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But Oren wasn’t here, and I talked to an unresponsive body I didn’t knohat else to do though, and I couldn’t leave hiobbled uphi for their turn to see hier pissed at him There was barely a ht want to say so, too

I stepped aside, and he leaned in close to Oren’s ear toshort and sweet Then he cleared his throat and stood, turning to azes met, I knew this was about the worst moment of both our lives

Two days passed I didn’t leave the hospital once I just couldn’t Reese and Eva eventually took control of me and cleaned me up They borrowed soedover the bruises on my stomach After that, Reese brushed my hair while Eva cleaned my face and applied a touch ofthe quiet, supportive best friend But she looked so pale, the first moment I saw her flinch and set a hand over her baby, I sent her ho Quinn to keep her in bed and take care of her

She cah, as did everyone else Noel and Oren’s parents stayed overnight, ca room chairs while our friends returned daily Everyone eventually took a turn visiting Oren, but they all had the same result with him as I did: unresponsive

When the doctor told us they were going to begin taking him out of the coma, I became a jittery mess There was a chance Oren’s body wasn’t ready for that, that he’d die I hated all the statistics and percentages people gave; I just wanted so to be okay," but no one ever did

"The swelling is down, brain function looks good, and he’s breathing independently He’s still unconscious, as we’re gradually withdrawing the barbiturates, but if you want to go in and sit with hi, and be there when he wakes, that may be best for him"

I popped to my feet so fast I almost tripped over theer I looked Oren was going to wake up soon I started to follow the doctor, but then paused when I saw Brenda and Phil across the rooether before I asked, "Can his parents be there, too?"

The Tennings and I had called a sort of cease-fire They no longer glared or slung blame my way, and I avoided all eye contact with them when they were in the saain after the first day, even though they’d been getting to know everyone else in the group

As Brenda looked up at ered in her expression

The doctor nodded "In this instance, we’ll let it slide and allow the three of you in his rooether One side of his face was still thickly bandaged, but he lookedtube out of his mouth

We sat with him for a little over an hour, me on one side, Phil and Brenda on the other, before heit away fro to our feet We shared an excited glance before resting our attention back on Oren A light cough left his lungs, and I swear, it was thesound in the world Then he licked his lips and shifted his face again, turning towardmy breath, I leaned in "Oren? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," he mumbled from cracked, rusty lips

The doctor had warned us about all the types of brain dae Oren could have He may have speech problems, memory problems, difficulty with o wrong, but as he opened his lashes and looked up atI kneas that he was alive and awake, and the world was absolutely perfect

My Oren was looking at me

Tears filled my lashes, but I smiled so hard I’m surprised I didn’t break ?"

He opened his ain, but only a wheeze caain, he rasped, "Water"

"Oh" I laughed at my own silliness Of course he’d be thirsty They’d had a tube jammed down his throat for days He probably felt as raw and dry as a seven-year drought

I spun away to find a cup of water for him, and his mother murmured his naht the cup around to hied with pain as he held out his hand toward his parents,like a slow, sore old man "Dad"