Talk to Me
| Chapter 12 THANKSGIVING DAY AJ stood at the door to the room watching to two girls. Evie had recently been moved to a private room right down from the ICU. Both girls appeared to be sleeping, Evie in the bed and Kristyne sitting with her head on the side of the bed. He and Nick were both worried about Kristyne. She was either at work or at the hospital. AJ doubted she had spent a single night at home since the accident and he wasn’t sure how much sleep she was getting. Two weeks had past since the accident and the doctor’s had informed them that Evie’s condition while still far from “recovered” was past the “critical” stage and improving daily. But Kristyne still refused to leave her for any longer than she absolutely had to. Evelynn was showing them all just how stubborn she could be. The doctor’s explained the facts regarding the recovery of patients who had sustained head trauma and Evie was the poster child. AJ pinched the bridge of his nose and walked over to the bed. Placing his hand gently on Kristyne’s shoulder he was startled a little when she jumped and lifted her head. “Shhhh, it’s just me.” He soothed. “Still the same?” Kris leaned back in her chair rubbing the back of her neck with both of her hands. “Yeah, she’s been asleep for a while now, though. But dinner was fun last night.” Kris rolled her eyes at AJ recalling how the tray ended up on the floor without so much as a single bite being swallowed by Evie. “That bad, huh?” He rubbed her shoulders for her. She nodded her head. “You stayed here all night?” Again Kris nodded her head and for emphasis, it seemed a yawn made its way from deep inside causing her to stretch her whole body with the effort. “Girl you need to get some real rest.” AJ chided. “Nah, I’m fine. She needs me here.” “You sure that’s not the other way around?” He received an icy glare before Kris busied herself with straightening the covers on the bed, making sure there were no wrinkles and that Evie was tucked in nice and warm. When she didn’t say anything AJ continued, “So, are you off again today or do you have to work?” “No, I have to be at the squad house for the 4 to midnight shift. Then I’ll come back here.” Kris had started checking the IV fluids and other equipment. It was a routine she had set for herself and repeated several times a day to make herself feel useful and to keep her from thinking about what her best friend must be going through. “Why don’t you go home and get a few hours sleep in a real bed?” AJ started but Kris was already shaking her head no. “Kris,” He started to say but she was still busy looking over everything. “Kristyne, will you stop that for just a minute and look at me?” When she finally stopped moving and lifted her eyes to meet his AJ was saddened by the exhaustion and fear that he saw there. “Kris you need to get out of here for a while. Ah, before you start shaking your head no to me, just listen. I swear you two are so much alike it isn’t even funny sometimes.” AJ walked over to his new friend and pulled her into a hug. At first she was thrown off guard by his move and even a bit scared by it, but then she relaxed and let him hug her. “You need to get some fresh air, some sun, damn it girl, some real rest.” He could feel her starting to veto his suggestion but he pushed right ahead anyway, “Besides, I’d like to spend a little time here with her,” AJ grabbed Kristyne’s shoulders pushing her back some to make her look at him and added “alone. Ahh, hey is that a smile I see there?” Kristyne pushed him in the chest and walked back to her seat beside Evie’s bed. She sat down with a deep sigh. The only time she had really been away from the hospital was to go work, which she worked mostly the night and evening shifts. It felt like months rather than weeks since she had been out in the sun. Evie’s family, AJ, Nick, and various other friends had all been by to visit, but Kris rarely left even to afford the visitors privacy. If she did leave it was only to go down to the cafeteria for coffee or something. “I know it’s completely irrational AJ, but every time I walk out of this room I’m afraid that when I walk back in she’s gonna be gone. That as long as I’m here she’ll be safe.” “Kris, you’re not superwoman. And even if you were, even superwoman slept sometime. You’re not doing yourself or Evelynn any good by pushing yourself like this. When she snaps out of this, and is more recovered, especially when she goes home THAT’S when she’s really going to need you. So, do yourselves both a favor and go get some rest.” “AJ, I can’t…” She put her face in her hands and asked herself for the millionth time why she was so scared. “I know.” He sighed and walked up behind her rubbing her shoulders again. He and Nick had spent many hours talking about Kristyne and what she must be dealing with watching her friend suffer in pain. Nick wouldn’t give specific details about Kris’s past, but apparently she had confided in him. “Listen if you can’t go home, go get a hotel room.” She was shaking her head no. “You need to just get of this hospital and do something for yourself. Go to the beach or go to a salon and get your hair done. Do some shopping and get lunch. Hell, I’ll even pay for it.” And he was serious. “You just go get some sun and relax for a while.” “Maybe,” She took a deep breath before continuing, “Maybe I can go to the beach for a while. Even if it is chilly outside, the sun and sound of the waves will be relaxing.” “Yeah that sounds good. Listen, will it help if I promise to stay here? I can stay until 2 p.m. at the latest, and then I will have to head over to my Mom’s. She has this dinner planned for us. I had intentions on inviting you, but you have to work. Do you ever take off?” She chuckled a little, “Now you sound like Evelynn.”
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