Jason heard Lily cough. He assumed she was still asleep. He continued looking down at the floor. His hand was still placed on hers. She always coughed a couple times while she slept. The doctors said before that it was because she was getting oxygen to her lungs. Lily laid on the hospital bed. Her arms and legs were wrapped up with gauze and bandages. Her face also had gauze on it, but they were taped on.
Jason heard Lily whimper. A high pitched whimper that came softly out of her lips. He hadn’t heard her whimper before. Was she having a nightmare? He wanted to look up, but what was the point? She was probably still sleeping. She had been for hours.
I should’ve never left her. He thought to himself. She could’ve died!
He felt her hand twitch under his. “It hurts…” Lily whimpered. “Why am I hurting so much…?”
Jason looked up. Her eyes squinted from pain and they shone with tears. They were open, they were actually open. She was awake!
Jason stood up so fast that he felt his head rush. “Lily, Lily, please talk to me.” He begged.
She looked up at him, her shining eyes filled with pain. “Why is my whole body burning?”
Jason lightly placed his hand on her hair. The only part that was not scorched so bad that her skin was falling off. “I’ll get the nurse.” He said softly. He took his hand away too soon and started walking.
“No!” Lily yelled, “Please, don’t leave me!”
Jason stopped and turned around, “Lily, I need to get the nurse. You need some pain meds.”
“I… I’ll deal with it…” She raised her hand, wincing as her arm burst with pain, “Please… stay…”
Jason glanced at the nurse call button on her bedside table. “Okay, I’ll stay.” He walked over to her bed and lifted up the remote. “But, I’m still getting a nurse.” He pressed the button and the remote made some kind of noise. Jason settled down in the chair next to the bed, softly placing his hand on Lily’s.
“What happened…? Why am I in a hospital?” Lily whispered.
Jason softly smiled, “The hotel caught on fire. You got stuck because a huge chunk of ceiling fell on you.” He sighed and hoped she wouldn’t get mad at his next sentence, “I had to cut your hair….”
Lily’s eyes widened. She raised her other hand and ran her fingers through her hair, finding that it ended at her shoulders. “Well,” she sighed as she set her hand back down on the bed, “at least I’m not bald.”
Jason chuckled at her last words, “You’re adorable.”
A nurse walked in the room, her light brown hair fell past her shoulder blades. She looked at Jason, her amber eyes studying him. “What did you need?”
Jason held out his hand to Lily, “She’s awake.”
The nurse gazed over at Lily. She saw that Lily’s eyes were open and her eyes widened. “Oh god…” She ran over to her, “Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?”
Lily hesitated. She didn’t like it when she asked people for things.
Lily, Jason thought to her. She looked over at him. He smiled softly, his eyes glowing in happiness, it’s okay. Tell her what you need.
Lily sighed, giving up. She looked back up at the nurse, finding that she was waiting patiently for Lily’s answer. “Umm… I’m in a lot of pain… Can I have some pain medicine?”
The nurse nodded, “Are you hungry? We recommend having a full stomach with pain medication.”
Lily glanced back at Jason. He nodded softly, It’s okay. He told her through his mind, Tell her. His smile made heat rise to her cheeks.
“Yes…” Lily breathed, “I’m hungry…”
“We have some pudding or fruit.” The nurse recommended, “What would you like?”
“Is your cafeteria open?” Jason asked. Lily gazed over at him. Her eyes shone with hope. She was extremely hungry. Jason knew this. Mainly because he knew she hadn’t eaten at all after she woke up earlier that morning.
The nurse hesitated. She looked down at her watch and sighed in relief, “Yes,” Lily could tell she was very scared. Maybe it was because she was new? “I’ll get you a menu.” She walked out of the room.
“She’s not new.” Jason told Lily. She glanced over at him, brows pulled together in confusion. His happy gaze looked into her eyes, “She’s really worried about you.” He squeezed her hand compassionately. “I am too.” When she winced, panic rose to his face, causing him to flush. He quickly took his hand away, “Oh my god, I am so sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you… God. Leave it to me to injure you more when I already was stupid enough to leave you all alone.”
“Jason….” Lily murmured.
He glanced over at her, his eyes widened in surprise. “Did I say that out loud?” He sighed, covering his face in his hands. “God… I am such an-”53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jYCUZ72KH
“Jason, stop.” Lily said harshly. He gazed over at her, guilt weighing down his stomach. “None of this is your fault. It’s neither of our faults.” Her voice rose, “Seriously, it’s probably not any of the victims fault!”
Jason placed his hands over his face again. “You're just trying to make me feel better…” Tears fell down his face. His eyes stung and burned.
“Man, I really want to hug you right now, but I can’t.” Lily muttered angrily. It just made Jason’s guilt squeeze his lungs, causing him to suffocate. She sighed, “Why don’t you just place your hand on mine?”
Jason shook his head, “I don’t want to hurt you again…” Tears bled into the gauze on his hands that Lily just noticed. She reached out and grabbed his hand, taking him off guard. Her palm and fingers burned as she studied his palm, but she didn’t care. “Lily, stop, you’re hurting yourself…” He tried to pull his hand away when she gripped it tighter.
“No.” She said sternly. She sat up, her skin burning. She whimpered as the burn ran through her entire body. She still held Jason’s hand as her other grabbed the remote and tilted the bed up to a sitting position.
“You could’ve asked me to-” Jason started.
“Stop.” Lily interrupted. She scooted to the end of the bed, knowing that the armrest would keep her from falling. Her skin ignited and stung so much that she wanted to scream.
“Lily, what are you-”
“Will you give me a second?” She interrupted again. He watched as she scooted to the edge, letting her back rest on the back of the bed. She exhaled as if she was releasing a breath that she held onto the entire time she was moving. Then she glanced over at Jason. “Sit.” She let out while she panted.
“No,” Jason said, “I don’t want to hurt you.”
She still held his hand, “Please?” She let out between pants.
“I don’t think that I’m allowed to.” Jason looked down at the floor.
“Since when does Jason want to follow the rules?” Lily asked. Jason didn’t respond. He still stared at the ground. She tugged on his arm, pulling him toward her. “Please?”
He shook his head, “No.”
“Is he allowed to sit next to me?” Lily asked. Jason looked up at her. Lily’s gaze was aimed behind him. Who was she talking to? Oh god… He thought, Please don’t tell me she’s hallucinating…
“I mean… I see no rule against it.” A woman said, “But just be careful.”
Jason looked behind him to see the same nurse standing at the door with a menu in her hand. He looked back at the floor, squeezing his eyes shut. Great. He thought.
“See?” Lily said. She pulled on his hand again, dragging him closer, “Come on! Sit with me!”
He sighed, giving up. He climbed onto the bed, settling down next to Lily. He could feel the heat of her burns emanating from her body. The nurse placed the menu in Lily’s hands.
“Thank you, Miss!” Lily said happily.
“My name is Mae.” The nurse said, “Just call me that.” Mae smiled, “Let him choose too. He looks hungry.”
“I was planning on it.” Lily grinned.
Jason opened his mouth to protest, but the nurse had already left. Frustration rushed through his veins, “Lily, you need to worry about yourself… Please, don’t worry about me.”
Lily ignored his statement. She pulled the covers over both of them, trying to warm his depressed, guilty body. He tried to push her hands away to get her to leave the blanket alone. She resisted, her other hand that still held his pushed his arm away.
“Lily… stop trying to help me…” Jason pleaded. “You’re the one that’s injured…”
“You’re injured too.” Lily stated. She raised his hand that had gauze wrapped around his palm.
“Well, yes, but-” Jason started.
“Ah, ah.” Lily cut him off, “You’re still injured, so I get to pamper you.”
“No, please….” Jason tried to get up, but she let go of his hand and grabbed his arm. “Lily, please….”
She sighed, “You’re only resisting because you feel guilty, aren’t you?”
Jason stopped struggling and tilted his head back so it hit the bed. “You’re not going to let me go, are you?”
Lily smiled, “Nope.” She raised the laminated menu and opened it so both of them saw it. “Please, choose what you want.”
“I’m not hungry.” He stated.
“Lies.” Lily sang. She bumped his shoulder, immediately regretting the decision as pain burst through her skin. She threw her head down, breathing deeply as she tried to get the burn to die down.
“See, Lily? I’m no good here…” Jason stated.
“That… was my fault…” She let out through pants. She raised her head, her face edged with pain. “Please, choose so I can get my meds…”
Jason bit his lip, he wanted her to get her medicine, but he felt like he didn’t deserve to eat. Screw it. Jason thought, I’ll choose something small. “Fine.” Jason’s green eyes darted left to right as he read through the menu, “I’ll get chicken noodle soup.”
“That’s it?” Lily asked quietly.
When he looked over at her, he realized that worry swirled around her eyes. Making them mix between midnight blue and teal. He sighed, “I don’t want to eat.”
“Please?” She begged. She knew that he felt guilty. It was completely clear at the darkened look in his eyes. She couldn’t read his mind like he could do with her, but she knew that he was forcing himself to starve because he was angry with himself. “If you get something bigger, I will too.”
Jason’s eyes shone with pain, “Lily, please, just choose.”
“No. You first.” She wouldn’t choose until he did. She knew that he needed to eat. She could tell by the look in his face that he was starving. Lily had reason to believe that he hadn’t eaten since the night before. Jason was punishing himself. She knew this because she did it before as well.
He shook his head, “Please, don’t worry about me-”
“Jason.” Lily’s voice grew harsh, “CHOOSE.”
He stared down at the menu, wanting to resist. “I… I’ll have chicken and spaghetti.”
“Thank you.” Lily breathed.
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