Zacky asked, genuinely curious.

Matt shrugged, “Angelica said she’d see what she could do-”

“Angelica? Isn’t that the blonde nurse…chick?” Jimmy asked, one of his thumbs gently massaging the back of Cadey’s hand. She found it soothing.

Matt grinned and nodded, “That would be her.”

“She’s actually pretty nice,” Zacky commented.

Jimmy had noted that this was the most he had heard Zacky talk in his presence since Cadey’s incident. He wondered what was going on in the guitarist’s head.

“Don’t be getting at soft on us, Shads,” Jimmy joked, taking a hand away from Cadey’s and wagging his finger at Matt.

Matt put up his hands in defense, “I would never do such a thing.”

Jimmy eyed him carefully, “Mhm.”

Zacky chuckled, a small smile breaking out on his face. Cadey smiled slightly herself, since it was the first time she had seen Zacky look somewhat happy since she had woken up. He noticed her smiling and his got bigger as he watched Cadey from the corner of his view, waiting for her to notice she was staring.

Matt snapped his fingers in Cadey’s line of vision, causing her to jump and the gentle beep of the heart monitor to speed up.

“Spacing off there, huh, Cadey?”

Jimmy gave Matt a reprimanding look, “Don’t do that! You nearly scared the shit out of her!”

Matt frowned and slouched in his seat, looking like a kid who had just been scolded by their mother.

“Sorry, Cadey,” he mumbled.

Cadey blinked, trying to steady her breathing. She had no idea why she was so jumpy.

“It’s okay,” she said softly.

Jimmy gave her a smile, which she returned, before he turned his attention back to Matt.

“You watch it, mister, or I might have to put you in time out!”

Zacky laughed, stopping once he realized he had actually given a response to Jimmy. It wasn’t his fault the guy was a walking comedy act!

“I’m just gonna, uh, go out in the hall,” Zacky said quietly, getting up from his seat.

“Will you be back?” Cadey asked before she could stop herself.

Zacky turned around, giving her a closed mouth smile, “I will. Don’t worry.”

Jimmy watched him leave the room, a slightly confused look on his face, “What’s with him?”

Matt shifted his gaze around, and Cadey had an idea he knew what was going on. She was grateful she had managed to pick up some ability to read body language from…

Ben.

Her body tensed even thinking about his name, but she couldn’t grasp why. Nothing in her memory was bad enough to make her react this way.

It brought her headache back just to think about it.

Jimmy squeezed her hand when she tensed and, upon recognizing his touch, Cadey relaxed, her body molding into the back of the bed.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” Jimmy turned around to face Matt, who looked…guilty.

Matt shook his head, “Nah. It’s not important…right now.”

Jimmy scratched his head, not fully believing him, “If you say so.”

“Where’s Lacey at?” Cadey asked, interrupting their conversation. Both guys stopped to look at her.

“Want me to get her?” Matt asked, “I have a feeling you want Jimmy to stay here.”

Cadey looked down at her and Jimmy’s hands and ignored the feeling of her face getting hot.

“Aww! She’s blushing!” Jimmy cooed, “Matt look! Isn’t she adorable?”

Matt laughed, “Yes, Jimbo, she is.”

He got up from his seat and left the room, probably to go find Lacey and bring her in.

Jimmy put his other hand under Cadey’s chin and lifted it up so she was forced to look at him, pink face and all.

She smiled nervously, her eyes shifting everywhere but Jimmy. He chuckled.

“You’re just too cute, you know that?”

Cadey bit her lip, daring a look up at Jimmy.

“I try.”