I Myself Am Strange and Unusual

I woke up alone, which was half expected but still disappointing. "Good morning, Mr. Malia," the nurse spoke, walking into my room.

"Mornin'," I replied, reaching up and wiping the sleep from my eyes.

"I see that you're doing much better than you were yesterday," she smiled.

"Good drugs," I replied simply, looking around the room.

The nurse chuckled. "Audrey is working right now." My brows furrowed up at her before she began talking again. "Oh come on, Mr. Malia. I know you were looking for her."

"Do you know where my cell phone is?"

"Uhm..." She placed her clipboard down and walked over to the shelf, grabbing it and handing it to me. "Yea I think one of the paramedics found it in your pocket that night."

"Fanks."

"No problem, Mr. Malia. Just so you know, the doctor should be coming in later on today to tell you more information on what's going on and when you can leave."

I nodded and waited for her to leave before clicking the on button. Naturally, my phone became spammed with messages. A few were from the band but most of them were angry ones from my girlfriend.

I sighed and clicked the dreaded green call button. On the third ring, I debated on hanging up, but her voice stopped me short of that.

"Lee Malia!" Sarah shouted into the phone. "Where the hell 'ave yeh been fo' the past few days! I fought yeh were goin' to call me when yeh got to yeh friends 'ouse? Yeh bettah-"

"Sarah, calm the fuck down. I called yeh, didn't I?"

"Fuck yeh, Lee! I've been worried sick! What took yeh so long?"

"I've, uhm..." What could I possibly say to that? 'I tried to kill myself,' 'I'm in the hospital,' 'I met someone else?' "My phone broke. I 'ad to buy a new one. Sorreh, love." I rolled my eyes at the lie.

"Yea, whatevah, Lee. I let yeh go visit yeh friends wiffout takin' me and this is what I get? I'm such a horrid girlfrien' aren't I?"

"Yeh ain't horrid..." I mumbled out. That couldn't be more false.

"Yea, yeh right. I'm not. Yeh the wanker in this relationship. Yeh forgot to pay fo' my bills las' month. I 'ave no spending moneh, yeh didn't call my mother fo' her birfday and..."

I sighed and tuned her out for a moment. This was one of the reasons I couldn't stand to be alive anymore. She never left me the hell alone. Don't get me wrong, I did love her at one point, but by the time I realized she wasn't right for me, I was in too deep.

"Lee? Are yeh even listenin' to me?"

"Yes, love."

"I fink yeh lyin' to me. Let me add that to why yeh are the shittiest boyfrien' evah. And another fing. Yeh should-"

The sound of someone entering the room distracted me from the conversation. I looked up to see Audrey smiling at the end of the bed. I smiled lightly back, only to have Sarah's voice rip that right off my face.

"Lee!"

"What?" I hissed into the phone.

"Yeh juss wait until yeh come back. Yeh realleh goin' to get it this time. I swear-"

"Yea, listen. I 'ave to go. Talk to yeh tomorrow." I took the phone from my ear and clicked end.

"Well that didn't sound like that was going well," Audrey commented, plopping herself in the chair next to the bed.

I shook my head. "Not at all," I mumbled.

She shrugged, playing with the hem of her shirt.

It was that moment when I realized how thankful I was for her. She never pried. She waited until I was ready to say anything, if I wanted to say anything at all. "Fanks."

"For what?"

"For not askin' so many questions."

"Like I said last night, you'll tell me everything when you're ready."

I nodded, smiling lightly. Thoughts of last night kept coming through my head. The way touching her skin made my body crawl jolted through my body.

"Why are you smiling?"

I snapped back to reality, "I fought yeh weren't goin' to ask me any questions."

She shrugged lightly. "Curiosity is a human quality."

"When do yeh want to go back to England wiff me... I mean, if yeh still want to go. Yeh don't 'ave to go. Forget I asked-"

"Whenever you want to leave," she answered.

I smiled lightly, breathing out the hitch of nervousness that was previous caught in my throat. It's good to know she wasn't kidding last night.

"You shouldn't get so nervous around me," Audrey commented.

"I do not."

"You do so."

"Hello, Mr. Malia," a nurse spoke, entering the room. "How are you doing today?"

I shrugged, "fine I guess."

"Alright, let me take a look at you." She came around the side of my bed opposite from where Audrey was. "I'm going to check a few more things right before the doctor comes in, alright?"

I nodded in response. I never really liked talking to doctors or anything of the sort unless necessary.

"Can you roll over on your side so I can check your back and ribs?"

I nodded and slowly rolled over facing Audrey, flinching every now and again. Hair flopped onto my face and I was grateful for the extra cover they offered. Yes, I was in pain. No, I didn't want to show Audrey that. Of course that didn't last long. "Ow!" I jumped when she poked a certain spot on my side.

"Sorry about that," the nurse spoke, continuing to poke and prod away. "I'm just setting you up with a brace for your ribs"

I nodded, trying to ignore the pain that this position was causing me. They must have lowered the pain meds I was getting because I felt everything. A small hand curled into my own and I opened my eyes to see Audrey's hand there. I looked up to her and she smiled meekly.

"Alright, Mr. Malia. There you go. The doctor should come in a few minutes."

As soon as she left the room, I turned and looked at Audrey again. I could barely keep my eyes off this woman. "Fanks for-"

She shook her head. "Stop thanking me for everything. I wanted to hold your hand, so I did."

I chuckled, stroking her hand lightly. "Yeh aren't like any other girl I have evah met yeh know."

"I hope that's a good thing," she mumbled.

"It is, definitely. It's why I'm... unhappy I guess yeh could put it."

"Being in love isn't bad."

"I'm not in love. I wouldn't know." That wasn't a lie. I wasn't in love with Sarah anymore. I don't even know if I ever was. "What I do know is that I like when yeh are around me."

"Well that's good," she smiled. "'Cause I kind of like being around you."

My heart fluttered, and as much as I wanted to smile, I couldn't. All of this came back down to Sarah. What the hell was I going to do?