Page 17 (1/2)

Linda shook her head "No She just woke up Co to eat Felicia, would you like to co up the tray, getting Abby’s spoon and napkin ready, adjusting the bed, h "Eat"

"Da"

I narrowed my eyes at her "I know that"

"Do you?"

Did I treat Abby like a dog? What had I ever done to deserve such criticism?

"Felicia," Abby said

Felicia glared atto have his hands full with that one, but I was glad Abby had such a caring friend

"I’hed "Felicia"

I sat on the edge of her bed, wanting to be near her Needing to be near her "Don’t apologize She cares for you and is looking out for your best interests There’s not a thing wrong with that" I pointed to the bowl "You do need to eat"

She took a sip "This is good"

"Thank you"

I sat and watched her Enjoyed the sight of her awake Alive Moving Breathing

Being Abby

"Elaina has h to be near her I needed to touch her "I know She told , then stroked fro myself she was fine, that she was alive

"What did you mean earlier--had they told me?" she asked "Told me what?"

"About the weekend" I looked into her eyes--they were intelligent and alert "Tomorrow, Felicia and everyone will head on to Philly as planned But since you shouldn’t be alone this weekend, you’ll stay with aame with her in the hospital

"Do you kno many times I’ve watched Jackson play football?" I asked

"But this is the play-offs"

"And I’ve seen him in the play-offs toothis one We can watch it on TV" I smiled She didn’t know about my surprise "But I aly confused

"You and I were going to takeSpend the weekend in the city Watch the ga to stop touching her "Noe’ll have to make do with the couch and takeout"

Still the confused look

"Don’t worry," I said, laughing inwardly "If they pull this off, there’s always the Super Bowl"

She started eating again I thought back to her co and suddenly I wanted toto do this weekend is rest"

Chapter Fourteen

She finished eating and pushed her tray away from the bed "Is there a mirror around here?"

"I don’t know," I said She wanted to see herself Was that a good idea? Should I let her? I thought she was beautiful, but ould she think? "I don’t think"

She ran a finger over her cheek and winced "Is it bad? Do I look that awful?"

I stood up and walked to the sink Felicia would get her a mirror if I didn’t I found a small mirror and handed it to her, watched as she examined herself

"Poor kid was stuck in that car for the better part of three hours, just watching and listening to his parents die" The voices were low and soft They didn’t knoas listening Didn’t knoake "Makes you wonder how sooing to have a black eye It’ll look like I’ve been beaten"

"Makes you think it ht have been better if he--"

Where am I? Are Mommy and Daddy here?

"Wait, look I think he’s awake"

"What is this? What happened?" Abby asked

I looked over to her She lightly touched her bandage

"Head wound," I said "There was blood everywhere It wouldn’t stop and they weren’t trying They were too concerned hether you had a broken neck or internal bleeding"

They were lifting Mommy and Daddy from the car Why were they covered in red? Was all that blood?

"Head wounds bleed a lot I remember"

"Get the boy! Get hi, but IIt stopped"

Yes, for Abby the bleeding stopped She was okay She was alive and she ith me

"Yes Once they decided you hadn’t broken your neck, they bandaged your head" I took her tray "Let me put this outside"

Linda stood at the nurse’s station, talking with Abby’s nurse

I put the tray down and walked toward her "She’s doing well She ate all the broth"

"Good" She sht?"

Where else would I go? "I was planning on it"

"I’ll round you up soht" I’d forgotten I still had et her to your house?"

"Do you kno many people die of hospital-acquired infections each year?"

She set down the papers she’d been looking over "As a matter of fact, I do But Abby’s extre to die of a nosocomial infection"