Perfect School

Jonah:

“No,” I brushed her restraining hand away. “I need to get up.” The pain wasn’t the only uncomfortable sensation. However, the other could be relieved. I supposed I could have asked her to get someone to help me in the restroom. I could even have asked her to help, though she may have refused. I would rather struggle by myself for an hour than get someone to help though. It took more effort than I would have liked to get fully sitting up. It felt like there had been a hot coal sewn into m side.

Again I pressed that restraining hand onto his shoulder, my free hand however went for a small button on the wall, I was going to call the nurse whether he liked it or not. "Jonah I swear to god I will pin you in that bed if you don't get back down. For once, I like my odds in winning this fight."

Jonah:

I let out a breath, but I didn’t move her hand this time. She was entirely right, there was no way that I could forcibly get what I wanted on this. “Kira please,” I said, closing my eyes. I couldn’t bear the thought of having someone else order me around. Kira was the only one I trusted.

“Please, just let me. You can help me stand if that makes you feel better, just don’t call anyone else. Please.”

I glanced towards the button I'd already pressed into the wall. It was a little late for his pleas. I expected a bit more of a fight for this, but I was pleased he gave in. "Fine I'll help you...for now." I moved around to the other side of his bed and shifted his IV stand.

Jonah:

It took a couple of minutes to work myself to the edge of the bed and put my feet down. I was in a hospital gown with nothing underneath, but I hardly cared about modesty. Kira had seen me in more embarrassing situations than this.

I gripped the headboard tightly as I stood. For a moment I thought I might pass out. That would be very bad. Even if Kira could control the direction I fell and pushed me back on the bed, the impact could rip stitches.
I studied myself and took a couple calming breaths. The pain was constant and nauseating.

I watched him without interference, shaking my head slowly at every grimace and sound he made. Once he was on his feet I sighed, "I should get you right back in this bed and let you deal with the consequences. Hold this." I handed him the IV stand and then slid one arm around him carefully. I kept a hold of his hip instead of his side, and slid his free arm around my shoulders. "Come on you fool."

Jonah:

I tried not to put much weight on her, but I was slow shuffling to the restroom. I hated being weak and having to rely on someone else. But if it had to be someone, I was glad it was Kira.

“Okay,” I said when we reached the bathroom doorway. “I can manage from here.” I reached out to grip the doorway.

"Look, I'm not going to watch, but I'm not going to take my eyes off you yet." Slipping out from under his arm I folded my arms and gave him a look that spoke volumes of how I felt about his stupid pride.

Jonah:

Leaned against the doorway and looked at her. I stared at her for a long moment. “Fine,” I said. I didn’t care about modesty. I cared about seeming weak, but we were already past that.

I hobbled into the bathroom on my own, pulling the IV stand with me. When I washed my hands after, I looked at myself in the mirror. My face was white as a sheet. I leaned against the doorway again when I was done. I was tired just from the amount of walking and standing I had done.

"If you rip your stitches, I'm never letting you live this down Jonah." I was tired, mentally emotionally and physically. I had no patience for his desires and it was with a bit of self satisfaction that I stepped out of the way of the nurse as she came rushing in demanding to know why he was out of bed. While she had someone from outside come in to help him back into bed I took up my place in the chair, crossing my legs and my arms as I settled into the seat.

Jonah:

I let them get me back into bed without protest as much as I didn’t want to. When they tried to give me more painkillers I did speak up. I refused them. That was one thing I couldn’t handle, being under the influence. Being out of my mind. My body could be useless to me, but I could not stand my mind being so.

"Jonah that's enough. Let them help. For once in your life suck up your pride and let them help you. You are useless right now." Weariness bogged my tone and I stood up to lean over the bed. "If you are just going to be stubborn about it all then take a half dose."

Jonah:

"No. Bring back something lighter. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen," I said ignoring Kira's words. For one panicked moment, I thought the nurse was going to refuse and inject the morphine anyway. But she nodded instead and with a glance toward Kira as she left.

I didn't say anything or look at Kira. I laid still, breathing slowly. The pain didn't go away, but it became manageable.

Kira:

I only shook my head. He was being an idiot over his pride, but I was positive he knew that. I was half tempted to go get the morphine now. Force him to just accept the help. But as I matched my breathing to his pace I calmed down.

Jonah:

The nurse came back with four ibuprofen then left us alone. I turned my face to her after a few minutes. I didn't say anything, I simply watched her. I could remember what I said to her, the drugs hadn't removed that. I couldn't place her reaction to it though. I wasn't able to get a sense of it at the time.

My gaze was on his bed, eyes flickering back and forth as I forced myself to think through what all had happened. There was no way this went well for me. It felt like the entire world was trying to go against me. Uncrossing my arms I rubbed my face, feeling the weariness settle deeper.

Jonah:

I could have told her she could go. That she should go get some rest. But I knew I needed her here in case something happened. I probably couldn’t win a fight against one of the nurses, much less someone trained to kill.

“Thank you, Kira,” I said quietly. Clearly she was tired and annoyed, but she was staying here for me. That showed she cared.

"Mm." I hummed softly while finally raising my gaze up to look at him. I wasn't quite sure what I was being thanked for, but I wasn't going to ask. Still as I searched his face my head cocked slightly as I tried to guess what was going on behind those baby blue eyes of his.

Jonah:

I looked back into her eyes for a long moment. Finally, I twisted my lips into a half smile/grimace. “I would offer to share the bed, but there’s not much room. You would have to cuddle up,” I said. It was the best thing I could do to lighten the mood.

"No." His words had me groan the word in response and fold my arms on his bed only to drop my forehead onto them. "Just no. Not unless you want me to press on your wound. A sensation you'd enjoy all the more because you are stubborn."

Jonah:

“I could take the pain for your sake,” I said. I closed my eyes then. I didn’t know how well I could sleep with the constant pain. But I could try. If nothing else, to give her a chance to rest.

I kept my forehead on my arms, snorting at his answer. I waited on his breathing to slow, before I couldn't help but mutter, "This is the last time I come to you for help. Just make everything worse in my head with damned feelings."

Jonah:

I opened my eyes at her words but she wasn’t looking at me. Instead of responding, I pretended to be asleep. I kept my breathing slow and steady and I closed my eyes again. She didn’t need me to respond. It wouldn’t help. I could make it up to her later.

I remained where I was, dealing with the discomfort as it came purely by stubbornly ignoring it. I dozed in and out. Little cat naps that lasted no more than thirty minutes before I was awake and sitting up again to take a glance around before I tried again. Every time I had to wait for my brain to give in before I slept again. When the sun finally rose I gave up on sleeping entirely and used his bathroom to wash my face.

Ignoring the bags under my eyes in the mirror I returned to my seat and took up my position again beside Jonah. I tried doing what I could to ease a knot that was growing in my back between my shoulders but it was of little help. Briefly I hoped that Kyra could help massage it out later, but the thought of her made me realize my family was likely to be here soon. I wanted to stay up to meet them but before I knew it, I was back in the same position I'd left and was back to dozing.

Kyra:

In the morning I asked my dad if he would take me to the hospital. He wanted to wait until Krissy and Michael were ready but I insisted. I didn’t want to ride with them anyway. He dropped me off and went back to the hotel to get the others.

I went to Jonah’s room and paused at the doorway not wanting to wake them up. Kira was sleeping with her arms folded on his bed. Jonah had his hand resting on her arm. If I didn’t know them I would have thought they were a devoted couple.

I took a couple quiet steps into the room. Jonah’s eyes opened. I’d never seen him looking more tired. “Hey,” I said softly, going to the other side of the bed.