| � Could you please get me a glass of water?� Nick breathed through his oxygen mask. � This oxygen is drying out my fucking throat,� He coughed. � Oh, just try and get some rest,� Nurse DeVries smiled. � Your girlfriend will be back any minute, and if you still want water I�ll get it. How are your ribs feeling this morning?� � Like hell,� � Good. At least you can feel them,� Nick rolled his eyes and reached up for his oxygen mask, wincing as the pain coursed through his chest. � Don�t strain yourself, you�ll only make it worse,� � It can�t get any worse,� He mumbled. � Good morning,� Heather said quietly, standing in the doorway. � Laverne said you were almost finished checking him out and that I could come in,� � Hey Heather,� Debbie smiled. � Come in,� She glanced at Nick before stepping farther into the room. � How are you doing today Nick?� She asked sitting her purse down on the chair near his bed. � I just wanna go home,� He said. � Well you can,� Heather smiled. � I heard that you will be given your walking paper today.� � Really?� � Yep,� Debbie said. � Three days is long enough. We can�t stand you anymore,� � The feeling is mutual. Heather could you take this off please? It�s driving me crazy,� Heather stepped forward, gently pulling off the mask. Nick lifted his eyes to her. � Have you called my mom?� � No,� She said. � You asked me not to,� � Good. The last thing I need is her, calling the house every ten minutes to make sure I�m still breathing,� � I�ll go check on those discharge papers,� Debbie said. Nick and Heather both watch her leave before Heather took her seat next to Nick�s bed. She weakly smiled at him, afraid to say anything to upset him, but desperately wanting to know what happened. � So� uh�.� Heather began. � I went grocery shopping yesterday and I stocked the fridge, so there should be no reason for you travel too far-� � This wasn�t your fault, Heath. I was stupid and wasn�t watching the road like I should have been,� � I know. I just wish you hadn�t left at all. It was bad enough wit you sleeping in the guestroom, but to get a phone cal n the middle of the night-� � I�m sorry,� � Stop apologizing. All we do is apologize to each other anymore, and they�re all empty apologies, because after we apologize, we just end up arguing again,� � Well what are we supposed to do?� � I think that you should go home� just until you�re better,� � Heather-� � I�m not saying it�s over Nick, I just think that we�ve been together too much lately and things have been said and done and this was it. I can�t live like this anymore and I don�t want you to live like this either, Nick I love you so much-� � If you love me then this is a hell of a way to show it, Heather. You�re asking me to leave two days after I almost die, and just when I need you the most, you�re turning your back on me-� � No, I�m not. Try to understand that. I want you to get better and I don�t think that you�ll be able to do that staying at home. You did the same thing for me once. You left so that I could heal over Brian-� � Heather that was different,� � How? There is no difference-� � That was a couple weeks, this could take months.� � Months I think we need if we want the relationship to work. Because the way I�m feeling right now, we�re not going to make it,� Nick pointed to his oxygen mask, feeling short of breath. Heather reached over and put it back on him, tucking the elastic bands behind his ears. � I haven�t talked to your parents about this yet.� She said. � They don�t know anything about the accident or what we�ve been going through-� � Okay,� Laverne said entering the room. � I have your papers here, and your doctor has signed them so all you have to do is sign them and you will be ready to go,� Chapter Seventeen |