“Kevy?”
“Yeah?”
“Love you.”
“Love you too, baby.”
“Sleep now?”
“Not until the doctor says okay.”
“Want sleep,” she said, almost crying.
“If you sleep, then you might not wake up. Then we wouldn’t be able to see each other anymore.”
“Okay, I’ll stay awake.”
“That’s my good girl.”
“That’s your good girl,” she said teasing him.
“Very funny.”
“I thought so.”
“Are you seeing any more purple elephants or giant teapots?”
“No.”
“Do you remember seeing purple elephants?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“What about giant teapots?”
“Nope.”
“It looks like the medicine is wearing off. I just hope that you don’t start feeling like shit.”
“Me too.”
“Do you remember anything you said?’ he asked, remembering her proposal.
“Very little. I do remember trying to get you to sleep with me.”
He smiled.
“Thank you for not taking advantage of me while I was mentally incapacitated.”
“Don’t take it too close to heart. As soon as I get you out of the hospital, I’m going to take advantage of you all night long.”
“Sounds like fun…”
He kissed her softly, “Still sleepy?”
“A little. Suddenly I want to get out of here very badly.”
“Me too.”
Nick walked into Angie’s room. She looked as though she was sleeping. He walked over to her and tried to wake her up.
“Angie, you’ve got to get up. Please. If you go to sleep, you might not wake up and I don’t think I could handle that.”
Angie was going to roll over and open her eyes, but, hearing this, she decided to continue faking her sleep.
“Come on, Angie, I have something really important that I need to talk to you about.”
She still didn’t move.
“Fine, I’m gonna tell you anyway. I don’t care if you can hear or not. Angie, I think I’m in love with you. You’re always on my mind and it’s driving me a little crazy. When we made love last night, I thought I’d finally gotten through to you. I thought you’d finally seen me for me, and not just some little kid. I wish to God that I would have told you just how much I love you last night. Then maybe you wouldn’t have left if such a hurry. Or maybe you would’ve left faster, I don’t know. I gotta go. I wish you could hear me.”
Angie sat there, shocked by what she just heard. She heard him move to leave. Without thinking, she said something to him that shocked even her.
“I love you too.”
He stopped dead in his tracks and spun slowly on his heels, “Angie?”
He walked over to the bed and looked at her. She still maintained her sleeping look, but her heart was beating much faster and her breathing wasn’t as slow.
“Angie?” he repeated.
She rolled over and looked at him.
“Oh shit,” he said, staring into her green eyes.
Vanessa ran into the waiting room and hugged Howie, “How are they doing?”
“They’re both gonna be fine. Kevin’s with Danica right now and Nick just went to see Angie.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Yeah. Can I talk to you for a minute, privately?”
“Sure.”
He took her hand and led her to a more secluded hallway, where no one would see or hear them.
“What’s up?”she asked.
“Vanessa, I have to tell you a few things. Some are good, some are bad.”
“Okay…”
“First the bad news. I have to leave in a few days.”
Vanessa tried to hide her disappointment, unsuccessfully, from Howie.
“Okay, here’s some good news.”
He leaned down to her and kissed her softly.
“I like this news,” she said as he pulled away.
“Here’s more good news. Angie and Dani are gonna be okay!”
“That’s great!”
“Okay, here’s the last of the news I have to give you. It’s really based on your interpretation as to whether it’s good or bad.”
“What is it, Howie? You’re killing me!”
“Well, I really like you. And I was wondering if you’d let me be your boyfriend.”
Vanessa was utterly shocked. She really liked him too, but she’d only known him like, two days!
“But that’s why people date, so they can get to know each other.” She thought.
“Howie, I’d love it if you were my boyfriend.”
He kissed her again and took her back to the waiting room, holding her hand.
Brian noticed and whispered to A.J., “He must have asked her.”
“Yeah,” he whispered back.
“I wonder what’s going on with Dani and Kev and Angie and Nick,” Howie thought aloud.
“Kevy?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I go to sleep now?”
“Not until the doctor says so.”
“But I so tired.”
“I know. But it’s doctor’s orders. So come on, wake up.”
“No.”
“Do I have to pull out the secret weapon?”
“NO!”
“Then wake up!”
“AGH!!”
Kevin loved winning arguments. But he and Dani had never had a real argument. Angie always said that their relationship was “sickeningly perfect.” They hadn’t fought a lot after they got together. But they both remembered when they couldn’t stand to be in the same room as one another. They had no desire to see that happen again.
Danica started to doze off again and Kevin pulled out the “secret weapon.” He started tickling her, which she hated more than anything, almost.
She quickly cried “Uncle,” and Kevin quit tickling her.
“Come on, baby, please wake up. We’ve got to stay awake so we can find out if Angie’s up for visitors.”
“Is Angie out of surgery?”
“Yeah. She has been for a while now.”
“Man, I was really out of it. What the hell did I say and do while I was drugged up?”
“Not much. You’re really funny. You chased purple elephants across the wall and you thought that a giant teapot was going to pour tea all over us into little bity cups that no on can drink out of.”
And you propsed to me. he thought.
She laughed, “I really said that?”
“Yeah.”
He thought about telling her about the marriage proposal, but they were interrupted by the doctor.
“You can go see your friend now. Since you were in the accident with her and I can’t guarantee that you two will keep each other awake, I’m giving you permission to go in there with them, Mr. Richardson.”
“Thanks.”
Dani hopped out of the bed and walked towards the door. She really wanted to talk to Angie. They got to the door and stopped. They simply turned around and left.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” Kevin asked.
“Love to.”
“Please don’t cry, Nick. I don’t think I could handle that right now.”
“I’m sorry, but I think I’m dreaming.”
“If you’re dreaming, we might as well make it a good dream.”
She pulled him down to her and kissed him gently.
“This is a nice dream. Will I wake up any time soon?” he asked quitely.
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“So, what are we going to do?”
“What do you mean, about us?”
“That and everything else. I mean, we just admitted how we truly feel. That really means something to me. I can’t talk with anyone else the way I talk to you. You’re a good listener and a good friend. But I don’t want just a friendship with you, Angie. I want so much more than that.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I know I’m young but-“
“Nick, you’re not that young. You’re 19 years old.”
He smiled, “I thought I was a ‘child.’ “
“No, just a bit silly at times. That and I love to tease you.”
“I kind of thought so. So, where do we go from here?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, well, I’m not sure what I mean. You always seem to make me lose track of what I’m saying. You’re so beautiful.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Angie, don’t argue with me. You’re gorgeous, and you know it.”
“Nick, shut up before I deck you.”
He smiled, “Is that a threat?”
“No, it’s a promise…”
He kissed her again, trying to tell her with his kiss what he couldn’t say out loud.
Kevin and Danica walked to the door and saw this scene. They decided it was probably best not to stay.
“Angie?”
“Yeah?”
“I was wondering if, uh…”
“What?”
“I’m not sure how to say this without sounding like a kid.”
“Just spill it.”
“Would you be my girlfriend?”
She sat there, silent. No one had ever asked her out so sweetly and innocently before.
“Yes.”
He smiled and though he wanted to- resisted the urge to pick her up and spin her around.
“So, what are we gonna do while you’re holed up here?"
“I don’t know. Don’t you have to tour?”
“Yeah, but we don’t leave for about a week, so you should be out by then, right?”
“I guess so.”
“Well, until you get out, I’m staying with you.”
“That’s really sweet of you, but you don’t have to.”
“I’m your boyfriend now, remember?”
“Yeah.”
“Besides, I’d like to wake up and see what you look like in the morning.”
“I’m surprised you don’t hate me for that.”
“I could never hate you.”
“Aaron’s gonna be so pissed.”
“I know. Oh shit! I’ve been hogging you all for myself. There’s a waiting room full of people waiting to see you.”
“Okay. Are you gonna come back?"
“Yup.”
“Well, then, I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah. Hey Angie?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Nick.”
Please e-mail me with any thoughts you have on the story. Also, If you have any thoughts for the title, I'd be happy to hear them.
Thanks.
Kris