Talk to Me
| Just Breathe Exhausted from the confrontation with Nick, Evie drifted into a fitful sleep. She was restless. She had no conscious recollection of the accident or the first few days after, but in her sleep her unconscious mind revealed to her over and over the events of that horrible night. She whimpered in remembered pain. Nick sat watching her and wondered what was disturbing her sleep. Finally, she seemed to settle into a peaceful sleep and he took the opportunity to find a nurse or doctor to let them know how much she had eaten and that she had finally said more than one or two words on her own, without coercion. Around 8 o’clock that night Kristyne walked into the hospital room. Nick noticed that when she looked at the sleeping Evelynn her tiny smile faltered. Taking a deep breathe she entered the room fully and sat down opposite of Nick. “Hi.” She glanced up at him while holding Evie’s hand. “Hi. How’d ya sleep?” Nick noted to himself that she looked more rested than she had since the accident and felt some happiness in that. “Pretty good. I was a little disoriented when I woke up. It took me a minute to remember where I was.” “I’m glad. You look like you feel a little better.” He noticed the awkwardness between them and hoped that they could get past it. “I do. Thank you. I forgot to tell you that last night.” Kristyne wasn’t sure what to say to him. Her mind was on overload with random thoughts and questions. “You’re very welcome. And the offer still stands. You’re more than welcome to stay at my house until you feel more comfortable about going home.” Plus, it would give them time to talk more and maybe finally work through the barrier that had been between them for so long. “Thanks, but I don’t know. I don’t want to be in anyone’s way or anything.” She felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought of staying with him. Lying with him last night filled her with a sense of warmth that had been missing for some time now. But she was afraid to put too much hope or faith in that feeling. “I don’t mind, really. You won’t be in the way. And I kinda like the company.” More than kind of, but he didn’t want to push things. “Well, maybe for a few days, just until I can straighten things out in my head, if you really don’t mind.” Looking up from Evie she smiled at him. “Then it’s settled. So, after you get off work in the morning just bring what you need and come on over, okay?” He was smiling back. In the back of his mind he continued to wonder what it was about her that made him feel all happy and goofy, and protective. “Ok.” There was a short silence while they both were lost in their individual thoughts. Nick was thinking of how Kristyne was going to react when he told her about Evie’s improvement. He knew he needed to tell her soon. She gave him the opening. “I know it is futile to ask, but how have things been with Evie today?” She was looking at her sleeping friend hoping that something would change soon, for Evie’s sake. “Well you won’t believe this but she made big progress today.” Kristyne’s eyes snapped up to Nick. “Progress? What? Tell me what happened.” She was suddenly very excited. “Well, she ate today. Just a little, but she did eat, fed herself actually.” He couldn’t contain his huge grin as he watched Kristyne’s face light up. “Really? What did she eat? How much? Why didn’t you call me? Oh man, I wish I had been here.” Nick chuckled a little before answering her questions. “Like I said it was just a little. A small bowl of applesauce and about two-thirds of a cup of soup.” “Oh wow!” “Yeah. And I didn’t call you because I knew you needed the rest. Besides even if I did, by the time you would have made it up here she would have been finished anyway.” “Yeah, that is true, but I wish I could have been here. Do you think she will continue to try and eat?” She was so hopeful now. More hopeful than she had been since the accident. “Actually, yeah, I have a good feeling about this.” He smiled and looked down at Evie. They had made a deal. He had wondered if maybe it was wrong to make such a deal with her, to take advantage of her feelings in such a manner. But he reasoned to himself that it was for the greater good, Evie’s good. Let her hate of him fuel her desire to get better, if for nothing more than to keep him away. He hoped that eventually she would want to get better for her own sake and not just because of their secret deal. “I think she is going to try a little everyday. I think she might be coming out of this.” Kristyne was almost bouncing in her seat. “Oh god I hope so. I really hope so. I miss having my best friend, ya know?” “Yeah, I do. I hope so too, Kristyne. For everyone, I hope she continues to get better. Oh, I almost forgot, there is more. She talked to me too. Just a few words, but she did talk.” Kristyne’s eyes were as big as saucers and her mouth was hanging open. “Not much really. Just enough to tell me she hated me and that I wasn’t any good for you.” He laughed a little, more of a nervous release. “But then, I guess she has every right to feel that way.” Looking from Nick to Evie and back again, it took Kristyne a minute before she could respond. It was just too much good information to digest all at once. “Wow. Just, wow! Man, I hope she wakes up before I have to go to work. Maybe she’ll talk to me.” Nick noticed Evie stirring a little and hoped too that she would wake up before Kristyne left. However he didn’t want her to wake up just then. He promised her he would leave when Kristyne got there and he wanted to be gone before she woke up, so not to upset her. Standing up he walked around the bed to stand behind Kristyne. Placing his hands on the top of the back of the chair he leaned forward a little looking down at the two girls. “Listen, I have a few things to do and I figured you might want some time alone with her, so I’m gonna jet.” Kristyne looked over her shoulder and up at Nick. Smiling she simply said, “Thank you.” And she hoped he understood what all she was thanking him for. Taking a deep breath he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. “No thanks needed. Have a good visit with Evie, and I’ll see you after work in the morning.” Kristyne closed her eyes when his lips touched her skin. She just smiled, nodded, and turned her attention back to Evelynn. As he walked away, Nick let his fingers touch Kristyne’s hair briefly before he left the room.
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