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I attempt to swing my legs over the side of the bed, but instead of successfully planting two feet on the ground, they slip out from underneath me. I fall to the ground with my backside facing Zayn.
“Ahhh!” I scream from utter embarrassment. An alarm goes off indicating I’m out of bed and unplugged from the machines.
“Shit, Autumn. You alright?” Zayn asks leaning forward in his bed.
I scoff. “I’m fine. How useless are these socks!” I gasp, feeling mortified. “Oh my gosh, wait a minute—can you see my butt?”
Zayn laughs out loud. “Well, now that you mention it, it does appear a full moon is out,” he teases.
“Ahh! Quit looking at it!” I yell.
“Hey now, nothing I haven’t seen before,” he admits and laughs harder.
I squint in anger. “Ugh, so not funny!”
“You’re right, sorry. Honestly, when we got here, I should’ve tied the gown for you,” he offers.
I scoff, holding my torso up with one arm and turning my head to look at him. His eyes lock with mine for a moment as I try to figure out what to say or do.
Before I can reply, the door flies open. The nurses spot me on the floor and instantly rush to get me back into the bed. Once I’m settled, the nurse asks if there’s anything else I need. I point to the water cup on the table.
The nurse hands it to me and I take the fastest sip I’ve ever taken. She starts to check my vitals and ensures I’m correctly hooked up to everything. When she finishes, she informs me that her name is Barb, and she’ll be back again in a couple hours before the shift change.
Barb peeks over to Zayn and flashes him a smile. “Hey Mr. Mitchell, another nurse will be in shortly with your discharge paperwork. You doing okay for now?”
He shakes his head and tells her thank you. When Barb leaves the room, I burst into laughter.
Zayn looks over at me and asks, “What’s so funny?”
I take a deep breath to control my laughter before replying, “It’s Meet the Teacher Night, and instead of going out after to let loose, I’m now in a hospital bed with a possible concussion and a fractured foot lying next to my ex-boyfriend, who just saw my butt crack for the first time in almost twelve years.”
“Well, when you put it that way, sounds like a pretty normal Meet the Teacher Night to me,” he says in jest.
We both laugh for the next few minutes until our stomachs and cheeks hurt.
Opening my eyes, I realize I’m still in the hospital. The beeping from the machine sounds dull and steady. My headache has finally subsided.Such a relief.I glance over to check on Zayn, but he’s not there. In fact, it’s just me in the room. Alone.Maybe mom does have a point . . . I’ve never really been alone.I try to shake the thought away by thinking about my time with Zayn. My mom said he was a “changed man,” and I secretly hope she’s right. I still don’t ever want to date him again. No more letting my heart get hurt.
Barb enters the room with another nurse. “Good morning, Autumn. How are you feeling this morning?”
“I’m actually feeling . . . well, more like myself. Maybe still a little tired, which I can’t believe since I’ve slept so much,” I admit.
“Oh yeah, that’s a normal feeling. People tend to think otherwise, but believe or not, rest is actually much needed for potential concussions,” she says as she types more information into the computer. “And what’s your pain level at now?”
“I think it’s safe to say a zero,” I say. “Does this mean I can go back to work now? The school year has just started, and the first day is this Monday. I definitely need to plan.”
“Oh honey, don’t fret. You’ll be back to work in no time.” She continues typing briefly before scanning her badge a final time. She looks up and says, “Alright, my dear, this is goodbye from me. Tanya will be taking over as your nurse for the day shift.”
Tanya flashes me a smile and says, “I’ll be here if you need anything.” She looks around the room, and then offers, “Can I get you any more water or ice?”
“Some more water would be great,” I tell her.
“Sure thing,” she says on her way out the door.
A few moments later, the door opens again, and I expect Tanya with my water. Instead, it’s Zayn. My heart rate climbs a bit on the monitor.Oof, please tell me he’s not seeing that too.
“What are you doing back here?” I ask him.
He moves closer to the bed, handing me a cup of water with one hand and clutching a couple of envelopes in the other.
