by Mandi Oyster
Tears streamed down my cheeks. Cody would be devastated by a knee injury. It wasn’t right that he was broken and I’d escaped unharmed. I was the one they wanted to hurt.
“Dacia, he’s going to be okay.” Samantha rubbed my shoulder. “It’s just a good thing you found him when you did and got him help right away.”
Not trusting my voice, I nodded. Get a hold of yourself. I swiped at my eyes and stared at the floor. “What’s going to happen?”
“Sarah said they’d be suspended for about a week …”
My head jerked up. “That’s it!”
Samantha held her hand up. “You need to let me finish.”
“Sorry.”
“She’s trying to get hold of the Board of Trustees to have a disciplinary hearing. Sarah can make recommendations, but she can’t expel them.”
The fiery inferno that had erupted inside me subsided. I pulled my hand through my hair. “I hope something happens to them. I’m not sure I’ll be able to control myself after this.”
Sarah returned fifteen minutes later and said Cody’d been moved to room 355 and, for the time being, he had no roommates.
The three of us went up to his room. The ride in the elevator amplified my fears. What if I lose control again when I see him? The doors opened, and I forced myself to walk down the hall. I stood, looking at his door.
“Dacia?” Samantha’s voice was soft, comforting. “He’s going to be okay. It’ll take some time, but he’ll get through this.”
I put my hand on the door but couldn’t force myself to open it.
“Let me,” Sarah said. She pushed the door open and guided me in.
If I hadn’t known it was Cody lying there, I wouldn’t have recognized him. His skin was red and swollen with cuts and bruises covering his entire face. His eyes were tiny slits. An IV stuck out of his left hand. I walked over, sat on the edge of his bed and put my hand on his. “How are you doing, Cody?”
“Sore,” he whispered. “Glad you’re here.” It looked like it was an effort for him to open his mouth to talk.
“Samantha and Sarah are here too,” I told him as they sat on the only two chairs in the room.
“Hey,” he moaned. “Gave me pain pills, so I’ll fall asleep. Sorry.”
“Don’t worry, Cody. You need your rest so you can get better,” Samantha said.
Under the influence of the pain pills, Cody drifted off quickly.
Sarah looked down at her watch. “Oh, my, it’s later than I thought. Do you girls want something for lunch?”
“I’m going to stay here.” I patted the bed. “I don’t want Cody to be alone.”
“Just let me know what you want, and I’ll pick it up for you.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to go with you,” Samantha said. “Hospitals give me the creeps, so I’d like to get out for a little bit.”
“That’s fine, Samantha. So what would you like, Dacia?” Sarah turned to take my order.
“Oh, don’t worry about bringing me anything,” I said.
She gave me a curious look.
“I just realized I don’t have my purse with me.”
“No, don’t worry. I’ll get it for you. You need to eat something.”
“I’ll pay you back,” I told her. “I’ll have chicken tenders and fries from wherever you decide to go. Thanks.”
Cody and I were left alone. I got up from the bed and looked out the window. The storm had subsided, and the view of the Snowfire Mountains was spectacular.
I sat in one of the chairs beside Cody’s bed and held his right hand in both of mine. “Cody,” I whispered, “I need you to get better. You’re my guardian angel. I need you to watch over me.” I laid my head down on my hand and sat there crying silent tears.
When the door opened, Cody’s nurse, Tammy Cypress, walked in, her black ponytail bouncing from side to side. “Excuse me, Miss,” she said as she walked to Cody’s side. “I need to take his blood pressure and temperature.” She lifted his hand, and her head jerked back as a gasp escaped her lips.
Oh, no. My heart sunk. “What’s wrong?”
“Look at him.”
I didn’t want to pull my gaze away from her grey eyes. I was terrified of what I’d see.
“Look.” She pointed at Cody.
His appearance shocked me. The bruise on his cheek was all but gone, and his eyes were only swollen about half as much as they had been.
“Wow. So what kind of wonder drug is he on?”
“Painkillers.” She put the blood pressure cuff on his arm and mumbled, “Nobody heals this fast, even when they are on medicine.”
As soon as she touched Cody with the stethoscope, he woke up. “Wow, that’s cold.”
“Sorry about that,” Tammy said. “I didn’t mean to wake you, but I have to take your vitals.”
“It’s okay.” He turned to me. “Where are Samantha and Sarah?”
Tammy finished what she was doing and left.
“They went to get lunch.” I realized that his eyes were half-open. “You can open your eyes! And you sound a lot better.”
“Yeah, I feel better.” He tried to sit straighter but cringed and stayed where he was. “Must be a wonder drug. It’s good to see you, though.”
I felt myself blush. “I’m glad you’re better, but you still have quite a way to go.” I tried to wipe the tears off my cheeks without him noticing what I was doing.
“What’s wrong?” He reached up and wiped a tear off my cheek. His hand lingered on my face. “Why are you crying?”
I closed my eyes and pressed my face against his hand before realizing what I was doing. “I’m worried about you. You looked really bad for a while.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” He pulled his hand away. “I won’t be able to take care of you while I’m on crutches.”
“You shouldn’t worry—”
“I always worry about you. Somebody needs to.”
“Not now you don’t. Just rest, take care of yourself, and get better.” I glanced down at his injured knee, hoping it would heal.
He nodded at his knee. “It’ll be fine. If it’s not, I’ll deal.” He twined his fingers with mine. “I’m glad you’re okay. I didn’t know if you’d be. They told me they were going to take care of you.”
“You look great!” Sarah and Samantha said in unison when they walked in and saw Cody’s face.
Cody looked up at me, and I knew we’d be finishing this conversation later.
“Yeah, I know.” His smile didn’t look sincere. He was trying too hard. “Maybe I should be a model.”
“Dr. Sequoia told me he could only give you painkillers,” Sarah said. “I guess he must’ve decided to give you something else.”
“No, that’s all they have him on.” I moved onto Cody’s bed so they could sit. “The nurse was surprised by how good he looked for only being on pain pills.”
Sarah handed out our lunches. Cody looked at mine with wide eyes. I expected him to start drooling like a half-starved puppy.
“You can have some if you think you can eat it.” I held my bag out to him. “I’m sure you can handle the fries at least. You can try some chicken, too, if you’d like.”
Cody ended up eating about half of my food with no trouble at all.
Once we finished, I asked, “So how did they do this to you?” Then realizing this would be a sore subject for someone as proud as Cody, I added, “You don’t have to tell me now if you don’t want to.”
He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. “They hid in the bushes.” He stared out the window, but I saw the pain in his eyes.
Guilt by association. I pulled my trembling hand through my hair. I knew this would happen. I should’ve made Sarah listen to me. I should’ve made h
er believe.
“Bryce and Cassandra jumped out in front of me. Alvin and Vanessa behind. Bryce said he wanted revenge. Alvin bashed my knee with a bat.” His hands clenched in his lap. His eyes focused somewhere outside. “He knocked me down. After that, they all started swinging. When they finished, Alvin held me up while Bryce threw a few more punches. They tossed me behind the bushes. I heard them say you were next, but I couldn’t get up to warn you.” He looked at me then. His eyes begged for understanding. He grabbed my hand and said, “I tried, but I guess I’m not your knight-in-shining-armor after all.”
I hated them. Every molecule in me oozed loathing, and that made me hate them more. “You still are, Cody, but it was my turn to rescue you.” I couldn’t believe his main concern had been to protect me. Guilt pooled in my stomach, mixing with my hatred, threatening to erupt like a geyser.
The room darkened as black clouds filled the sky again.
“Dacia needs a minute,” Sarah said.
Cody rubbed my arm. His touch sent tiny points of light into my body. They shone on the darkness consuming me. The light spread, and the storm clouds weakened.
“I’m glad you found me.” Cody’s voice was soothing. “But how did you carry me?”
“I, uh … didn’t exactly … carry you. You sort of floated along beside me. I guess I can levitate things now, too.”
“Thanks.” He squeezed my hand. “So … what’s going to happen?”
Sarah told Cody about contacting the board members. “The meeting will be later this week or early next week, as soon as everyone can meet.”
Cody’s eyes darkened, and he nodded.
“I’ve tried to get in touch with your parents. Nobody was home, so I called their work numbers. Your mom was in a meeting, and your dad is out of town on a business trip.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “Give them a call.”
“I will.”
“Well, kids”—Sarah grabbed her purse—“I’ve got to get back to the school. Samantha, would you like to ride back with me and bring Dacia’s truck back down here, or how would you guys like to handle this?”
“That’d be fine,” Samantha said. “Are your keys in our room still?”
I nodded at her. “They’re in my purse. Will you bring that back with you, too?”
“Sure thing—I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Take care of yourself, Cody,” Sarah said. “I can come back tomorrow morning to see how you’re doing and to talk to Dr. Sequoia if you’d like.”
“We’ll see how it goes,” Cody said.
Sarah turned to me. “Don’t stay too late, Dacia. You need your rest, too.”
Once again, Cody and I were alone. As soon as the door shut, he turned to me and said, “Earlier you were going to say you should be laying here instead of me, but, Dacia, you’re wrong.”
“No, it shouldn’t be you.” I shook my head. “Bryce and Cassandra were injured because of me. You were an innocent bystander in all of it. If you hadn’t been with me when Bryce jumped me, you wouldn’t be here now.”
“I’m not an innocent bystander!” His face reddened, and he winced. “I put myself into this position because I can’t bear to see you go through this alone. We’ve been friends for too long.”
I grabbed his hand. “Calm down, please.”
We sat in silence for a while. When he looked more relaxed, I let go of his hand.
“Thanks for riding with me and staying all day. I know it’s not fun.”
“You’d do the same for me.” I looked away from him. “I had to tell them I was your sister to ride along on the ambulance. Then when we got here, one of the paramedics told me that you, my boyfriend, were going to be okay. He said there was no way we were siblings.”
“Oh, well, uh—while I was lying behind the bushes, I was thinking about that.” He twined his fingers with mine. “I was, uh, I was thinking that … well, that, uh—” he cleared his throat and took a deep breath “—life is short. Maybe we should, uh, go ahead and get together if, uh, you want to.”
My heart raced, and warmth spread throughout my body. I should say no. He deserves better.
“Dacia?” His voice was small.
But I want this … so bad. “Yeah.” I squeezed his hand. “Maybe we should.”
He raised his bed to a sitting position, reached his hand over, caressed my cheek and said, “You really are a sight for sore eyes.” Then he leaned his face in and kissed me.
My first kiss. My stomach dropped to my toes with a whoosh. His lips were soft as they gently parted mine. I was afraid to hurt him, but his hands spread over my back, pulling me closer. Sparks ignited in me, and I let out a soft moan of contentment. I wanted this feeling to last forever.
We sat there for a while not saying anything. Cody closed his eyes to rest again. I reached up and ran my fingers over his face. It looked better, but I wished the bruises and cuts would disappear.
As I ran my fingers through his hair, the marks on his face diminished. A mocking laugh escaped from my lips. I’m going crazy. I closed my eyes and shook my head before opening them again. His face did seem to be a lot better. I laid my head down on his chest and fell asleep.
When I woke up, I looked at the handsome, unmarred face of Cody. There was no evidence he had ever been injured—no swelling, no cuts, no bruises. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I must have gasped because Cody opened his eyes and asked, “What’s wrong, Dacia?”
“Your face is, uh…” I waved my hand at it.
“Is beat up, I know,” he sounded irritated. “Did you forget?”
“No, that’s just it. It’s not anymore.”
“What do you mean?” he asked like I spoke a foreign language.
“I was running my fingers through your hair wishing that this hadn’t happened to you, and all of your bruises and cuts began disappearing before my eyes. I thought I was seeing things. I fell asleep, and when I woke up … well, you look great. I don’t know what else to say.”
He sat quietly, staring at the wall. “Another power. I bet that’s why your face healed so fast.”
I rubbed my cheek. “I don’t know. I figured it disappeared because there was no way it ever could’ve happened to begin with. I never considered any other options. Oh.” I covered my mouth with my hand. “Maybe you’ll get out of here today.”
“That’d be nice. I’m sick of lying here—” he paused for a moment “—although, I’m enjoying the company.”
“Yeah, the company’s good. It’s just too bad it took something like this to make us realize we should be together.”
His hands were clasped behind his head. “I’ve thought about it since Falcon Lake. Sitting with you felt good, but you didn’t seem interested.” Oh, so gently, he reached out and traced a fingertip along my cheek.
Goosebumps rose on my arms. I finally didn’t have to pull away when he got close. I could give into my feelings and revel in his touch. “I’ve been thinking about it too much. Every time you hold my hand or touch me, but Cody—” My voice cracked.
“What?”
“You deserve so much better.”
“Dac—”
“Things like this are going to keep happening. People are scared of me, and it’s going to affect you.” I lifted his arm over my shoulders and rested my head on his chest. Careful not to bump his IV, I took his other hand in mine.
“It’s worth it,” he mumbled into my hair.
All the clouds disappeared, and the room brightened. This is how every minute of every day should be, spent with somebody you love.
“Samantha’ll be back soon,” Cody said. “Do we tell her?”
I sat up. “I’ll tell her on our way back to campus.”
Thinking about telling Samantha brought a huge smile to my f
ace. Cody and I together. For a moment, I didn’t feel weighed down. I felt light and carefree.
Gravity couldn’t contend with the feelings inside me. My body lifted up off the bed. “Oh, crap.” I hit the bed with a thump and stood up.
“What was that?”
Heat rushed into my cheeks. “Happiness.” I took a step back from him.
He grabbed my hand before I could back any further away. His voice was soothing like someone talking to a frightened animal. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’d fly right now if I could.”
Samantha walked in the room carrying a flower arrangement. When she saw Cody, the vase slipped from her fingers, shattering into a thousand pieces. “Oh, wow, I guess you don’t need ‘Get Well’ flowers anymore. Do you?”
“No, Dacia has healing powers,” Cody said. “She’s the best doctor ever. Thanks, though. It was a nice thought.”
Looking at the mess on the floor, Samantha said, “I’ve got to find someone to clean this up. Will you come with me, Dacia?”
I didn’t want to be away from Cody, but I stood up. “Sure.”
As soon as we stepped out into the hallway, Samantha turned to me. “What’s with the smile? Something’s up.”
“Cody asked me to be his girlfriend. So, I guess we’re moving onto the next level in our relationship.” In my head, fireworks shot through the air, and I jumped up and down. “I was going to tell you on the way back to campus.”
“It’s about time. Everyone except the two of you knew you should get together.” Samantha hugged me.
“I’ve known it for a long time.” I ran my hand through my hair. “Seeing Cody this morning made me realize I care too much about him not to be with him. It would be impossible to just be friends feeling the way I do right now.”
“I’m so happy for you, but I need to find someone to clean up the mess I made.” She held the door open and waved for me to enter. “You can go back in with Lover Boy if you want.”