Tattooed

I open my eyes, coughing, to see a bright light. I tried to adjust my eyes as I felt water expelling itself from my lungs. A dark figure cut into the light before focusing. First dark spiked hair, then a gently sloping jaw line, pale skin, and jade green eyes; light behind him causing a halo effect. Soft murmuring of voices, that seemed miles away yet rushed were suddenly pierced by a siren like a shriek of a banshee, as a calloused hand - presumably that of my angel- touched the side my face and darkness consumed everything in my sights and drown the noises.

A steady beeping reached my ears fallowed by a soft breathing and far off heels clicking on the ground. I slowly became aware of the pressure on my left hand, wiggling my fingers to try and remove it. I tried to open my eyes only to be blinded by a light brighter than the one before. I moan softly shutting out the light as tightly as I can. The soft breathing seemed to catch and a thud wasn’t far behind with the scrape of a chair and footsteps headed away from me. I attempted opening my eyes again but slower allowing time to adjust.

“She’s awake. Well I think so, she’s making noise. Someone might want to come check on her.” A slightly panicked male voice rushed. A small giggle slipped past my lips and by the way the footsteps rushed back, I’m guessing he heard it. My eyes finally became accustomed to the light and I quickly realized I was in a hospital room. A sudden pain shot through my skull causing my body to jerk into the fetal position and yelp. Someone rushed into the room and the pain dulled to a discomforting ache.

“Danni, sweetie, can you tell me where you are?” A thin woman who looked to be in her mid 40s asked, looking me over, checking the machines, and pushed on the left side of my rib cage.

“Don’t touch me! I’m in a hospital.. Now I have some questions. First, how’d I get here? Second, why am I here? And third, who are you?” I asked the first two to the nurse and the last one directed toward the teenage boy at the foot of my bed. I took a closer look at him for a split second before the nurse tapped the IV in my hand. The site of angel flashed in my mind. This must be him. Those eyes couldn’t be mistaken from someone else under any circumstances.

“Well this young man saved your life dear. He said you were trying to surf and took a nasty fall hitting your head on the way down. He pulled you out and called 911 before performing CPR on you.” She smiled warmly at me and I winced slightly from my still throbbing head. My right hand quickly went cool forcing me to rip my eyes from my guardian angel to the nurse. She had injected something into the IV. I guess it must have been for pain for my headache quickly dissolved. “Can you tell me your birthday and today‘s date?”

“December 22nd 1981. September 8th 1996.” I replied looking back at the teenage boy. “What’s your name? And would you mind not looking at me like that? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He snapped out of whatever type trance he was in and looked away blushing slightly. He placed a hand on the back of his neck and rubbed it nervously before answer my question.

“My name is Zackary Baker. Everyone calls me Zacky or Z though.” The side of his mouth twisted up in a half smile and his gaze met my green hazel one. His nervousness seemed to melt away.

“Well hello, Zack. Nice to meet you. I’m Danni.” I extended my left hand only to notice a black cast on it. I looked at it confused. “Thought I hit my head?” I looked to the nurse for an answer completely forgetting I was in the middle of introducing myself to the cutest boy I’d seen since I’d moved to Huntington Beach; well California for that matter.

“You were slammed against some rock by the current. You don’t surf much do you?” Zack had been the one to answer my question and gripped my fingers softly in a hand-shake manner.

“First time I tried actually.” I laughed slightly. “I just moved here about 3 days ago from Canada. I figured ‘Hey, I can snowboard, it can’t be much different.’ Guess I was wrong huh?” He chuckled slightly.

“I guess you could say that. And you just moving here would explain why I haven’t seen you at school.” His warm smile hadn’t fallen from those perfect lips yet. “You will be attending Huntington Beach High right?” He asked with what seemed to be a hoping look in those jade orbed or his.

“I think-”

“Danni! Thank god you’re ok!” My mother rushed in the room looking me over and eyes setting on the cast. “What happened?” She looked expectantly to the nurse whom has made herself busy looking over the machines attacked to me.

“I can tell you ma’am.” Zack spoke timidly. My mother just looked at him. “Well, I was walking on the beach and saw her lose control of the board she was on. She hit her head on the way down then was thrown into some rocks. The board didn’t make it.” He lowered his head and I snickered at his last comment before realizing what that meant.”

“Oh God! Not the board! Aaron is going to kill me.” Just as I spoke his name my not so friendly step father walked in.

“Why am I going to kill you?” He asked raising one eyebrow.

“Ocean ate your board.” I ducked my head slightly.

“We’ll deal with it later.” He’s voice emotionless. I closed my eyes ruefully, my lips pressing together ever so slightly. I knew I was in for it when we got home. Maybe I could milk this head injury thing for a day or so. I was really dreading going home now. “Who’s he?” He head jerked in the direction of Zack.

“Honey, he’s the young man that saved her from being ‘eaten by the ocean‘.” My mom beamed, putting quotes around what was supposed to be a joke. I looked up at Zack, by the absence of that warm smile, I guessed he noticed the atmosphere change since Aaron had walked in. I smiled weakly at him.

“When will she be getting out of here?” My step father asked.

“Well, she doesn’t have a concussion, nor any major injuries, and all the test were fine, so I don’t see why she can’t go home now.” The nursed said looking over the charts. “I think we were just waiting for sleeping beauty here to wake up.” She chuckled. “I’ll double check with the doctor just to be sure.” She walked out of the room smiling.

“Have I seen you around somewhere?” Aaron asked my angel, who was still standing idle by the end of my bed. He looked up at him.

“I believe I live next door to you sir. My parent’s are Linda and Charles Baker.” He looked back to me a half smile appearing on the left side of his lips.

“Oh! That’s right. You play baseball, correct?” The comment was from my mother.

“Yes ma’am. I hope to go pro some day.” His half smile turned into a full one.

“Excuse me?” The doctor knocked on the frame of the open door before walking in. “I’m doctor Hambrick.” Everyone greeted the doctor. “how are you feeling Danni?” He asked me looking over the chart the nurse left. This was my only chance to milk it.

“I’m kind dizzy and my head hurts a bit.” I stated giving him the puppy dog eyes.

“Well that’s perfectly normal. Says here everything came back normal.” He lifted the chart slightly. “I believe you’re ok to go home. You just need to have an eye kept on you. If you get any worse come back. I’ll give you a low dose pain killer to keep the headache at bay. The nurse will be in with your discharge papers soon.” He went to leave the room only to be stopped by my mother.

“What about her going to school tomorrow?”

“Should be fine as long as she doesn’t get worse.” He simply stated and walked out of the room. I watched him walk out and could seem the smug look that now possessed Aaron’s face.

“Sweetie, do you need a ride home?” Mom asked looking at Zack. He nodded sheepishly. “Alright. Danni, sweetie, do you think you’ll be able to go to school tomorrow?” Zack got that hopeful gleam in his eyes again.

“I think so. I’m not hurting too bad. Hey Z, do you know why my cast is black?” I had forgotten to ask the nurse, not that I mind it.

“When they came in to put it on, I told them your bathing suit was black.” He shrugged still smiling. A moment later the nurse entered the small room.

“Well darling, you can get dressed. Mom, I’m just going to need you to sign these.” She handed the papers to my mother. “Do you need help?” She offered me.

“No, I think I’ve got it. Wait, do I even have clothes?” Before I finished the sentence Aaron had tossed a bag at me. “Thanks.” I grumbled.

“Ok everyone out so she can get dressed.” The nurse ushered everyone out of the room. I stood slowly making sure I had balance then quickly dressed, well as fast as I could with a cast, in a pair of fitted jeans and a black shirt with ‘The Cure’ written in red letters across the chest. I dragged myself out of the room and into the hall where my family and angel were waiting for me. He looked me up and down then that warm smile reappeared when he read my shirt.

“Let’s get going.” Aaron’s smug look was still there. He rushed us out of the hospital and into Mom’s 96 impala; Zack in the back seat with me. The ride home was fairly quiet. We pulled into the driveway and both Z and I had to drag ourselves out of the car. I smiled at him one last time as he turned, walked across the yard and into his house. I then hung my head and walked inside waiting for what I knew was about to happen once I shut the door.