Sequel: Over Again ›
More Than This
12
I still couldn’t form words as I sat in the passenger seat of Harry’s car, staring out the window.
“Bailey. “ Harry said from next to me, sighing. “How bad is your back? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”
I didn’t want Harry to know I was hurt. That was not my intention. But when he helped me into the car and his hand touched my back, I nearly screamed in pain. I knew there was a deep cut there. When I was pushed to the ground, I could feel the rock dig into my body. Still, I did not want to go to the hospital. My last memories there were not pleasant ones.
“Bailey, love, you’re going to need to answer the question.” Harry’s voice was soft, but when I looked at him, I saw his hand gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white. He really cared about this, so I looked at him and nodded.
He sighed and started driving in the direction of the hospital. I wanted to say something. I tried to find my voice.
“Harry-“ I started, but he looked over at me, shaking his head.
“I just need confirmation that you’re physically safe before we talk about what the hell happened tonight, yeah? That’s all I want.” He stated.
I nodded once and did the next best thing to talking that I could think of, which was to grab his hand. I did this not only to comfort him, but to comfort myself as we pulled into the hospital parking lot.
Wordlessly we got out of the car and entered the hospital. We got a room right away, since it was nearing 1 in the morning, and it was pretty dead at this point. I held Harry’s hand the whole time we waited for a nurse, the only thing keeping me grounded and out of my own thoughts about what happened tonight and where I was at the moment.
When the nurse finally entered the room, she was holding a file in her hand, reading it, and I swallowed hard, clutching Harry’s hand so tight I’m pretty sure my fignernails dug into his skin. She smiled at us and I turned around, showing her my back. She sighed.
“Well, you’re going to need stitches.” She stated, writing something down on a piece of paper in her hand. “Also, we had your medical records and your file faxed over and-“
“I didn’t do this to myself.” I stated, cutting her off. It was important that she understood that. “Whatever my file says about past experiences, this was an accident. I did not hurt myself tonight.”
The nurse simply nodded, looking me in the eyes.
“It’s just a question we have to ask when patients have a history like yours.” I nodded once and felt Harry’s hand grip mine tighter. He had just figured out a little chunk of my past, and I was afraid to look at him.
The nurse motioned for me to get on the bed so she could stitch up the cut on my back, but I hesitated, scared.
Harry noticed my hesitation and got up from the chair, sitting himself on the bed. He motioned for me to sit on his lap, my back facing the nurse, so she could stitch me up, and he could hold me. I did just that, and while she was working, Harry started to sing softly in my ear.
I closed my eyes and when it was all over and we were free to go, we walked back to the car in silence. When we got in, however, I grabbed Harry’s hand to stop it from putting the keys in the ignition.
He turned to me. This was it. We were going to have the long conversation about my past and what exactly happened tonight. I couldn’t avoid it now. I took a deep breath.
“The last time I was in a hospital, I wanted to die.”
“Bailey. “ Harry said from next to me, sighing. “How bad is your back? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”
I didn’t want Harry to know I was hurt. That was not my intention. But when he helped me into the car and his hand touched my back, I nearly screamed in pain. I knew there was a deep cut there. When I was pushed to the ground, I could feel the rock dig into my body. Still, I did not want to go to the hospital. My last memories there were not pleasant ones.
“Bailey, love, you’re going to need to answer the question.” Harry’s voice was soft, but when I looked at him, I saw his hand gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white. He really cared about this, so I looked at him and nodded.
He sighed and started driving in the direction of the hospital. I wanted to say something. I tried to find my voice.
“Harry-“ I started, but he looked over at me, shaking his head.
“I just need confirmation that you’re physically safe before we talk about what the hell happened tonight, yeah? That’s all I want.” He stated.
I nodded once and did the next best thing to talking that I could think of, which was to grab his hand. I did this not only to comfort him, but to comfort myself as we pulled into the hospital parking lot.
Wordlessly we got out of the car and entered the hospital. We got a room right away, since it was nearing 1 in the morning, and it was pretty dead at this point. I held Harry’s hand the whole time we waited for a nurse, the only thing keeping me grounded and out of my own thoughts about what happened tonight and where I was at the moment.
When the nurse finally entered the room, she was holding a file in her hand, reading it, and I swallowed hard, clutching Harry’s hand so tight I’m pretty sure my fignernails dug into his skin. She smiled at us and I turned around, showing her my back. She sighed.
“Well, you’re going to need stitches.” She stated, writing something down on a piece of paper in her hand. “Also, we had your medical records and your file faxed over and-“
“I didn’t do this to myself.” I stated, cutting her off. It was important that she understood that. “Whatever my file says about past experiences, this was an accident. I did not hurt myself tonight.”
The nurse simply nodded, looking me in the eyes.
“It’s just a question we have to ask when patients have a history like yours.” I nodded once and felt Harry’s hand grip mine tighter. He had just figured out a little chunk of my past, and I was afraid to look at him.
The nurse motioned for me to get on the bed so she could stitch up the cut on my back, but I hesitated, scared.
Harry noticed my hesitation and got up from the chair, sitting himself on the bed. He motioned for me to sit on his lap, my back facing the nurse, so she could stitch me up, and he could hold me. I did just that, and while she was working, Harry started to sing softly in my ear.
I closed my eyes and when it was all over and we were free to go, we walked back to the car in silence. When we got in, however, I grabbed Harry’s hand to stop it from putting the keys in the ignition.
He turned to me. This was it. We were going to have the long conversation about my past and what exactly happened tonight. I couldn’t avoid it now. I took a deep breath.
“The last time I was in a hospital, I wanted to die.”