Visiting Hours

Chapter 27 of Banished for Love

Ms. Arch’s class phone bleats from behind the desk and she rushes to pick it up. Her eyes flick to me as she listens and I go rigid. She sets the phone back on its holder and turns to me.

 

“Kelsey, you’re needed in the nurse’s office,” she says, as solemn as I’ve ever seen her.

 

I shove my belongings into my backpack in a confused haze. I step stiffly into the empty halls and make my way to the nurse’s office. I pause outside the door and take a deep, centering breath. The heavy wooden door glides open silently and I turn to the office secretary.

 

“Hi, I was just called down here? Kelsey James,” I say, quaking in my converse. Her eyes flash in recognition and she stands quickly, ushering me down a short hallway to the sick beds. She pulls back one of the privacy curtains to reveal Jeremy, white as a ghost, on the bed. My hand flies to my mouth and I gasp in horror.

 

“H-how?” I choke out.

 

“A fight,” the nurse says, coming up behind me. The secretary takes the opportunity to duck away.

 

“With who?” I ask, dreading that I already know the answer.

 

“Another student, named Devin,” she replies carefully.

 

I look worriedly to Jeremy. “Is he going to be okay?” my voice breaks.

 

“We need to get him to the hospital, get these broken ribs patched up, make sure there’s no internal damage,” she says gently, gauging my reaction.

 

“Can I have a minute with him?” I ask, feeling myself start to go numb.

 

“Of course, we’ve already called an ambulance to take him to Big Sur Health Center, but I’ll leave you until they get here,” she responds, disappearing down the hallway.

 

I sink down on the edge of Jeremy’s bed, being careful not to jostle him. Blood is caked around his bruised and broken nose, one eye is black and swollen shut, and his breathing looks ragged and pained. I gently brush his hair off his forehead. His good eye flutters open at the touch.

 

“Kel’ey?” Jeremy murmurs fuzzily.

 

“Shh, shh,” I soothe him tears thickening my voice. “I’m here, just rest.”

 

“I’m… sssorry,” he struggles to say, lifting his head to look at me. “Devin… Don’ trust…” Jeremy’s eye rolls back and his head flops down onto the bed. His chest still rises and falls raggedly with his labored breathing, so I don’t panic too much outwardly. Inwardly, however, I feel dangerously close to a meltdown.

 

Just then, the nurse ushers two paramedics down the hall toward us. I reluctantly move out of the way so they can load Jeremy onto the stretcher. I follow them as they carry Jeremy out into the main hallway and watch as they disappear around a corner. The nurse lays her hand gently on my shoulder.

 

“Go home, honey. I’ve excused you from the rest of your classes. Enjoy the three day weekend.” I look up at her thankfully before she goes back into the nurse’s office. I turn in the direction of the student lot numbly. As I round a corner, I see Devin leaning against a row of lockers. White hot rage tinges my vision red as I pick up my pace toward him. He sees me coming and pushes away from the lockers, a condescending smirk on his face. When I reach Devin, I shove him back into the lockers, hard.

 

“How could you do that to Jeremy?!” I practically snarl at him.

 

Devin peels himself off the lockers and his smirk grows. “You have to ask?” he replies haughtily.

 

I punch him hard in the jaw, trying to wipe that smirk off his face. His head snaps sideways and the momentum spins him back into the lockers, a satisfyingly shocked look on his face.

 

On the inside, I’m a little surprised too. I mean, I’d been strong as a guardian trainee. But it was nothing compared to the raw power I could feel coursing through me now.

I pull my fist back to hit him again but, having lost the element of surprise, his hand catches my wrist before I can make contact. I snap my other fist out, enraged, but he catches that one too. He traps both my wrists in one hand and spins me so my back is pressed against the cool metal lockers. I glare at his face, so close to mine that our ragged breath mingles together.

 

“Let go of me,” I snarl, baring my teeth at him.

 

“You don’t want to do this Kelsey,” Devin says with a seriousness I’ve never seen with him.

 

“Yes I do! Don’t you dare presume to know what I want.” I snap, feeling tears prick my eyes. “You put Jeremy in the freaking hospital! What even possessed you to do that?!” His face turns grave and I get the feeling that what I said struck a nerve.

 

“Is he going to be alright?” Devin asks tenderly, his eyes softening to resemble a liquid night sky.

 

“Like you care,” I say bitterly. Tears fall from my eyes as I struggle to release my hands from his grip. Devin kisses my forehead before I can flinch away.

 

“Go make sure he’s okay,” Devin says, releasing my hands and walking away down the hall. I rub my wrists to will away the phantom touch of his tight grip. I’m half tempted to follow him, if only so I can hit him again, but that temptation is won over by my need to be sure Jeremy is going to be fine.

 

I head out to Jeremy’s car, thankful for the meager lesson in driving a stick shift. I fish in my backpack for the spare key he had given me this morning and hop in. I drive straight to the hospital, trying hard to forget my encounter with Devin and keep my anxiety in check. I swing into the parking lot and kill the engine. The double doors to the hospital’s main building open smoothly, sending a wave of frigid air against my skin. The desk clerk looks up and smiles as I walk in.

 

“How may I help you?” she asks pleasantly.

 

I clear my throat of a lump the size of a brick. “I’m looking for Jeremy Karalis.”

 

The woman pecks away at her keyboard, trying to obtain the information I request. “Ah yes, it seems he just went off to see the doctor, get his ribs patched up, and make sure nothing else is injured. Once they’re done with that, he will be sent to a recovery room.  You may see him once he’s out of recovery. It ought to be a couple hours. You’re welcome to grab something in the cafeteria and hang around here while you wait.” She replies, pointing down a hallway where the cafeteria must be.

 

“Any idea when he’ll be let out?” I ask.

 

“The doctor wants to keep him here overnight for observation. He should be discharged by tomorrow evening at the latest.” I thank her and head off in the direction she had pointed. I step into the deserted cafeteria and grab a small bowl of grapes from the line. I take my grapes to a small table in the darkest corner of the room and sit down. Not really hungry for the grapes, I instead attempt to launch them from my mouth into a nearby trash can. After almost an hour, I have torn through four bowls of grapes and am a pro at getting them to land in the can.

 

I sigh and push the empty bowls away. My worry for Jeremy had been steadily increasing toward a peak since getting here. I lay my head atop my crossed arms on the table in frustration. I am startled awake an hour and a half later by a cool hand brushing my shoulder.

 

“Jeremy has been moved to his own room, though he’s heavily sedated right now. Visitation ends at 5 today, so you have an hour,” the desk clerk says softly. I spring to my feet and rush to the door.

 

“Thank you,” I call breathily over my shoulder.

 

“Room 240,” she calls after me.

 

I rush through the halls, checking signs along the way, until I come to a stop outside 240. Quietly, I push the door open and step inside, closing it behind me. Jeremy lies on the bed, motionless aside from the rise and fall of his chest. He is hooked up to many different machines, all blinking, beeping, or whirring accordingly.

 

I step around the bed and drag the one chair in the room up to the edge. I take Jeremy’s hand in both my own, trying to work around the heart monitor clip on his index finger. I lay my forehead down against our hands, feeling terribly guilty. Tears sting in my eyes once again as I realize this is entirely my fault. A tear drips onto Jeremy’s knuckles and his hand tightens around mine. I look up to his face, startled, to see that he’s smiling blearily at me.

 

“Your face ‘s awl wet,” he says fuzzily.

 

“Oh Jeremy, I’m so sorry,” I say, my voice cracking.

 

“’S not your fault,” Jeremy shakes his heavy head. I lean forward over the bead and kiss his forehead.

 

He closes his eyes and smiles goofily at me. “Thank you.”

 

I give a small smile as his face relaxes back into sleep. A soft knock on the door pulls my gaze up.

 

A slight figured nurse appears in the doorway. “Visiting hours are over, would you like me to escort you out?” her hushed voice barely carries to me.

 

“No,” I reply, standing up. “I was just leaving anyway.”

 

She smiles pleasantly and ducks out of the room. I lean down to press my lips once more to Jeremy’s forehead and give his hand one final squeeze.

 

Out in the parking lot I head for Jeremy’s car but stop dead when I notice a figure leaned against it. My hands clench into fists by my side as Devin pushes away from the car and steps toward me.

 

“So what’s the verdict? Will the little pain live?” he asks, half mocking.

 

“You really have no right to ask,” I reply harshly. I step around him, being sure to bump his shoulder hard as I go by. He gets around me and places his hand flat against the driver’s side door, blocking my way.

 

“Do you mind?” I snap, turning to glare at him.

 

“Not at all,” he responds easily. “You’re pretty cute when you’re angry.”

 

“Keep bothering me and I’m about to get pretty freaking adorable,” I reply icily.

 

“Feisty, I like it,” he says, flashing a wicked grin.

 

“What do you want from me Devin?” I demand, trying a different approach.

 

“I just want you. Nothing else. Just who you truly are inside,” he replies, sounding genuine, but also like he knows something I don't.

 

I don't allow myself to ponder exactly what that is supposed to mean. “If you’re so interested in having me, why did you lie to me about your family?” I throw at him. He doesn’t look too surprised that I knew he was lying.

 

Devin levels his gaze at me. “You’re not ready to know the truth about my family,” he replies oh so mysteriously.

 

I shake my head at his evasiveness and check my phone clock; little after 5 o’clock. “Can I go home now?” I ask him exasperatedly. “I’ve had a long day.”

 

Devin stands there another moment, searching my eyes seriously. Finally, he steps away from the car and heads across the lot to his own car. “Get home safe,” he throws over his shoulder. I slide into the driver’s seat and take a deep breath, hold it, and let it out slowly. I wrestle internally about the pros and cons of running Devin over in the parking lot for a few moments. Once I’m sure Devin is gone along with the temptation to do just that, I pull out of the parking lot, and drive home.