AWAKE

Clarice starred at Nancy with horror. "You mean all this happened because of that boy?!" She yelled, "but they were ok the last I knew, my daughter was finally happy, she said he was treating her well" clarice voice got softer and her eyes became teary.

Just as Clarice was done talking a nurse walked into the room.

"we need to take her for some tests, it will take a while so I advise you get somewhere to settle down and wait" she said then rearranged the bed then wheeled the bed out with Ayarr in it.

"I've got to go Mrs Clarice" Nancy said while picking up her school bag. "We will see tomorrow".

"no need to stress yourself focus on school; you can come on the weekends" Clarice said as she leaned down to hug Nancy. "I know you guys had a falling out, even though I don't know what happened thank you for being here with your friend today"?

It has been two weeks and Nancy had been coming to see her friend or should she say former friend anytime she could. She would seat beside the narrow hospital bed read to Ayarr, sometimes talk to her about the fun moments they had in the past but after 14th days with no response or change she was weary.

"You and I have something to settle. You got to wake up" Nancy said in a small voice. Ayarr looked so still and pale, her auburn hair that used to be lustrous was splayed around her head looking like dry grass, Nancy knew Ayarr's mother has been grooming it but still it was like with her heart shattered no part of her wanted to thrive.

"You got to fight this, high school isn't the entire world there is still a whole lot more to come, we only have 2 years left then we are off to college, and you forget this dumb school and all its rubbish" she said while holding her hands.

She felt warm a hand touches her shoulders and smelt a faint aroma of lilies, she knew it was her mom that stepped into the room.

"Hi mom, I didn't know you were coming" she said turning on the backless stool to look at her mom.

"Just finished my shift and thought to stop by so we can go home together, you've tried for today" Mrs Becky said smiling softly looking worried. She noticed the bags under her daughters' eyes and the dark circles around them. "You've got to rest and eat ok sure there's homework for you too. Come on let's go home" she gently tried to gently ease her daughter off the chair.

"I want to wait for mrs clarice to come back first, I don't want to leave her without any company" she replied pulling back from her mom's pulling hands.

"I'm here" mrs clarice voice suddenly said from the doorway, "you can go home and rest now sweetie" she said smiling and walking into the room. "If there is any change, I'd let you know immediately" she reached down towards Nancy and pulled her into a hug.

"Ok, goodnight, ma'am" she said then picked up her backpack then went to hug her.

Suddenly a groan was head making all heads snap towards the bed where it came from. Ayarr's face was squinted as if in pain, one hand reached up and touched her temple.

"My head hurts" she mumbled then slowly opened her eyes and blinked against the bright lights. "Why is everything so bright and loud" she asked softly.

"oh my God" mrs clarice gasped "we have to call the doctor" she said twisting her palms together still standing in the same place in shock.

Nancy leaned over and pressed the call button at the side of the bed 3 times to summon the doctor or nurse shift that seemed to snap mrs clarice out of the shocked state she was in, she rushed to the bed and started caressing Ayarr face, tears running down her face.

"Mom..." Ayarr started to say in a weak voice before she choked up on tears. Mrs clarice sat beside her on the bed and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I know honey, you are fine now" she kept on repeating patting her daughter's hair. A doctor walked into the room and quickly walked to the bed when he saw that Ayarr was awake. "Ma'am I will need you to step back for a moment" he told mrs clarice as he unwrapped the stethoscope from hisi neck. Mrs bethy moved forward and gently pulled her away from Ayarr with her shoulders so that the doctor could check Ayarr properly.

"Do you remember how you got here?" The doctor asked Ayarr as he shone a small flashlight into her eyes to check her pupils. Ayarr looked at the doctor once he was done and looked around the hospital room. "I don't know…. I can't remember… why can't I remember?" She replied to him with a wide-eyed look on her face. Everyone gasped. "Sweetheart, you mean you can't remember what happened?" Mrs bethy asked. "I remember running then hearing someone shout watch out but after that everything went black" Ayarr replied. "How about before the running? Do you remember what happened before you started running? Or why you were running?" The doctor softly prodded.

Ayarr was quiet for a while with a thoughtful expression on her face then she replied "I don't seem to remember, I know I was at school or rather I remember going to school that morning, I can't remember what happened before I started running. Why can't I remember?" She asked looking at the people in the room. The doctor eased her back to a laying position, told her to rest and signaled mrs Roberts to follow him into the hallway for a discussion. Ayarr and Nancy stared at themselves awkwardly, the silence in the room became stifling. Mrs bethy cleared her throat loudly "hmmm I'm just going to head to the restroom" she said using that excuse as a guise to leave them alone giving them privacy to talk and hopefully clear the air between them. She knew how put down her daughter has been because of the falling out between the two of them.

Nancy and Ayarr both watched mrs bethy walk out of the room then looked at themselves again. Ayarr tried to sit upright, and Nancy moved forward to assist her to settle in the bed more comfortably avoiding her eyes while she adjusted the pillows and blanket. "How's the leg?" She asked, "it's ok, it's stiff but at least still have it" Ayarr replied. There both lapsed into awkward silence again both fidgeting with something to avoid looking at each other.

"So…" they both started at the same time, they stopped looked at each other and giggled.

"You go first" Nancy said.

"I….. hmmm…. I am extremely very sorry for tripping and saying those awful words the day we had that conversation and my attitude since then" Ayarr muttered, "I know this apology doesn't mean shit compared to what I did but I'm so sorry, I know you had my best interest at heart, I was just still very sensitive about dating Matt and my insecurities reared their ugly heads" she continued looking down at the light gray blanket the hospital gave her.

"It's ok I understand…. Hmmm… you know what… what you did was shitty, you didn't even stop a moment to consider what your friend since childhood was saying about a boy you just knew for a month" Nancy replied her looking directly into her eyes. Ayarr saw the anger and pain in there she was astonished that with how angry Nancy had been she was still here in the hospital waiting for her to wake up and she can bet knowing her friend she has also been here since she was admitted to the hospital. "I really don't deserve you" she said chocking up on tears. Nancy looked at her and rolled her eyes "you've always been a crybaby this is why I can't say angry with you for long" she said smiling, she dragged Ayarr into a hug "it's ok block head, I've forgiven you" she said pushing her at arm's length "but you've got to give me a very good apology present, expensive too. In fact want the new BTS album"

Ayarr looked at her with her eyes bulging "damn…, I guess I deserve that" she muttered.

"You are lucky I didn't ask for tickets to their concert" Nancy replied jokingly then pulled her into a hug again, she felt Ayarr let out a deep sigh and her body relax and smiled seems like everything will be fine she thought to herself.

Mrs clarice came back into the room with mrs bethy they had been waiting in the hallway giving them time to reconcile. Nancy noticed an apprehensive look on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked her.

She let out a sigh "the doctor said her left leg is ok now but the right leg broke in two places on the femur, and she hurt her spine when she hit the ground so she will be needing physical rehabilitation and hopefully she won't walk with a limp the rest of their life" she told them looking at Ayarr with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, mom don't be dramatic" Ayarr suddenly blurted out shocking everyone ", "it's just rehabilitation I didn't lose my ability to walk besides if I get a limp afterwards it will just add to my swagger" she laughingly.

They all looked at her in shock, the Ayarr they knew would have started crying or gone into a depressive state if she had gotten such news, they all know she was fragile emotionally and loved her that way, but this Ayarr that just casually brushed off that kind of announcement they didn't recognize. Ayarr started laughing loudly "you need to see your faces right now" she said amidst pearls of laughter. "by the way I remembered I have a boyfriend why isn't he here?" She suddenly asked looking at Nancy.

Nancy was taken aback and quickly looked to mrs clarice for back up not knowing what to say.

"Ummm, can you two please see me outside for a moment" Clarice said to Nancy and her mom glancing at her daughter uncertainly. "Give us a moment sweetie" she told Ayarr and quickly walked out the room with Nancy and bethy walking fast behind her. Nobody wanted to be left behind, so they won't be put in the position of reply her question.

"The doctor says she may have dissociative amnesia her brain most likely blocked out that event because of how traumatic it was to her mentally" Clarice whispered when they got out into the hallway "I don't think we should bring up or mention the video for now. At least it has been pulled out and deleted off the platform ma and the buzz has probably died down".

" I second that notion, let her focus on her recovery" mrs bethy added.

"Ok that is valid, but we are teenagers nothing is really gone; someone is bound to mention it and nothing is ever really erased of the internet what if someone reposts it or mentions the incident?" Nancy said. "I think it's better we let her know and she is already asking about that idiot what will we tell her?"

"Then we tell her he travelled or something!"clarice replied to her sharply, "this isn't time for teenage choices, we need to focus on the present she still has a month of rehabilitation before she goes back to school anyway."

"So, are you saying we lie to her for a whole month??" Nancy volleyed back.

"Yes! If that's what it takes to protect my baby!!" Clarice shouted and abruptly walked back into the hospital room leaving Nancy and her mom behind. Nancy felt so angry, this wasn't the right way to handle this so many things can go wrong, and it will be more damaging in the long run. Bethy saw how angry and tensed her daughter was and placed her hands around her shoulders comfortingly.

"I understand where you are coming from sweetheart, but you have to remember Clarice just almost lost her daughter she's scared" she told her her "we will cross that bridge when the time comes".

Well Ayarr seems a little different so maybe I should just watch and see where all this leads Nancy thought to herself and went back into the room. When she got in Ayarr looked at her with a smile and said "mom told me Matt is on an impromptu sports trip, no wonder how isn't here currently".

Wow Nancy couldn't believe just how fast Clarice had come up with that lie, she almost laughed out loud but all she did was nod. Clarice had a luminous smile on her face as she gazed at her daughter's smiling face.

"I was just about to tell my mom how it felt to fly" Ayarr said with a giggle. Nancy looked at her friend and the joy she was feeling "well, I guess what she doesn't know can't kill her" then went to perch beside her leg on the "tell us about it". For now she will focus on the present and try to protect her friend from any of the incident info from teaching her ears. The future can take care of itself.