Page 51 of Fractured Hope
Gripping Atticus’s hand in mine, I kissed his fingers. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Everyone’s here waiting for you. We were so worried.” I couldn’t help the tears that flooded my eyes and trailed down my cheeks.
“I’ll leave you two to visit.” The doctor left and closed the curtain behind himself.
I pulled a nearby plastic chair over as close to the bed as I could get. I sat down and laid my head on our clasped hands. Drinking in his warm skin, I reveled in the fact that he was alive and going to be okay.
24
ATTICUS
Everything hurt.
My head felt like it’d been split in two. I was tired and weighed down like I was underwater. All I could think of was Bodhi. Where was Bodhi? I was sure I’d called for him at some point, but I didn’t know if I’d said his name out loud or just in my head. Time was a hazy mess of colors and movement. Where was I? What had I been doing?
I remembered people asking me questions, like my name, the date, and who the president was. I had a distant memory of Theo standing over me, but I just couldn’t remember.
How did I get here?
Groaning, I turned my head to see Bodhi—my Bodhi—standing next to me.
“Bodhi.” I couldn’t help the grin that stretched my lips, but smiling sent pain through my jaw and up to my temples.
“Shh, you’re okay. You had an accident. You’re in the hospital. What do you remember?”
“I don’t know.” I tried to think of the last thing I’d done. “We had our date....” It was wonderful. My brothers had helped setit up, and we’d put a movie on, then darkness.... “Next thing, I was here.”
Why couldn’t I remember?
“The doctor says you have a concussion.”
That answered some of my questions. “I’m just so tired.” I squeezed Bodhi’s hand weakly. Soon after, I fell asleep.
The next time I woke up, I was somewhere different. Bodhi was still by my side, but so were Mama and Yaya.
“Oh Atty, you scared us, ómorfo agóri mou.” She brushed her hand down the side of my face.
“I’m okay, Mama.” It took a lot of energy to reassure her.
She smiled softly at me, eyes full of unshed tears.
“He’s made of strong stuff, Katerina. He’s my engonós after all.” Yaya hugged Mama from the side. She was shorter and stockier than Mama but had an inner strength that rivaled the strongest of men. She might be small, but she was oh-so mighty.
“The boys are all waiting outside. They want to see you. You think you’ll be okay if they come visit?” Mama asked.
“Sure.” I took her hand in mine.
“You stay here, dear. I’ll send them in.” Yaya strode for the door.
“I thought you boys were past scaring your mama half to death with hospital visits.” Clasping my hand to her chest, she said, “O thee mou.”
Bodhi had moved forward to take Yaya’s place, wrapping an arm around Mama’s waist. It warmed my heart to see Bodhi so close to Mama and being embraced fully by my family.
Heavy footfalls came down the hall as the door burst open, and Lyric, Seb, and Theo all came rushing in. Seb looked stricken, Theo looked pale, and Lyric appeared shell-shocked as they all came to stand around my bed. Mama and Bodhi stepped back.
“Fuck, Atty! Don’t ever do that to me again.” Theo gripped my shoulder as he checked me over. “I thought I was prepared for life as an EMT, but seeing you in that truck.... I’ll never forget it,” he said, visibly shuddering.
Hmm. . . . Theo was there?
“Sorry, bro. I don’t really remember what happened.”
