Just Keep Your Head Above

"Gunshot wound to the chest, female late teens, in and out of consciousness!" I took a deep breath, I couldn't even feel the pain anymore I just focused on breathing because everything in my body hurt. I felt my heart breaking as I slipped into blackness.

"She's bleeding out! Clear an OR! She's losing a lot of blood, I'm thinking nicked brachial artery!" A male's voice called out. It seemed to echo, my mind was racing and I passed out again. "She's slipping! Clear!" A jolt ran through my body, but I slipped into blackness. "Clear!" Another jolt raced through me and suddenly I gasped for air and I did something odd, I smiled.

My eyes flickered before I smiled and opened my eyes, the room seemed hazy with big blurs where people stood over my bed. I tried to move instead felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder. I looked up and blinked a couple of times until I saw a bunch of smiling faces staring at me.

"Thank the Lord! Oh my goodness, Gerald-Gerald! She's awake!" My mother's voice poured out, lined with tears and desperation. She came to my side and planted kisses all over my face.

"There's my baby girl!" He smiled before wrapping his arm around me and my mother, they spread apart and I tried to speak, but finding my voice had somehow gone missing. I just saw Chase sitting silently in a chair next to where my father had been sitting, tears falling down his face. He tried to wipe them with the back of his hand hiding his emotions.

He grabbed my hand and held it as another tear fell down his cheek and I smiled rubbing the back of his hand with my thumb and I tried to speak again feeling my throat completely dry. I swallowed then parted my lips, "Hey punk," I spoke my voice incredibly hoarse and he let out a big laugh.

"Hey Cory," he smiled before hugging me tightly, "please don't ever scare me like that again. Please, please, please, I'll be the best brother ever and never annoy you or use your computer without asking if you never scare me like that again!" As I heard the pain in his voice I felt tears welling up along with my heart.

"I'll never scare you like that again," I smiled as more tears cascading down my cheeks. My mom cupped over her mouth and let out a sigh before going outside the room as my father followed her and Charlie came rushing in, because apparently they could only have so many people in the room while I was unconscious.

"Cory! Goddamnit Cory! Really? You went to a Circle K in the freaking ghetto?!" Charlie yelled, with his eyes watering up. I smiled at him, knowing this was the way he acted when he was scared. He was the best big brother like that, like the time we went to a house party and punched out some guy who was trying to take advantage of me.

"Sorry, but you know I'm thug," I laughed before Chase handed me a bottle of water and helped me drink it. I felt the cool liquid rush down my throat immediately calming the irritated dryness. "I'm so, so sorry," I started crying after realizing what exactly had happened.

"I love you baby sister!" Charlie hugged me tightly careful to avoid my shoulder underneath the hospital gown. My mind flashed back to his graduation, throughout all the cheers and celebrations Charlie made sure to hug both Chase and I before going off to party with his friends. Someone cleared their throat and I turned to see Garrett standing in the door awkwardly.

"Do you remember me?" He laughed uncomfortable, I suppose it was a way to make light of the situation. I let out a laugh and nodded trying to wipe the tears off my face. Garrett's eyes had evidence of crying too, which I'm sure he didn't like me noticing. "Good, I don't know what I'd do if you'd forgotten me all over again," he smiled walking forward, right on cue Chase and Charlie kissed my forehead and left the room.

"Maybe it would've been easier if I could just forget everything all over again," I joked softly before looking down. I struggled to sit up looking at the bandage that wrapped my shoulder tightly and I shuddered hearing the bang of the gunshot all over again.

"Don't say that," Garrett said sternly before taking a seat and looking at me with a whole cocktail of emotions in his eyes I couldn't decipher. I opened my lips to apologize before he beat me to the chase, "I'm sorry- I just wanted to apologize for everything I said to and how quick I was to turn on you. I was hurt and I'm sorry, Cory," Garrett smiled before tentatively bringing his hand to cover mine, I felt some sort of electricity just in that.

My mind flew back to the night we were sitting at about one or two in the morning, walking out of the house party barely tipsy and finding out way to a swing set at a park down the street from us. His hand holding me before he kissed it lightly, my blonde hair tumbling past my shoulders in big waves. I crossed my ankles and clasped his hand back before kissing him.

"What would I do if I never met you?" I smiled looking in his bright blue eyes twinkling more than the stars above our heads. It was a perfectly clear night, making the moon the brightest street light. I remembered arguing with Ross and promising him he would never touch me again, just like that a light bulb lit up in my head.

"Garrett, I hadn't cheated on you since we took a break in March, like nine months ago. The only reason I didn't tell you was because I was so scared of losing you and I was so scared of you hating me. I just want you to know I love you so, so much and not a day goes by that I don't regret hurting you," I spoke feeling tears coming to my eyes again.

"Babe, you just got shot, I mean I couldn't care less about what happened between you and some other guy. I just hope you can forgive yourself because I already forgave you," Garrett smiled before tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Despite the words he was saying, I couldn't help but see a slight gleam of hesitation in his eyes.

"I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon," I lowered my eyes, he leaned over and pressed his lips to mine before tucking his index finger under my chin again.

"I think your best friend wants to see you now, I'll be back later," He smiled before kissing me again and looking at me with a buried spite. I bit my lip feeling so much worse about everything, but it was worse than when he was pissed off at me.

"DUDE! You have got to stop getting hurt! I swear first you get t-boned by an eighteen wheeler then you get shot by some gang banger, you got some bad joojoo!" Sam came rushing in her hair thrown into a messy bun and her eyes with bags on them. She was just wearing an old hoodie and ripped jeans shorts she hugged me tightly and I smiled.

"If I could I totally would, but shit keeps happening to me!" I laughed before hugging her again. I hoped she couldn't tell that I had just been crying again. "Garrett said he forgave me," I spoke before she could even ask what was wrong.

"That's awesome! What happened?" She asked bringing a chair closer to me, before bringing out a box of chocolates from her purse that she had clearly smuggled in. I couldn't help but laugh as she popped off the lid and offered me one.

"He's lying, I can see it in his eyes. He still hates me, but he loves me so I guess he's really conflicted. It hurts to see him hurting like that," I spoke slowly before reaching out to grab a chocolate and taking a bite trying to hold the tears in.

"Aw, don't feel bad. If Garrett made the decision to say he forgives you then you have to accept that he's thought about it. That's obviously what he wants you know? Just talk to him once you get out of the hospital or have Charlie talk to him and see what's up, don't jump to conclusions about how he feels because you're on all sorts of medication," She smiled to show that she was joking about the last part, but I trusted her opinion, she was usually write about these sort of things.

"I guess you're right, it's just a sucky situation, you know?" I smiled wiping my tears and popping in another chocolate and crossing my legs underneath me careful not to mess with the IV coming out of my arm.

"Yeah, well you decided to stop seeing Ross after you got back together with Garrett. You were monogamous after y'all started dating again, which is why it's weird that Ross said y'all were still hooking up. You tell me everything," She paused before her eyes grew wide, "Everything!" I knew I did in fact tell her everything, every nitty gritty detail.

"Yeah, it is weird," I spoke softly trying to think before tilting my head. The only reason I knew that we had a thing was because Ross told me and Charlie only knew about before Garrett and I's break. "I'm gonna ask Charlie about it,"I shrugged before Sam started telling me about the drama I was missing out on in school, which I honestly wasn't missing.

"Miss Armstrong, we really have to stop meeting like this! The bullet missed your heart, seems like luck was on your side. I mean apart from getting shot in general," A doctor smiled before writing on his chart, he was a younger and cute. I noticed Sam checking him out and I couldn't help, but laugh. Even though I was clear to go home until I had to get my stitches out a week later and I needed physical therapy, but I couldn't concentrate on any of those things. I needed answers.