I had to have my ribs and lip bandaged but luckily that was it. My ribs were bruised but they weren't broken. The tenderness was still there but the doctor provided me with a prescription for painkillers that was helping me cope. Elle was given a special cream to apply to her wrists and ankles before wrapping them up in gauze. The cords didn't do too much damage but there were parts of her skin where the wire had created lacerations, so the treatment would help prevent heavy scarring.
Elle sat beside me in the waiting room, holding my hand while I sat in silence, blaming myself for Wes getting hurt. Colin was on her other side chatting lightly with Luke, Jade and Savanna who had all shown up as soon as they heard what had happened. My mother and father sat to my left, finally allowing me to wallow after forcing Elle and I to recount everything that happened for the second time that night. My mother cried hysterically and pulled Elle and me into a long hug. My father's eyes were moist but he held it together to comfort my mom. He wrapped his arms around both Elle and me, telling us how grateful he was that we were okay and placing a kiss on each of our heads. Elle's parents were on vacation in Europe and I was glad that she had always had such a close relationship with my family so that she didn't feel alone in her own parents' absence.
Roy and Ariana had rushed to the hospital as soon as Reese had called them. Anne stayed home with the twins so that they could have time together as a family. It was heartwarming to see Reese and Roy speaking amicably across the waiting room. Ariana was still wiping away tears with a tissue clutched firmly in her hand, her eyeliner and mascara running down her eyes. I apologized numerous times to all three of them, blaming myself for everything but they assured me that they didn't hold me accountable. I knew that Reese also felt like it was his fault, since he had been the one to invite Jesse over to Wes's apartment that day, but none of us could have known what Jesse would do.
Jesse was located somewhere on the other side of the hospital while his injury was treated. There were guards around his room waiting for him to recover before they would arrest him for contempt of court for violating the restraining order. He would be facing many other charges as well. I knew that my father wanted to sneak away to find his room and finish what I had started but he stayed put.
A petite nurse with short red hair walked over to us with a tall man following behind her. He was wearing different scrubs and had a sense of authority to him so I could only assume that this man was Wes's doctor. He had light hair tinged with gray, and a clean-shaven face slightly wrinkled with age.
We all sat up straight as he walked towards us, behind the nurse. The small redhead motioned to Reese, Ariana and Roy and the doctor asked them if they could speak privately. I cursed under my breath for not lying and telling the nurse that I was Wes's sister. I fidgeted, waiting impatiently for ten minutes before Reese returned. He sighed and ran his hand across his face, standing so that he was facing each of us, but his eyes were trained on me.
"He's awake." Reese told us, and everyone sighed a breath of relief.
"Oh, thank god," Luke and my mother both muttered as the rest of us nodded in agreement. I felt a huge weight lift from my chest and I could finally breathe again.
"He's a little out of it from the drugs but he's allowed visitors now," Reese continued. "Only two people are allowed in at a time. Roy and Ariana are in with him now."
"Did you get to speak with him, sweetie?" my mother asked Reese.
"Yeah, he's pretty tired though. The doc said he'll be in and out of sleep for a while."
Roy and Ariana appeared down the hallway, and Roy had his arm around Ariana's shoulders in comfort as she leaned against him.
"How's he doin'?" Luke asked Roy as he sat back down in the same spot he had occupied for the last few hours.
"He's doing better than you'd expect, that's for sure." Roy replied and then chuckled. "He doesn't care to see anyone except Brookelyn, though."
"Figures," Luke muttered. "You mind if I tag along, Brookelyn?"
I shook my head, "Not at all."
Elle squeezed my hand from beside me and my dad stood up and pulled me into an embrace. "Your mother and I are going to head back to the hotel and get some sleep. Visiting hours are almost over and we'd rather Wes get to see his friends. Call us in the morning okay, Brookelyn Bear?"
"Okay, I will. Promise." I kissed him on the cheek and hugged my mom.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Brookelyn. You're so strong," she whispered to me before pulling back, tears filling her eyes once more. "Tell Wes that we're here if he needs anything and that we hope he feels better soon, sweetie."
I nodded and watched as my parents made their way over to Roy and shook his hand telling him that it was nice meeting him, despite the circumstances. The three of them spoke for a few moments before saying their goodbyes, my dad wrapping his arm around my mom's shoulders as he leaded her towards the elevators. Luke appeared beside me and raised his eyebrows in question. "Lead the way," I told him.
"I'll wait outside so you can speak with him alone, okay?" I said to Luke. He looked at me a moment but didn't say anything. He finally nodded once and walked into the room, shutting the door closed behind him.
I leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths. I was nervous to see Wes. I already felt responsible for him ending up in the hospital and I didn't want to know that he blamed me, too. It probably took a bullet to the shoulder for him to realize that being with me was more of a burden than anything and he'd rather find someone who didn't come with so much baggage. I felt a tear fall from my eye for the first time since we got to the hospital. I had managed to remain mostly numb for the past few hours, not allowing myself to cry for the pain that I had been the one to cause him.
I was lost in my thoughts when Luke stepped out of Wes's room, smiling and shaking his head softly. "I've spent most of my life having that guy's back and he all but pushes me out of the room so that he can see you." He laughed, "Whipped, I tell ya. Totally whipped." Luke winked and turned back in the direction of the waiting room.
I took one last deep breath and pushed the door open, shutting it quietly behind me. I tentatively walked towards where he lay on the hospital bed wearing one of those ugly hospital gowns. Somehow he manages to take my breath away even wearing the ugly light blue cloth. His shoulder was wrapped up and held up by a sling and dark circles were shaded under his eyes. He slowly turned his head in my direction at the sound of my footsteps and I could see him fighting against the sleep that was forcing itself upon him. I tried to hide my surprise when he flashed me a smile once I got to the edge of his bed. I took a seat in the chair beside him and grabbed his hand between both of mine.
"Hi," I whispered shyly.
"Hi," he whispered back, visibly forcing his eyelids to stay open. "Are you okay?"
"Am I okay?" I laughed once, "Wes, you got shot, not me. Are you okay?"
He smiled again, "I'm okay as long as you are, ugly."
I laughed lightly at his nickname but tears started to fall freely now, relieved that Wes wasn't upset with me, or worse, breaking up with me. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be sorry, baby. None of this is your fault." He said, "Although I am pissed that you didn't call me."
"I was worried that you'd get hurt," I admitted, lowering my head in shame. "And then you got hurt anyways."
"Hey," Wes said gently, causing me to look back up at him. "C'mere."
I furrowed my eyebrows as he shifted on the hospital bed, wincing as he tried to move without hurting his shoulder. He pushed himself over on the bed and used his uninjured hand to pat the space beside him, gesturing for me to lie next to him against his left side, where he was uninjured. "Lie with me."
"Wes, I'll get in trouble," I told him. "And I'll hurt you."
"You wont hurt me," he assured me. I was too relived to see him awake to argue so I kicked off my sneakers and gently climbed into the bed beside him making sure that I didn't shift the bed too much and hurt him. Wes lifted his left arm and placed it around me, pulling me against him, my head resting on his chest and my other arm wrapped gently across his stomach, "I love you so much, Brookelyn."