Concrete Angel

"He's lost a lot of blood. There are bullet fragments in his skin so he's under surgery for that but they say it looks good." Dad tells me and I nod pondering over that. We were going to be okay. My family was going to be okay.

"And Zach?" I say looking up and I see their faces go to confusion.

"Zach goes to school with June." Ms. Smith says and I nod biting my lip. I wanted to know if he was okay. I was so upset that he got hurt over me.

"Ma'am, there are some visitors out here and you can't have more than three." A nurse says sticking her head in. I lean up in my bed to see Scotty, Jake, and Chris standing behind the nurse. I look at my parents who were already getting on their feet.

"We'll go look into this Zach fellow while your friends visit." Dad says kissing my forehead once more and I nod gratefully as they each squeeze my hand and leave.

"Scotty." I say smiling as he rushes in and hugs me. Jake and Chris follow both squeezing my hand and waiting their turn to hug me.

"Hello Elizabeth." Chris says quietly taking the seats next to me.

"I think I'm going to go by June again." I say quietly making them smile.

"Oh great, now I have to remember a new name for you." Jake says making me chuckle.

"I don't think it will be too hard on you." I say smacking his arm. Jake acts in pain making us all laugh once more before falling silent. I was glad to see them. I really was but I wasn't sure why Joey wasn't beside me. As selfish as that sounded, we almost lost each other today and I didn't like not being around him. What if he changed his mind about me?

"So, have you heard anything about Zach?" I ask the guys trying my best not to ask about Joey.
"Joey's with him. He hasn't left his side actually. They're talking." Scotty says meeting my eyes and I smile in gratefulness at the news. They must be making up. They must be getting past whatever had them stuck in this hateful state.

"So he's okay?" I say quietly and I wasn't really sure which guy I was talking about.

"Everyone is fine June. You don't stress about it. Johnny is the only one in surgery but they say he's going to be fine." Chris says comforting me. I nod smiling and suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Get some sleep. We'll be around when you wake up." Scotty says kissing my forehead and I nod slowly closing my eyes.

"It's never going to end pretty lady."

"Izzy. Izzy, wake up. Izzy, you're having a nightmare. Izzy, it's me. Izzy!" Joey shouts shaking my body. I wake up in a sweat. He was there, haunting me, just like he promised. It wasn't going to end for me. I started to cry and Joey wraps his arms around me sitting on the bed next to me.

"He's going to get me again." I sob into Joey's shirt. Joey rocks me back and forth quietly trying to get me to calm down.

"He's going to get the death sentence. He's never going to put his hands on you again." Joey whispers and I just shake my head sobbing.

"Izzy, as long as I'm alive he's never touching you again." Joey says quietly looking into my eyes. I nod quietly placing a kiss on his cheek before burying my head into his shoulder once more.

"Izzy, I met your parents." Joey says quietly and I know he just wants to get my mind off of things.

"Did they like you?" I question sitting back and moving over so he could lay next to me on the bed.

"I think so. They were real grateful that I went in that tunnel after you." Joey says quietly and I smile shutting my eyes at the thought.

"I'm real grateful of that as well." I say squeezing his hand tightly.

"I never would have lived with myself if I didn't." Joey whispers squeezing back.

"So where are my parents?" I ask quietly and I feel Joey shift next to me. I sit up suddenly knowing he was holding something back.

"Joey?" I ask yet again meeting his eyes.

"They're with Johnny." Joey says quietly a smile growing on his face.

"Johnny's out of surgery?" I demand suddenly feeling extremely excited.

"Yes, and he's fine. We're all fine. Zach has a slight concussion but he'll be okay. Johnny will heal but probably will have a scar where the bullet hit him. We're all required to talk to a therapist the next few weeks at school, just in case but I think we're doing fine." Joey says patting my hand as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Therapists?" I grumble making him chuckle.

"It wouldn't be the worse thing we've been through." Joey says kissing the top of my head. I smiled and finally thought everything was going to be okay.

"You're right. It wouldn't." I whisper before letting myself feel safe in his arms.

"Joey! June!" Scotty shouts running in my room and making us jump.

"What?" I snap ripping my eyes open. I was almost asleep before he came in.

"Zach and Johnny want to come see you." Scotty says and I smile at him telling him to bring them in. Jake and Ms. Smith walks in sitting down followed by Ron and Chris who were pushing Zach in a wheel chair. I smile brightly at him as they park the wheel chair by my bed. Joey pats his shoulder and smiles down at him as my parents roll Johnny in a wheel chair of his own.

"Johnny." I whisper sitting up and almost jumping from my bed. I kind of forgot I was hooked up to an IV and all this other stuff.

"June. There's plenty of time to hug and stuff later, don't hurt yourself." Johnny jokes laughing at the sight of me being tangled up in my own IV.

"Oh hush." I grumble smiling at him as Joey untangles me. I sit back and look around the room. My parents were both smiling at their kids and talking to Ms. Smith, who I guess I should call Aunt Ann again. Jake and Ron were both chatting away about something while Scotty and Chris played a card game. Zach and Joey both chatted about the trail that was coming up against Leon which was something I didn't want to think about. Johnny rolled up next to me and held my hand tightly and I was glad to have him around again. I had missed him.

"It was never your fault, you know. None of it." I whisper kissing his cheek softly.

"June, it's nothing to worry about anymore. We're all together. We're a family and nothing is going to tear us apart. Ever again." Johnny says quietly kissing my hand and squeezing it tightly.
I glance around the room and realize he's right.

We are a family and something told me we were always going to be like that.