Chapter Text
Chapter Forty-Four
Pride and Pain
I sat and tried to wait as patiently as possible for Silver to return with my clothes.
Yeah, I think I might like this truce thing. So he still doesn’t have that bad of a temper as long as I don’t provoke him.
Duh, Amber. He’s still Silver—not some completely different person. You messed him up, but isn’t he really the same Silver way deep down at heart?
I tore away the only person he could cling onto for support. I really was the only one he had, wasn’t I? I told him once I’d never betray or abandon him since he was my best friend…
What a liar you are, Amber. And yet he still manages to pop back into my life. Is this some cruel joke? Or can I really watch out for him with him teamed up with me? Maybe I can still protect him if I can just get him to trust me enough. I didn’t want Silver dragged into this, but it’s too late now. He’s involved; there’s no changing that. I guess I just have to make the most of it.
“Excuse me, miss, but I brought you a wheelchair. I’m also supposed to remove your IV from your arm and disconnect you from the monitors.” A nurse interrupted my thoughts.
“Oh, okay.” I had managed to find a comfortable enough position so my side didn’t hurt as badly, but I figured that soon enough I’d be in a world of pain, anyway.
The nurse was quick in removing the IV needle and bandaged up my arm. And soon, the machine that monitored my heart rate turned off as well, which felt good.
“Miss, would you like help getting into your wheelchair?” That particular nurse had a good bedside manner.
“It’s okay. I’m waiting for my assistant to come back with some clothes. But, thank you anyway,” I grinned.
She looks about my age.
“Okay, then. I’ll draw the curtain for you so you can change in privacy.” She smiled kindly in turn.
“Thanks, I really appreciate it!” I smiled appreciatively.
The last thing I need is Silver helping me get dressed. That’d kill all my dignity right there.
“Oh, it’s no problem at all,” she pulled the curtains around my bed. “If you need anything, just buzz the remote.” And with that, I heard her walk out.
I was alone with my thoughts for about fifteen minutes when I heard a rather loud someone storm into my hospital room. “Don’t tell me she used it as an opportunity to escape!” I heard Silver exasperate to himself.
“Chill, will you?” I replied calmly.
“Oh, you’re behind the curtains. Should have figured,” he replied unenthused.
“Got my clothes? I trust you didn’t snoop in my room, right?” I asked curiously.
Silver entered the curtain and stood by my bedside. He then plopped some of my new clothes into my lap. “Here. Trust me a bit more, will you?”
“I was just joking, sheesh. You said yourself you didn’t want to snoop, remember?”
“By the way, what are you doing with this?” He produced his old mp3 player.
“Oh, my music? I usually listen to it, that’s all,” I bluffed.
Maybe he didn’t turn it on. I hope he didn’t. The background is a class photo from the schoolhouse…
“Actually, that’s my music,” he turned it on. The background picture with me and my class together smiling gave away my bluff. “Since that is my picture, after all.”
“Alright, fine, you caught me. It was yours, but it’s mine now. So what of it?” I asked nonchalantly.
“It should have been destroyed—that’s what.” He nearly growled.
“Oh?” I acted surprised.
“It was in the schoolhouse the day it burned down. Amber asked to borrow it the day before, and she never gave it back.” He accused.
“I didn’t know. I was given that. So, technically, it’s mine now,” I snatched it from him. “Besides, I don’t think you’re supposed to have these kinds of devices in here, are you?”
“You’re not hooked up to any machines, Wolfe, and it wouldn't affect anything, anyway. It doesn’t matter. What are you doing with my music?” He was clearly not dropping it.
“Correction, it’s mine now. I really wish you hadn’t seen it since it’d just start a fight. Look, you can borrow it from time to time, alright?”
A compromise will have to work… I mean, it’s just music, even though it was rightfully his. Darrius is going to be furious if he realizes Silver found that...
“Whatever,” his mood was turning foul again.
“Fine, here. Go ahead and listen. I just recharged it the other day.” I handed him the device.
“Whatever,” he took the device with neutrality and walked out of the curtained area.
I bet he won’t listen to it. I bet he’s going to inspect it to see what’s been added or removed, or anything like that. Oh well, not my concern.
I sat up in bed as I went through my bag of clothes. It seemed that Silver brought me my red shirt with the black jacket and one of my pairs of skinny jeans. I glared at the skinny jeans in particular.
That’s going to hurt; I have a feeling… I then proceeded in struggling to remove my hospital attire, which I was glad to finally be rid of.
Putting on the shirt alone hurt more than I thought it would have. I was certain an involuntary gasp of pain escaped me every once in a while, but I was determined. Just like I had suspected, my ribs were tightly bandaged, and they still burned like fire.
I prodded to see exactly where I was shot. Just to my luck, it was my back, around the rib that Darrius previously said was fractured. I struggled, but eventually my shirt was on. I wanted to just about collapse onto my bed again. Putting on the jacket was easier, though I didn’t try zipping it. The shirt itself didn’t feel too good as it clung to my skin and bandages.
I then looked at the jeans. Out of pure stupidity, I actually tried to step out of bed to put those on. The moment I put weight on my right foot, a searing hot pain shot up through my side and nearly blinded me. I was certain I used a colorful expletive because Silver replied on the other end, “You dying in there?”
“I’m just fine,” I replied to the best of my ability through gritted teeth.
I then stubbornly set my other foot onto the ground. Balancing myself seemed to be a problem, and the pain was only getting worse. I cursed again as I realized I was near blacking out from the pain.
“You sure you’re not dying in there?” Silver asked again. I saw his darkened silhouette on the other side of the curtain.
“Not dying. Just about to pass out is all. Don’t mind me,” I replied in short gasps.
“Ugh, Darrius better be lucky I’m listening to his orders. I’m coming in. Don’t worry about being embarrassed or anything. I don’t really care. I just want you to shut up already.” He grumbled.
“Thanks,” I replied rudely as Silver entered the curtained area.
Luckily, I was on the other side of the bed, which hid my lower half from view, and luckily I was wearing underclothes, but it still put a big dent in my pride that Silver was going to help me get dressed. I seriously hoped he wouldn't look at the old scars from the Mt Silver cave-in where I saved him years ago, which were on my calves and shins.
Silver smirked at me. “Somehow I’d figured you’d do something so foolish as to stand up.”
“How else was I supposed to put my jeans on?” I groaned from lightheadedness.
“You could have asked for help from the beginning, you know.” He walked to my side.
I had managed to slip my legs into the legs of my pants. I just couldn’t do anything more since the pain was overwhelming.
“Oh, and by the way, this is a lesson as to why you should have stayed a few more days before getting off the pain medicine.” He added matter-of-factly.
“You helped me because you thought it would teach me a lesson?” I asked incredulously.
“I had a hunch. Guess I was right.” He effortlessly helped me finish dressing, even though he wasn’t exactly gentle in watching out for my wound.
He then surprised me by picking me up and setting me back on the hospital bed. “Stay. Once the pain eases, I’ll permit you to get into that wheelchair.”
“I still say you make a bad nurse,” I crossed my arms as he withdrew the curtains and sat in his corner again.
He smirked as he shook his head. “I told you, I’m not a nurse. I’ve just seen my share of stubborn girls who think they’re invincible.”
Is that a reference to me? Well I mean, it’s one to me as Wolfe, but does he think I’m Amber? Or does he think I’d understand since I said I was Amber’s friend? Did he see the scars? I don't think he did, but I dunno...
Silver, you’re definitely playing a game with me, aren’t you? And you're in the lead…
I closed my eyes and settled down for a while until the pain subsided a little. When I thought I was ready to move, I let Silver know. He picked me up again and set me in the wheelchair. It almost felt like old times—back when I was in a wheelchair after the Mt. Silver cave-in.
He then grabbed my bag, which still had my untouched trainer belt, and put it on the handle of the wheelchair. “So, Teach, where to?” He asked as he grabbed the handles.
I was in pain, but I knew that I had already come too far to let myself get put back into a bed. “First and foremost, let’s get you your own room. If I have to have you as a roommate, I think I’ll go insane,” I replied wryly.
And with that, we were off to find the person in charge of the rooming for the Ops.