What I Like About You
16
I slowly started to hear sounds coming from two different sides of me. I heard my grandmother talking in a hushed whisper, and I heard the distinct sound of Calum, making a distressed noise in the back of his throat.
Calum... Why was Calum so sad? I needed to see him, needed to see why he was so sad.
I willed my eyes to open, opening one, and then the other one, blinking as the harsh light filled my eyes. It was so white. The light and the walls were all white. Where was I?
Suddenly, memories started filling my head of the party, the car, Jasmine's scream.
I whimpered, a tear falling from my eye, and both Calum and my grandmother whipped their heads toward me at the sound.
Both of their mouths fell open, and they were silent for a minute before my grandmother reacted. She pressed the call button for a nurse, and then walked over to my bed, grabbing my hand, kissing the back of it, tears in her eyes.
"Kennedy." She muttered. "It's so good to have you back."
She moved to stroke my hair as I looked at Calum, who was still frozen in shock. I opened my mouth to talk, but the nurse walked in then.
"Kennedy!" She grinned. "You're awake. Welcome back."
I smiled at her, as she checked my machines.
"Alright, Kennedy, your doctor will be in shortly to discuss where to go from here, yeah? In the mean time, are you in any discomfort?"
I shook my head and she nodded, walking out the door. I looked at Calum, who now had tears running down his face.
"Pup." I muttered, my voice hoarse from disuse.
That snapped Calum out of it and he practically ran over to the bed.
"Ken." He said softly.
I said nothing, patting the bed next to me. Calum smiled gently, laying down next to me, making sure to avoid my injured arm and leg.
He buried his head in the crook of my neck, and I used my good hand to stroke his hair.
I looked over at my grandmother then.
"Where's Jaz?" I asked.
"She's in the room down the hall. I can go get her." She said, standing up. She kissed the top of my head before leaving the room.
I sighed, kissing Calum's head.
"I-I thought I lost you." He murmured, barely coherent in my neck.
My heart broke, and I sighed again.
"I'm not going anywhere, Pup." I soothed.
Just then, my grandmother came back into the room, Luke and Jasmine following her. I whimpered again when I saw my friend in a wheelchair.
She was in a wheelchair because of me. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me.
"Ken." Jaz broke me out of my thoughts. "Welcome back."
She was grinning, and I looked at her in awe. She was capable of grinning at a time like this.
"You're my hero." I told her.
She laughed.
"No, Kennedy, you're my hero."
Just then, a doctor came into the room, smiling at me.
"Hello, Kennedy." He grinned. "Nice to officially meet you. I'm doctor Jones."
"Hello." I replied.
"So, I just wanted to let you know that you seem very stable right now, and you're aware. You remember everything, which is good. So all of the signs are good." He informed me. "As far as where we go from here? You can probably leave the hospital within about a week. But, even once you leave, the two of you cannot continue the lifestyle you've been living."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that the two of you will be in wheelchairs. You'll only be in yours until your ribs and lungs fully heal and you can breath properly after walking, but Jasmine may not leave hers for a long time. You'll need someone living with you all the time."
I let the words sink in.
"B-but we're in school and stuff, we can't keep living at home with Gram, it's too far away."
Luke cleared his throat then, and everyone looked over at him.
"Jasmine and I have actually been discussing this possibility the past few days." He spoke up.
Calum's head shot up in surprise, looking at his friend.
"I've talked to the other boys and our management, and we've managed to get an apartment near your current one. We're going to be taking a break from touring and all living there together to record our new album. Everyone is okay with you girls living there with us until you can get back on your feet. That way, there will always be at least one boy around to help out."
I gaped in awe at the mature way Luke had planned this out.
"I think that sounds like an excellent plan." My grandmother clapped.
"Me too." I mumbled, burying my face in Calum's chest, suddenly tired.
Calum chuckled.
"Baby, you've been asleep for a week."
"Still tired."
"Okay. Go to sleep, lovebug. I'll be here."
I heard the doctor telling Calum and Luke about how they would need to take care of us, I heard my grandmother asking questions, but all I was thinking about was Calum and how he smelled like home as I drifted off to sleep.
Calum... Why was Calum so sad? I needed to see him, needed to see why he was so sad.
I willed my eyes to open, opening one, and then the other one, blinking as the harsh light filled my eyes. It was so white. The light and the walls were all white. Where was I?
Suddenly, memories started filling my head of the party, the car, Jasmine's scream.
I whimpered, a tear falling from my eye, and both Calum and my grandmother whipped their heads toward me at the sound.
Both of their mouths fell open, and they were silent for a minute before my grandmother reacted. She pressed the call button for a nurse, and then walked over to my bed, grabbing my hand, kissing the back of it, tears in her eyes.
"Kennedy." She muttered. "It's so good to have you back."
She moved to stroke my hair as I looked at Calum, who was still frozen in shock. I opened my mouth to talk, but the nurse walked in then.
"Kennedy!" She grinned. "You're awake. Welcome back."
I smiled at her, as she checked my machines.
"Alright, Kennedy, your doctor will be in shortly to discuss where to go from here, yeah? In the mean time, are you in any discomfort?"
I shook my head and she nodded, walking out the door. I looked at Calum, who now had tears running down his face.
"Pup." I muttered, my voice hoarse from disuse.
That snapped Calum out of it and he practically ran over to the bed.
"Ken." He said softly.
I said nothing, patting the bed next to me. Calum smiled gently, laying down next to me, making sure to avoid my injured arm and leg.
He buried his head in the crook of my neck, and I used my good hand to stroke his hair.
I looked over at my grandmother then.
"Where's Jaz?" I asked.
"She's in the room down the hall. I can go get her." She said, standing up. She kissed the top of my head before leaving the room.
I sighed, kissing Calum's head.
"I-I thought I lost you." He murmured, barely coherent in my neck.
My heart broke, and I sighed again.
"I'm not going anywhere, Pup." I soothed.
Just then, my grandmother came back into the room, Luke and Jasmine following her. I whimpered again when I saw my friend in a wheelchair.
She was in a wheelchair because of me. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me.
"Ken." Jaz broke me out of my thoughts. "Welcome back."
She was grinning, and I looked at her in awe. She was capable of grinning at a time like this.
"You're my hero." I told her.
She laughed.
"No, Kennedy, you're my hero."
Just then, a doctor came into the room, smiling at me.
"Hello, Kennedy." He grinned. "Nice to officially meet you. I'm doctor Jones."
"Hello." I replied.
"So, I just wanted to let you know that you seem very stable right now, and you're aware. You remember everything, which is good. So all of the signs are good." He informed me. "As far as where we go from here? You can probably leave the hospital within about a week. But, even once you leave, the two of you cannot continue the lifestyle you've been living."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that the two of you will be in wheelchairs. You'll only be in yours until your ribs and lungs fully heal and you can breath properly after walking, but Jasmine may not leave hers for a long time. You'll need someone living with you all the time."
I let the words sink in.
"B-but we're in school and stuff, we can't keep living at home with Gram, it's too far away."
Luke cleared his throat then, and everyone looked over at him.
"Jasmine and I have actually been discussing this possibility the past few days." He spoke up.
Calum's head shot up in surprise, looking at his friend.
"I've talked to the other boys and our management, and we've managed to get an apartment near your current one. We're going to be taking a break from touring and all living there together to record our new album. Everyone is okay with you girls living there with us until you can get back on your feet. That way, there will always be at least one boy around to help out."
I gaped in awe at the mature way Luke had planned this out.
"I think that sounds like an excellent plan." My grandmother clapped.
"Me too." I mumbled, burying my face in Calum's chest, suddenly tired.
Calum chuckled.
"Baby, you've been asleep for a week."
"Still tired."
"Okay. Go to sleep, lovebug. I'll be here."
I heard the doctor telling Calum and Luke about how they would need to take care of us, I heard my grandmother asking questions, but all I was thinking about was Calum and how he smelled like home as I drifted off to sleep.