Email Me (Chunk 10)

"Mom," Carrie croaked nervously.  They were in the hospital now.  Carrie desperately wanted to know whether Kyle was alright--and why he did it, but did she want to SEE him?  How could she face him?  She should have done something sooner!  Why didn't she?1

"You'll be fine!  The nurses say he's been asking for you."2

Carrie's smile was more fo a grimmace as she hobbled through the door and over to Kyle.3

He looked as she had never seen him.  Weak.  Afraid.  Confused.  Vulnerable.  What happened to brave, confident, sexy mysterious Kyle?  Kyle was a man, but in his hostpital bed, Carrie saw a scared little boy.4

"Kyle?"  She said uncertainly.  "What happened?"  It seemed she was asking that question a lot lately.5

"I-" He blubbered.  Kyle?  Blubbering?  Had Carrie slipped into some sort of alternate universe?  Since when was she the strong one?  That didn't matter though, she realized, because now she had to be.  She had to be strong.6

"I couldn't take it!"  Carrie heard from under Kyle's sobs.7

"Shh..."  She said, trying to remember how her mother comforted her.  Kleenex.  Her eyes fluttered around the room frantically...she needed a Kleenex.8

There.  Right on the table next to the bed.  9

Carrie plucked three tissues and slipped them into Kyle's left hand.  His right hand was clutched tightly in her own.10

"I just wanted it to end!"  He continued.11

"What?"  Carrie urged Kyle on, perching herself on the edge of his bed.  "Your-your life?"  Tears rushed to her eyes at the thought.12

"No...  The-"13

"...hitting?"14

Kyle's eyes sent out a convoy of new tears, issuing a silent 'yes'.  He pressed the clump of Kleenex to his eyes, hard, as if they were fresh wounds and his tears, not water, but blood.15

Carrie leaned in for a gentle hug.  There was just enough room on the bed beside Kyle for her to snuggle in.16

There, she finally fell asleep.17

*****18

"Carrie?  Carrie?"  Kyle gently nudged his girlfriend awake.  He was sitting up in bed (as far as he could with his arm pinned down under Carrie).19

"Mmmm?"  Carrie blinked20

"Hi!"  Kyle smiled.21

"Your back!"  Carrie smiled in return, sitting up aswell.  22

"Back?  From where?"23

"Nevermind.  I'm glad to see you're feeling better.  I was really worried about you!"24

"Oh.  Yeah.  I'm sorry you had to see me like that.  I'm sorry...It's just-I don't know what came over me!"  Kyle explained.  "Dad was drunk and he got really rough and well...after, I ran away.  But I didn't know where to go, so I just went to the bus station.  Figured I could decide there...  And, I was taking Advil to get rid of the pain... Then it occured to me:  Why not take the whole bottle and get rid of all the pain?  I mean, no more getting beat up!  It all sounded so right, so practical!"25

'I'm glad that it didn't work."  Carrie said.  Kyle just gave a sad smile.26

"Well, if I hadn't 'ave already used about half the bottle..."27

"Don't say that!"28

Then, a nurse with clicky heels entered wearing a tight expression.  The sight of two teenagers in a very small bed -despite the fact that Carrie was fully clothed- made her face tense further.  Almost abruptly, as though someone had moved her 'mood' toggle over to 'happy', she grinned, showing an array of strangely straight, white teeth.29

"I see you're feeling better, Mr. Kyle!"  She chirped unnaturally.30

"You're looking rather worn out, Ms. Nurse."  Kyle replied.31

"Well...  That's what happens when your work shift starts at eleven thrity pm and ends at ten in the morning."  The nurse practically snapped.32

"It nine forty-five.  YOu've only got fifteen minutes left!"  Carrie said brightly, pointing at her watch.  The nurse was obviously well aware that she was almost off the clock.33

"Yes, yes!  Now out of the bed.  Both of you!  I've got to change the sheets."34

Carrie and Kyle slid out of the bed on opposite sides.  He was perfectly fine sitting, but now that he was not covered by a blanket, Kyle was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was naked underneath his light-blue hostpital gown that was all but conservative (especially in the back).  Carrie giggled as he snapped the back shut.35

"Oh, please!  You think that I haven't seen a naked butt?  I'm the one who changed you!"36

This only made Kyle clutch the gown tighter, "When do I get my clothes back?  Or at least my boxers!?"37

"When they are clean."38

"You washed his clothes?!"  Said Carrie, surprized.39

"He WAS laying on the floor of a bus station bathroom when he was found.  And it was men's."40

Carrie shuttered.  Kyle blinked confusedly.41

"Of course it was the mens!!  Why would I be in the women's bathroom?!?"42

"You should have been,"  Carrie laughed tauntingly.  The nurse was stiffling her own laughter.43

"What's that supposed to mean?!"  Kyle stammered, feeling ganged up on.44

"Girls' bathrooms are always way nicer and WAY cleaner than boys'."45

The nurse and Carrie giggled a bit more, but when the nurse had finished exchanging the linens, she dropped the old ones into a bin outside the door and skipped down the hall, overjoyed at the thought that she could now go home and use her own sheets.46