Fragile Hearts

Sadness turns into pure anger when John O' Callaghan makes his way towards me and starts to apologize. 

"Paige," He grabs my hand and I stare at him in utter digust. "I'm so sorry. My bandmates and I were fooling around and I didn't notice you picking up your groceries on the road." 

"Hell yeah you didn't." I suddenly jerk my hand away from him. I notice him staring in disbelief, when a doctor clears his throat in the doorway. 

"Mrs. Waters I need to speak to you for a brief moment regarding Paige." My mom smiles hesistantly at me and scutters away. 

I see John looking at me, pity filling his eyes. "What the hell do you want? You ruined my life here. I just got to Arizona a few days ago and you decide to run over me with your stupid car." I spat. 

"Its not like I meant it." He mutters.

"Didn't my mother press charges against you?" I say, glaring at him. 

"She didn't actually," He started. "Your mom's a kind woman." John was looking down at the floor with a guilty expression on his face. 

I wanted to scream at him when my mom suddenly entered the room. 

She looks at John and says, "John, since I'm not pressing charges against you. I only think it's fair if you take care of my daughter until she gets well." 

I see John's mouth drop and I can feel mine drop as well. My eyes dart to John then to my mother then back to John.

"Mom!" I yell. "I don't want the same guy who ran over me, to be beside me everyday single day while you go to work."

"Mrs. Waters, I can't I'm sorry." He panicks. It's obvious he didn't see this coming. "I have band practice and possibly tour." 

She ignores me and lays her hand on John's shoulder. "Please John." 

He lets out a sigh and finally says, "Okay Mrs. Waters I'll try my best." 

He finally gives in to the offer. But I, on the otherhand, do not. 

John's POV

I excuse myself from Room 405 and walk outside. As soon as I close the door, I pull my hair in utter frustration. I can't possibly take care of a girl like Paige because she acts like a brat and I bet she won't stop yelling at me. I understand that it was my fault that she's in the hospital but I have better things to do than take care of her. 
I sit on the bench and bury my face in my hands, contemplating on how badly the situation will go, when my phone starts to vibrate. 

"Hello Kennedy?" I say, as I answer the phone. 

"Hey John. How's everything at the hospital?" He asks. 

"Dude, Paige keeps on yelling at me and get this I have to take of her until she gets well. I mean how the fuck do I do that?" I say, raising my voice. 

"Woah," Kennedy starts. "I think you owe it to her and her mom. They're not pressing charges against you so it's the least you can do for the family."

"Any tips on how to take care of 21 year old girls who act like brats?" I sigh. 

"Just be nice to her man. It will take some getting used to but things will be better soon."

I run my hand through my hair. "Thanks man." 

"Anytime bro! I'll be here if you need any help with her and band practice starts in an hour. See you in a bit!"
"See you." I say and end the conversation. 

Time to be nice to her, I say. I get up and make my way back to Room 405, passing doctors and nurses that smile at me when I look at them. 

The door creaks open and I see Paige, sleeping in the comforts of her own bed. I scan the room and check if her mother still lingers inside but Mrs. Waters is nowhere to be found. 

I stare intently at Paige. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps, I thought to myself. Its like there's no anger and rage inside of her, I like her that way. I pull a chair and place it by the side of her bed and sit. 

For the first time in how many days I study her, I realized that she looked beautiful. Her auburn hair fell off her shoulders. She had freckles on her cheeks but other than that her face was flawless. I remember her hazelnut eyes that glare at me with anger but I actually long for her to look at me differently. 
I sigh and place a lock of hair behind her ear. I am taken aback
when she suddenly jolts awake. 

She glares at me and I am left speechless. 

I feel my cheeks heat up a bit. "I- Uh have to go. We have band practice in a few. I'll come back right away." I sheepishly smile. 

"Take your time I don't want to see you anyway." She flashes me a sarcastic smile. "What were you doing before this?" She raises an eyebrow. 

"Nothing just using my phone. Uhm okay bye." I grab my jacket and scurry away.

Questions flood me in an instant. What if she felt me do that? What if she has the wrong notion? Oh God, she doesn't want me touching her. She looks better when she's asleep. I pace the hallway back and forth when I suddenly stop and laugh. I'm acting crazy, I thought. Then made my way out of the hospital and on to band practice. 
End John's POV

I had the strangest dream while I was sleeping. I dreamt that John was beside me and just looking at me, not glaring, but just eyeing me. It got even weirder when I suddenly jolted awake and he was sitting there, dumbstruck. 

When I glared at him he gave me this embarrassed expression which left me confused. He told me he had band practice and scurried out the door. 

My mom hasn't returned yet so I switch on the television and select a channel that's featuring a Walking Dead marathon. 
"Hey Paige." A doctor who looks like he just hit 30 and wears glasses enters the room. "I'm Doctor Nichols and I'll be the one checking in and out on you for the duration of your stay." He flashes a smile. 

"Hey Doc." I smile back. "Any news for me?" I ask. 

"Uhm," He adjusts his glasses and directs his eyes to his clipboard.

"You'll be staying here for a week or two. So you're arm and leg will be able to heal. Make sure to drink your medicines and you'll be better in no time." 

I groan and Dr. Nichols looks at me. "You'll be fine." He smiles and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. 

John is forced to show his face to me for a week or two. I don't think I will be able to handle this. 

Hours pass when someone knocks on my door. "Come in!" I say. Please don't be John, I repeat in my head. 

"Hi sweetie. Just passing by to give you some food then I'm headed home because I have to finish something for work." It's only my mom, not John, which makes me sigh in relief.

"If you're headed home who will take care of me?" I whine. 

"John of course. Isn't that why I told him to watch over you?" My mom cocks her head at me.

"I don't want John to take care of me mom. I barely know him and worst of all he's the one who ran over me." I grumble. 

"Look young lady," She puts her hands on her hips and scolds me. "John is going to take care of you whether you like it or not. You're going to be grateful and you're going to thank him. It's the least he can do for us." 

Her anger takes me by surprise so I mutter, "Okay." 

"Good. I'm going home now. Call me if you need anything." She kisses me on the forehead and leaves the room. 

I slump back into my bed and just think. Maybe I should start being nice to him. Even though he did hit me, I would rather choose to forgive than exchange shouts with him for the next two weeks. His image suddenly popped into my mind. He actually looked pretty gorgeous. John was tall and lanky and had green eyes that stood out. His hair was tousled and he was just downright dreamy. 

I laugh to myself. No way am I falling for this creep. Were only acquaintances, not even friends yet, and we will be nothing more.