Georgia Rainstorm's: Chapter 7
Katie
I can feel movement in the room. I know someone’s here. My head hurts, my chest hurts, even breathing hurts.
My body doesn’t want to move, my eyes don’t want to open. And then I hear him.
“God Katie I’m so sorry…” he whispers softly, holding my hand to his cheek. His tears are warm and I can feel his chest shaking with each sob. He rests his head on the bed, his hand on mine, and I feel his Stetson brush my arm.
“Justin…” I whisper, so softly, I can’t even hear my own voice.
In a heartbeat, his head is up and I feel his hand on my cheek.
“Katie…? Oh thank God you’re okay…” he whispers, the darkness closing in on me from all around.
For awhile, silence and darkness is the only thing that surrounds me. The longer I’m asleep, the more I start to think of Dad.
“Katie…”
Suddenly I’m standing on a beach. We had vacationed here just before Dad left for Iraq.
“Katie…”
I swear I can hear him, laughing with Mom and I like nothing had changed.
“Katie.” I snap my head up as Dad walks out of the bushes.
“Daddy…?” I whisper, walking over to him.
“What are you doing here baby girl? Why aren’t you with that friend of yours, enjoying the day at home.” He says, embracing me.
“Daddy… What are you doing here? You mean Justin right? I’m with him… just I’m in the hospital… I got sick after you left, really sick…” I mumble into his shirt, breathing in the scent of his cologne and relaxing. Nothing hurts for once and it’s really nice.
“Sick with what honey?” he asks, rubbing my back and stroking the back of my head.
“Type 1 diabetes and lung cancer…” I murmur, trying to remember the last time I’d had a moment like this with him.
“Oh Katie… I’m so sorry sweetie. I can imagine your mom never lets you out of the house now…” Dad whispers, squeezing me close then letting me go.
“So why are you here daddy?” I ask, walking along beside him, the sun setting in the distance.
“I’m on my way home sweetie, the doctor said I would live, but I may lose my arm… For now, I think I’m in a coma on an airplane in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.” He says, looking out over the water, then back at me. “And If I’m going to live, you for God’s sake need to be at least out of the Hospital and by the plane to see me when we get in.”
Just then everything seems to slide out of focus and suddenly, I can hear both Justin and Daddy talking, saying the same thing.
“Please Katie. Please get better.”
And then I’m awake. Justin is sitting beside me on the bed, stroking the back of my hand and talking to himself and quite possibly, to me.
Just then my mom walks in.
“What are you doing here?” she demands, walking across to stand at the foot of my bed.
“I’m here because I’m her friend and I wasn’t about to leave her here by herself. I was the one who brought her here.” Justin says, not even looking at her. I can tell he’s in a daze and not too sure if she’s real or not.
“Get out.” My mom says, pointing at the door, her voice rising.
Instantly the machine by my bed starts beeping really softly, in an irregular beat to how it had been beeping.
“Don’t yell… It upsets her…” Justin whispers, giving my hand a squeeze for good measure.
“I don’t really care! Get out now! Or I’ll have security throw you out and put in a restraining order!” Mom yells.
“Don’t leave me…” I whisper, my voice, again so low I can barely hear myself.
Justin looks down at me, obviously startled by the fact that I’m awake.
“I won’t unless you want me to Katie…” he replies, smiling down at me and putting his hat on my head, “Welcome back.”
“Leave Mom,” I say bluntly, looking up at her.
“What?” Mom says, shocked by my words.
“Leave,” I state, gesturing to the door, the IV in my arm following the gesture.
Justin smiles and picks up the needle off the corner of the sheets and sets it on the tray by the bed.
“I’ll tell the nurse you need it put back in later.” He whispers with a smile.
I slowly push myself up, kissing Justin full on, and then lean my head against his shoulder. My mother stands in the doorway, mouth open, gaping like a fish, and then storms out.
“You did that on purpose didn’t you?” Justin murmurs, caressing my cheek.
I nod, and lean in and kiss him again. He wraps his arms around me, kissing me again and again.
“My Dad’s on his way home…” I whisper, smiling up at Justin.
“How do you know?” Justin asks, tipping his head to the side.
“He came in my dream and told me… he’s somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and he’s bound to lose his arm, but he’ll live.” I whisper leaning into his shoulder.
“I’m glad baby…” he whispers, leaning back so I can sleep on his shoulder.
Closing my eyes, I mumble, “Love you Justin,” and pass out.
My body doesn’t want to move, my eyes don’t want to open. And then I hear him.
“God Katie I’m so sorry…” he whispers softly, holding my hand to his cheek. His tears are warm and I can feel his chest shaking with each sob. He rests his head on the bed, his hand on mine, and I feel his Stetson brush my arm.
“Justin…” I whisper, so softly, I can’t even hear my own voice.
In a heartbeat, his head is up and I feel his hand on my cheek.
“Katie…? Oh thank God you’re okay…” he whispers, the darkness closing in on me from all around.
For awhile, silence and darkness is the only thing that surrounds me. The longer I’m asleep, the more I start to think of Dad.
“Katie…”
Suddenly I’m standing on a beach. We had vacationed here just before Dad left for Iraq.
“Katie…”
I swear I can hear him, laughing with Mom and I like nothing had changed.
“Katie.” I snap my head up as Dad walks out of the bushes.
“Daddy…?” I whisper, walking over to him.
“What are you doing here baby girl? Why aren’t you with that friend of yours, enjoying the day at home.” He says, embracing me.
“Daddy… What are you doing here? You mean Justin right? I’m with him… just I’m in the hospital… I got sick after you left, really sick…” I mumble into his shirt, breathing in the scent of his cologne and relaxing. Nothing hurts for once and it’s really nice.
“Sick with what honey?” he asks, rubbing my back and stroking the back of my head.
“Type 1 diabetes and lung cancer…” I murmur, trying to remember the last time I’d had a moment like this with him.
“Oh Katie… I’m so sorry sweetie. I can imagine your mom never lets you out of the house now…” Dad whispers, squeezing me close then letting me go.
“So why are you here daddy?” I ask, walking along beside him, the sun setting in the distance.
“I’m on my way home sweetie, the doctor said I would live, but I may lose my arm… For now, I think I’m in a coma on an airplane in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.” He says, looking out over the water, then back at me. “And If I’m going to live, you for God’s sake need to be at least out of the Hospital and by the plane to see me when we get in.”
Just then everything seems to slide out of focus and suddenly, I can hear both Justin and Daddy talking, saying the same thing.
“Please Katie. Please get better.”
And then I’m awake. Justin is sitting beside me on the bed, stroking the back of my hand and talking to himself and quite possibly, to me.
Just then my mom walks in.
“What are you doing here?” she demands, walking across to stand at the foot of my bed.
“I’m here because I’m her friend and I wasn’t about to leave her here by herself. I was the one who brought her here.” Justin says, not even looking at her. I can tell he’s in a daze and not too sure if she’s real or not.
“Get out.” My mom says, pointing at the door, her voice rising.
Instantly the machine by my bed starts beeping really softly, in an irregular beat to how it had been beeping.
“Don’t yell… It upsets her…” Justin whispers, giving my hand a squeeze for good measure.
“I don’t really care! Get out now! Or I’ll have security throw you out and put in a restraining order!” Mom yells.
“Don’t leave me…” I whisper, my voice, again so low I can barely hear myself.
Justin looks down at me, obviously startled by the fact that I’m awake.
“I won’t unless you want me to Katie…” he replies, smiling down at me and putting his hat on my head, “Welcome back.”
“Leave Mom,” I say bluntly, looking up at her.
“What?” Mom says, shocked by my words.
“Leave,” I state, gesturing to the door, the IV in my arm following the gesture.
Justin smiles and picks up the needle off the corner of the sheets and sets it on the tray by the bed.
“I’ll tell the nurse you need it put back in later.” He whispers with a smile.
I slowly push myself up, kissing Justin full on, and then lean my head against his shoulder. My mother stands in the doorway, mouth open, gaping like a fish, and then storms out.
“You did that on purpose didn’t you?” Justin murmurs, caressing my cheek.
I nod, and lean in and kiss him again. He wraps his arms around me, kissing me again and again.
“My Dad’s on his way home…” I whisper, smiling up at Justin.
“How do you know?” Justin asks, tipping his head to the side.
“He came in my dream and told me… he’s somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and he’s bound to lose his arm, but he’ll live.” I whisper leaning into his shoulder.
“I’m glad baby…” he whispers, leaning back so I can sleep on his shoulder.
Closing my eyes, I mumble, “Love you Justin,” and pass out.