Waiting (on You) - Chapter 13 (Patreon)
Content
“Alright...here we are.”
‘Here’ was another hospital room, but this one had less fancy equipment in it. Fewer people rushing around. Just a hospital bed, a couple of chairs, and a few monitors.
“Think you can get up here?”
The nurse, who had ferried Yang from test to test, stopped the wheelchair beside the hospital bed and looked at Yang expectantly.
“I think so…”
Yang set her hands on the armrests, gingerly pushed herself to her feet, and immediately wobbled. A hand quickly appeared on her elbow to steady her, and she held onto the bed’s railing until her balance returned. Only when confident that she wouldn’t fall did she muster the energy to sit on the edge of the bed, swing her legs up onto the thin mattress with starchy sheets, and lean back against the pillow.
The action took more effort than she would like to admit, and her strength looked feeble in comparison to the nurse rushing through an unspoken checklist. Raise the bed railing, throw a light blanket over Yang’s legs, hang an IV bag on the hook beside the bed, and push the wheelchair out of the way.
“Alright,” she said, clasping her hands together once everything was done. “Hang tight until we get those results back.”
Without further ado, she left the room and rushed right back into the fray. Other people needed help, after all, and there were only so many to do the helping.
Being left alone must be a good sign. Yang must be fine, or she would be fine. At least, that was what she tried to convince herself of while closing her eyes and taking shallow, shaky breaths.
The last few minutes...hours - maybe it was even days - were a blur. One second, watching that car slam into Bumblebee’s front tire. The next, staring up at the sky wondering what the hell just happened. Then people shouting, paramedics asking questions, an ambulance, doctors and nurses asking more questions, followed by poking, prodding, and lots of ‘this might hurt a little bit.’
Her shoulder throbbed so badly that she grimaced every time she moved it. Her whole body ached. Her head hurt. Her ears hadn’t stopped ringing. And her mind struggled to process what happened and present it to her in an easily understood, less painful way.
She was in a hospital, and she didn’t like hospitals. Hospitals made her anxious. The way they smelled, the way every hallway looked the same, the lighting, the horrible cafeteria food, the nurses and doctors speaking in too-big words and using that tone…that tone suggesting things weren’t good, weren’t ok, and never would be again.
Feeling her heartrate climb, she took a deep breath and cringed when her ribs sharply protested. No one mentioned broken ribs though. At least, not that she remembered. There were no casts or splints or metal cages - the only visible bandages covered her shoulder, and her arm hanging in a sad, immobilized sling. She must not have broken anything, but she’d never hurt so much all at once before.
She wasn’t dying - she couldn’t be dying - but was this how it felt to lay here, hurting and alone, waiting for someone to show up?
The thought brought tears to her eyes, so she squeezed them shut and wished those feelings away. She didn’t want to be alone. She wanted Blake to be here, or Ruby, or her dad. She wanted one of them to hold her hand and tell her that everything was fine. That it might hurt right now, but the pain would go away soon.
Hearing a quiet knock, she quickly wiped her eyes and turned toward the door. Disappointment and even more anxiety immediately blossomed in her chest. The person tentatively walking into the room - the person here to console her - wasn’t Blake...or Ruby...or Dad. It was Avery.
“Hey…” Avery said, using that soft voice people use when afraid of scaring someone away. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve…been better...”
“I’ll bet.”
While Avery perched on the edge of the chair as if she might bolt at any second, Yang glanced into the hall and silently wished for someone else to rush into the room. Blake. She wanted Blake to be here. She wanted Blake to tell her that everything was alright. Maybe then her heart would stop beating so fast.
“Does your head hurt?” Avery asked next - a question Yang just barely tilted her head to answer. “You probably have a concussion. I don’t know how you wouldn’t after hitting the ground like that...”
Yang didn’t remember hitting the ground. She remembered the car slamming into her motorcycle then laying on the pavement. Everything in between was gone, wiped from her memory while leaving the painful evidence behind. Hitting her head explained why it hurt though, and why everything felt so foggy and slow.
Fear surged through her veins the moment she realized that her mind was compromised. She was in a hospital by herself - with Avery, but she hadn’t known Avery long enough to surrender trust in this situation. She needed her mind to work right now. She needed to think clearly so that she could take care of herself.
She needed Blake. Blake would know what to do.
“That guy was wasted,” Avery continued while Yang tried to quell her growing panic. “He could hardly even stand when they got him out of the car. The cops arrested him on the spot.”
“That’s, um…”
Closing her eyes did nothing to curb the alarm or slow her breathing, so Yang opened her eyes and glanced at the door. She wanted to go home now, or be anywhere but here. But when she moved her arm and felt the tug of the IV, she only felt more trapped.
“Did, um, did someone call Blake?” she asked, searching Avery’s gaze for hope but finding none.
“Oh, I don’t know. I was waiting in the lobby while they ran those tests...”
If no one called Blake...then Blake wasn’t on her way. She wasn’t coming to help.
What if she was still waiting for Yang? Yang was supposed to see her...what if she thought Yang forgot? Or what if she was worried about Yang right now, not knowing why Yang was late?
“I need to call her,” Yang said before turning to Avery for help. “Can you make sure she’s coming? I can give you her number. It’s -”
As soon as she tried to recall Blake’s phone number, the digits slipped away.
“It’s…” she tried again, struggling against the heavy fog in her mind. Blake’s number was the only one she had memorized - she knew it. She knew she did. Except she didn’t right now.
“It’s in my phone,” she finally realized. She winced when she reached for her phone, but the pain was quickly forgotten when she discovered that her pocket was empty. “Do you…do you know where my phone is?”
She was trying to stay calm. She needed to stay calm. But if she couldn’t remember Blake’s phone number and she couldn’t find her phone -
“It’s right here.”
When Avery picked up Yang’s phone from the small bedside table, Yang’s spiraling worry slowed ever so slightly.
“Thank you…”
With the lifeline in her hands, Yang took a long, painfully shaky breath and tried to compose herself. The last thing she wanted to do was call Blake in a panic and freak her out. But she wanted Blake to get here as fast as possible.
That wish was answered before she even unlocked her phone, as she caught sight of a familiar face in the hall. Tears of relief sprang into her eyes as Blake rushed into the room, making it to Yang’s side in a heartbeat.
“Are you ok?” Blake didn’t wait for an answer before gently touching Yang’s cheek and checking her injuries. Her scrapes and bruises earned passing glances, but her left arm held Blake’s attention for much longer. “Jesus...what happened?”
“A drunk driver hit her in the parking lot,” Avery spoke up, drawing Blake’s intense gaze. “He wasn’t going very fast, but she flew over the car and hit the ground pretty hard.”
“Did she hit her head?”
“She hit just about everything,” Avery replied before giving Blake a more inquisitive look. “I’m guessing you’re Blake?”
Blake didn’t bother responding. She just turned back to Yang.
“What did the doctors say?”
“I don’t remember...” Yang admitted while reaching for Blake’s hand. Just seeing Blake was enough to make her feel better, but holding Blake’s hand helped even more. “I want to go home…” she whispered, and Blake offered a tender smile before brushing a hand through Yang’s hair.
“You’ll get to go home really soon,” Blake assured her. “I’ll be right back, ok?”
“Wait.”
When Blake tried to turn away, Yang refused to let go of her hand. So many thoughts and worries raced through Yang’s mind, but she opened her mouth and couldn't find any words. She didn’t need to say anything though - Blake understood, somehow, and squeezed Yang’s hand before gently pulling away.
“I’m just going to find the doctor and figure out what’s going on. I’m not leaving, I promise.”
Yang still didn’t want Blake to leave, but she reluctantly let go.
“I’ll be right back,” Blake repeated before hurrying out of the room.
Several moments of silence extended in her wake, but Avery stood up not long afterward.
“I guess I’ll head out now,” she said, gathering her belongings before looking at Yang. “You’re good now that she’s here?”
“Um...yeah. Thanks, Avery.”
Knowing that the evening hadn’t gone at all how Avery must have expected, Yang offered an apologetic smile. Avery, meanwhile, sighed before returning the smile.
“Maybe when you feel better, we can hang out again...as friends.”
The add-on filled Yang with relief, and her next smile came much easier than the first.
“We should.”
“Then I’ll see you around sometime,” Avery said while backing to the door. “Feel better soon.”
“Thank you…” Yang said before Avery left the room behind.
Again left alone in the hospital room, Yang stared into the hall waiting for Blake to return. Knowing Blake was nearby was enough to keep her calm. Even if she couldn’t see Blake right now, Blake was here. Blake was looking out for her. And Blake would be back as soon as possible.
Only a few minutes later, Blake proved that to be true. Still mid-conversation with one of the nurses, she caught Yang’s gaze and flashed a hint of a smile. Yang’s heart skipped at the small, reassuring gesture, but she felt even better when Blake walked into the room.
“You’re going to be fine,” were the first words out of Blake’s mouth as she returned to Yang’s side. “The tests all came back clean. They’re just going to give you something for the pain and then we can leave.”
Blake nodded to the nurse busying themselves with the IV and a small vial of medicine, but Yang paid them no mind. Something to ease the pain sounded good, but going home sounded even better.
“That’s good,” Yang whispered, reaching for Blake’s hand once more. Feeling Blake’s fingers intertwine with hers helped her take another shaky breath before releasing her fear and anxiety with a sigh.
“I’ll take out your IV now,” the nurse interrupted, prompting Blake to release Yang’s hand and move aside so they could work. Blake’s phone started ringing at that instant, and she answered the call while Yang glanced between her and the nurse near her arm.
“Hey Ruby.”
Walking around to the other side of the bed, Blake set a hand on Yang’s non-injured shoulder while the nurse pulled out the IV and tapped a bandage around Yang’s arm.
“Yeah, I’m here. She’s ok, just pretty banged up.” After listening for several seconds, Blake nodded. “We’re almost done. I’ll take her back to my place.”
Ruby had a few more things to say, which Blake listened to before nodding once more.
“Ok, see you soon.”
Though Blake hung up the call with a sigh, she perked up as soon as she noticed Yang’s attention.
“You know how to cause a scene, don’t you?” she joked, tenderly squeezing Yang’s good shoulder while the nurse packed up the supplies.
“All done,” they remarked once everything was in order. “Did you already talk to the front desk?” Once Blake nodded, they did too. “Then you’re all set. Might want to use this to get her to the front door - just in case.”
After pulling the wheelchair forward and receiving Blake’s nod of understanding, the nurse finally looked at Yang.
“Get well soon, darling,” she offered with a kind smile before hurrying off. This time she left the door open, letting the sounds of a busy hospital filter in behind her. The intercom, doctors and nurses talking, infinite sources of beeping...all of it combining into one constant, hectic drone.
“Alright,” Blake said, drawing Yang’s attention away from the noise. “Let’s get out of here?”
When Blake grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and nodded to it, Yang finally smiled. Describing her current level of relief would be impossible. All she could say was that...with Blake around, she only had to worry about getting herself from the hospital bed to the wheelchair.
With Blake’s watchful gaze upon her, she slowly sat up and swung her legs off of the bed. Next, she waited several seconds for her brain to catch up to her new position, feeling slightly light-headed and woozy in the meantime. Once the initial dizziness faded, she tentatively stepped down and sat in the wheelchair.
“Good job,” Blake told her without an ounce of sarcasm before setting several pieces of paper and a bottle of pills in her lap. “Hold onto these for me?”
When Yang laid her good arm over the items so they wouldn’t slip off of her lap, Blake wheeled her out of the room. The hallway looked just like Yang remembered it from today and years ago. Nothing seemed to have changed, except maybe the scrubs. Different colored scrubs? But there were the same piles of paperwork at the nurses’ station. Same carts and gurneys in the hall. Same linoleum floors and fluorescent lights.
“I don’t like hospitals…”
The whisper was mostly for herself, but Blake touched her good shoulder and said, “We’ll be out of here soon.” The reassurance settled some of Yang’s anxiety around the too-familiar atmosphere, and Blake ended up being right - the exit wasn’t far. Just a few hallways and a couple of turns later, the wide, sliding glass doors appeared.
“I guess we leave this here...” Blake mumbled, pushing Yang over to a spot near the doors where several other wheelchairs had accumulated. “Think you can walk?”
“Pretty sure.”
After Blake took the items from Yang’s lap and held the wheelchair in place, Yang pushed herself to her feet. She felt unsteady but, fortunately, she didn’t need to worry about her balance for long. Not with Blake moving close to her side and slipping an arm through hers.
“Lean on me,” Blake said softly, and waited for Yang to do so before slowly making their way outside. The sound of traffic immediately reached Yang’s ears with the smell of oil and car fumes not far behind. It was quite a contrast to the sterile hospital, but one she was grateful for nonetheless. The smell of pollution didn’t bring back bad memories.
“We’ll take a cab.”
“They’re so expensive…” Yang protested, but Blake had already hailed the nearest one.
“No way you’re walking all the way to my place.”
Considering the short distance from the hospital’s entrance to the street had been a challenge, Yang didn’t argue when Blake opened the passenger door and beckoned her in. Blake kept a hand on her the entire time, not letting go for even a second as she slipped into the backseat.
Usually, she would slide over to the far seat - that was the polite thing to do, but that was also too much effort right now. She made it close to the middle before giving up with a heavy sigh. Blake sat right beside her but didn’t seem at all annoyed by their positions. If anything, this only made it easier for her to set a hand on Yang’s elbow while closing the door.
“Seventeenth and Bleeker,” Blake instructed the driver once they were settled and, moments later, they were on their way.
“How’re you feeling?” Blake whispered as the cab joined traffic, leaving the hospital behind.
Yang took stock of her injuries before answering. Her shoulder wasn’t throbbing as much anymore, thankfully. And her head wasn’t pounding as much. Actually, her head felt light and airy. Kind of like a balloon. A balloon attached to her shoulders.
“I think the medicine’s working...”
“Good. Just take it easy, ok?”
Humming at the advice, Yang leaned against Blake’s side. Blake wrapped an arm around her - careful not to disturb her bandaged shoulder - so Yang closed her eyes and rested her head against Blake’s neck.
The medicine was working - or her adrenaline was wearing off - because she was suddenly exhausted. And sitting there, tucked into Blake’s embrace, she considered falling asleep. Blake was warm...and safe...and her heartbeat was fast, strong, and steady like a metronome.
The reassuring sound must have actually lulled Yang to sleep because, the next thing she knew, Blake was leaning forward to pay the driver.
“Thank you,” Blake said before opening the door and gently touching Yang’s arm. “Yang,” she whispered, her soft voice and even softer gaze implying that Yang had, in fact, been sleeping. “Come on, we’re almost there.”
Yang blinked several times to wake herself up, to no avail.
“You can do it,” Blake encouraged her before slipping out of the cab and reaching down to help her to her feet. Her legs were uncooperative - they felt disconnected from her body - and her lightheadedness made her dizzy. But Blake held onto her so that she wouldn't fall while she stumbled out of the cab.
“Don’t worry...I’ve got you...” Blake assured her as they slowly made their way up the front steps to the building. Yang had jogged up those steps plenty of times in the past, but this time felt like summiting a mountain. Blake was with her every step of the way though, with one hand wrapped around her waist and the other hovering near her elbow for support.
After making it into the lobby, Yang looked around and sighed. Part of her wanted to lie down on the floor and go to sleep. The other part of her was too tired to disagree, but Blake prodded her forward before she stopped.
They usually took the stairs, but not this time. The elevator was the safer and faster option, but even that left another hallway to traverse before finally making it to Blake’s door.
“Hold on.”
One arm still around Yang’s waist, Blake resituated the papers in her free hand while searching for her keys. Before Yang offered to help, Blake stuck the papers in her mouth, pulled out her keys to unlock the door, and nudged it open with her foot.
“Here we go,” she said, leading Yang inside and shutting the door behind them.
The familiar space erased the last of Yang’s stress. This was a safe place. A happy place. Somewhere she could let her guard down. In doing so, her eyes drooped as sleep tugged at her mind.
“I’m so tired…” she sighed while taking a few more labored steps away from the door.
“I’m sure you are...but you can get some rest now.”
“Mmk…”
Whenever Yang spent the night at Blake’s apartment, she slept on the sofa. When she headed to the living room, however, Blake tugged her close.
“Oh no you don’t. Last thing we need is you falling off and hitting your head.”
“How clumsy do you think I am?”
Yang staggered in the middle of that question, so Blake didn’t need to answer. She held Yang’s arm a little tighter and led them down the hall instead.
“You get my bed tonight,” she said while guiding Yang into the bedroom and directing her to sit on the edge of the bed.
“But...what about you?”
“I’ll sleep on the sofa.” When Yang frowned at the idea of Blake giving up her bed, Blake leaned down to meet Yang’s gaze and smiled. “You keep saying how comfortable it is. Now I’ll get to try it out.”
The sofa was comfortable. At least, Yang thought it was. She slept like a baby whenever she stayed the night.
“If you’re sure…” she still mumbled. “Or you can sleep here, too?”
From the way Blake bit her lip and studied the other side of the bed, she seriously considered the offer. Ultimately, she shook her head.
“It’s all yours tonight.” After lightly patting Yang’s leg, she straightened up and gestured to the chest of drawers. “I’ll find you something more comfortable.”
Yang nodded - or thought she did - so Blake went to the dresser and searched for a change of clothes. While waiting, Yang closed her eyes for just a second. Or she thought it was just a second, but maybe it was more than a few. Either way, her eyes snapped open when a drawer closed and Blake returned with a loose-fitted tee and lightweight sweats in her hands.
“These should fit.” After holding them up for a quick size check, Blake nodded and set them on the bed beside Yang. “Think you can change?”
“Maybe…”
Yang had to remove the sling first. Blake helped with that though, unclipping the buckle and tenderly pulling the fabric free. “Try not to move your shoulder too much,” Blake advised her while setting it aside.
Yang kept her left arm tucked near her side and used her other hand to grab the bottom of her shirt. She attempted to pull it over her head, but she hardly got it up to her shoulder before giving up.
“Maybe not…” she huffed, wincing and letting it drop back into place.
“Ok, I can help.” Before doing so, however, Blake studied Yang for permission. “Is that ok?”
“Yes, please.”
“Try to keep your shoulder still…” Blake whispered while grabbing the bottom of Yang’s shirt and carefully lifting it. First, over Yang’s good arm, then gently maneuvering it around the bandages on Yang’s shoulder before finally pulling it free. Noticing Blake’s gaze fix on the other side of the room as soon as the shirt disappeared, Yang chuckled.
“You’ve seen me in bathing suits before.”
“Right, I have, but this is...a bit different.”
After sneaking a glance at Yang, and across her chest, Blake focused on rolling up the replacement shirt in her hands.
“Bathing suits are practically underwear…” Yang mumbled while looking down to take stock of the damage. Her left shoulder had borne the brunt of it, but scratches and bruises littered her arm and side. The bruising would probably look even worse tomorrow. Hopefully, it didn’t feel worse…
“Alright, here you go.”
With the shirt rolled up, Blake slipped one sleeve over Yang’s bad shoulder before pulling it over Yang’s head. Then Yang put her good arm through the other sleeve, and Blake dropped the rest into place.
“Halfway there,” Blake murmured. “Can you stand up?”
Yang did as instructed but wobbled before catching her balance. Or, more specifically, before Blake grabbed ahold of her.
“You got it?” Blake asked, unwilling to let go until Yang confirmed.
“Yeah.” Feeling steadier now, Yang nodded. “Yeah, I got it.”
Even with that reassurance, Blake held on for several more seconds before slowly releasing Yang’s arm. With Yang in charge of keeping herself upright, Blake reached for Yang’s pants but abruptly stopped and pulled her hands away.
“Um…do you…?” she began before shaking her head. Reaching out again, she quickly but gently undid Yang’s pants and pushed them to the floor.
Hearing Blake’s soft intake of breath, Yang looked down and discovered what caused the distressed sound. Along with her shoulder and the accompanying scrapes and bruises, she had picked up a large patch of road rash on the side of her leg. A fresh bandage covered the worst of it, but the angry redness creeping out from underneath was a gruesome sight.
After looking over that and a few swollen bruises on Yang’s knees, Blake sighed and pulled over the pajama pants. She rolled them up in the same manner as the shirt and set them on the floor so Yang only had to step into them. From there, it was a simple matter of Blake pulling them up and fitting them around Yang’s waist.
“You’re a mess…” Blake whispered, her hands lingering on Yang’s sides before eventually falling away.
“Just today? Or…?”
When Blake cracked a minuscule smile, finally losing a bit of her intense, worried edge, Yang felt immensely better. If she was going to be in physical pain, at least she didn’t have to be in mental pain too. And as long as Blake was smiling, things would be alright.
“Just today,” Blake replied, though a small sparkle lingered in her eyes before her gaze moved to the bed. “Think you can sleep now?”
“Definitely.”
Considering Yang had never been so tired before, falling asleep shouldn’t be an issue. The biggest issue was pulling her feet up onto the bed once Blake moved the covers out of the way. Then she realized that she wasn’t quite ready for bed yet.
“What’s wrong?” Blake asked as soon as Yang reached behind her back.
“I can’t sleep with a bra on…” she mumbled while searching for the clasp. After finding it and undoing it, she carefully pulled one strap over her injured shoulder. When she reached for the other and flinched, however, Blake slid her hand into Yang’s sleeve to help.
“Better?” Blake asked once Yang pulled the bra underneath her shirt and dropped it on the pile of her discarded clothing.
“Much.”
Sitting on Blake’s bed, wearing Blake’s clothes, with Blake there beside her, Yang felt better than she had since leaving her apartment earlier that evening. Even though she was tired, sore, and probably going to be in a world of hurt tomorrow, she was...grateful. With sleep already tugging at the edge of her mind, she reached out with her good arm and pulled Blake into a hug.
“Thank you for coming to get me…” she said before closing her eyes and snuggling into the crook of Blake’s neck. She could feel Blake’s pulse from there, and heard Blake’s heavy sigh as she sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully returned the embrace.
“Of course, Yang...you know I’ll always be there for you...”
Yang did know that. Blake made that promise and she had yet to break it. Whenever Yang needed her, she was there. Yang didn’t even have to ask, and she should know by now not to question it. Blake was her person - the one she could count on no matter what.
Sometimes, it was overwhelming and scary how much she loved Blake. Especially right now, after so much turmoil and anxiety and fear followed by indescribable relief and certainty. Her heart felt like it could beat right out of her chest as they sat there in silence, with Blake making no motion to move away and Yang happy to savor their closeness.
There were only a few people in Yang’s life who she could say she loved as much as she loved Blake. Ruby, her dad...and her mom.
When it came to her mom, she wished for a lot of things. But right now...she wished that her mom could have met Blake. Even if it was only once, or only in passing, having the two of them in the same place at the same time would have been amazing.
Pulling away from the hug - only far enough to look into Blake’s eyes - Yang gently traced her fingers along Blake’s ear before weaving them through Blake’s hair. Blake was the most beautiful person in the world. From her long, raven hair to her gentle yet piercing eyes, to her soft lips...she was gorgeous. She looked like an angel.
“My mom would’ve loved you…” Yang whispered, smiling at the thought before pulling Blake into a kiss.
Her heart fluttered the instant their lips touched, and Blake’s were so soft, warm, and incredible that she lingered. Long enough to savor their closeness. Long enough to feel Blake’s lips tentatively move against hers. Long enough to express her gratitude and love and undying affection before backing away.
She smiled while Blake’s eyes searched hers, her heart lighter than air and her mind overjoyed just thinking about how proud her mom would be that she had someone like Blake in her life.
“I hope so...” Blake whispered in return, looking uncertain about something that Yang knew with absolute certainty.
“I know so.”
The fact felt so clear and obvious that Yang couldn’t escape it. Not even when her eyes drooped, and a yawn slipped out, and sleep tugged harder at her mind. Regardless of what happened, or what had happened, her mom would be happy for her. She would tell Yang how lucky she was to have found someone so incredible. That what they had was special and worth being cherished.
“You should get some rest,” Blake said, rousing Yang from a near-sleep by standing and motioning to the bed. Yang laid down without protest and took a deep, wonderful breath. The pillow smelled like Blake’s shampoo. So did the covers, which Blake laid overtop her before kissing her temple.
“Goodnight, Yang.”
“Goodnight, Blake,” she mumbled in reply. Her eyes were heavy now, and she blinked but forgot to open them. But she didn’t need to open them right now. She was safe. She was going to be fine. And Blake would be right there if Yang needed her.