Chapter 3

Quietly, I creeped down the dark corridors of Stargazer Memorial Hospital, my hands shoved
into the pockets of my camo sweat jacket. It was currently 2 in the morning and I was making way towards
Adams room, and visiting hours were long gone. Although I had to be there Adams parents weren't, his mother
had sent me home earlier to bathe and get some rest. But I was anxious, I wanted to see if they had put him back
together. Stealthily I walked towards room 131, the room they had him in. I pushed the door open a crack and peered
through it to check for any of other members of the Mayor family. When I saw the coast was clear, I slid through the
crack of the door.
The room was small dark, and it smelled like that undescribable hospital smell. Pale blue or green was the
color of the walls, I couldn't really tell that only lighting in the room was a dim flourscent light, that made me drowsy
and a light from that came through the cracks of the bathroom door. Then finally there was the small hospital bed
that held Adam.
          I took a step closer to the bed to examine him, to make sure they had put him back together properly. . His eyes were shut, and hardly any of his
color had comeback, in fact it worse then when when he got there. Through his light blue hospital gown I could tell
they had wrapped the upper half of his left arm in gauze. The right arm looked like a connection for the internet,
several tubes were in it, and pulse monitor on his pointer finger. Leaving worst for last, his left leg was in traction with a white cast going all the way up his leg.,
the other one covered by a pink blanket. Altogether he looked so frail, like with one touch your hand he would shatter.

I sat next to his bed, and patted his hand gently to make my presence known," Hi." I whispered

His eyes fluttered open, slowly, " Hunter?" he murmured, drowsily

" Yeah its me Buddy." I replied.

He rolled his head to the side, " You weren't here when I got out of surgery, where were you?"

I smiled, gently at him, " You're Mom thought it best I go home, and shower and nap."

" Nap. I am the one with a gajillion sedatives in his system and you need to nap." he laughed, weakly

" Well I had to carry, your ass halfway up that hill." I explained.

" Only halfway?"

I nodded, " Yeah, I got tired and laid you back down and ran up the hill and flagged down a guy who was smart enough to bring
a cell on a backroad, and then he called an ambulance and the EMTs carried you the rest of the way."

" My hero." he said, in a high pitched girly voice.

I punched his right shoulder gently, " And don't you forget it."

" Seriously Hunter, thanks I probably would've died if you weren't there." he admitted

" What did you you expect to do just leave you there,  you're my best friend." I told him, my voice cracking with emotion.

" Are you crying?" he asked, worried

" No." I lied, wiping away a stray tear.

" At risk of sounding Dr. Philish, its ok to cry I mean you almost lost the most amazing person in your life." he consoled.

I smiled through my tears, " Good to see nothing puts a damper on your ego."

He lifted his right and arm and signaled me to come to that side, " Come here."

I walked to other side of the bed, " What do you need a nurse or something?"

He patted the spot next to him, " Lay down."

" But I don't want to..." I started

He cut me off, " You're not going to hurt me, lay down."

I hopped up and slid next to him on the bed, lying my head gently on his arm making sure not to rip out his IV. He
wrapped his arm gently around my shoulders, and I moved my head to his chest listening to his heartbeat. I needed to hear
that heartbeat, I needed to know that he was still there on earth with me.

" I am feeling nostalgic." he told me.

I snuggled closer to him, " I know what you mean."

As children, when either of us would get sick we would sneak over to each others house and spend the night
with each other. It was terrible idea, and we would always end up with each others cough, colds, and stomach bugs
but we didn't care.

" Just don't puke in my hair this time." I warned him

" What did you expect I was ten and had the stomach flu." he laughed

I looked up at him him, he looked so warn out, "  I better go, you need some more sleep."

I started to sit up, but he pulled back with him, " No, stay with me." he demanded.

Gently I laid my head back on his chest, the rising and falling of it soothing me and lulling me
into a dreamless sleep.

Plus if you win, you get a years supply of penguin books and your text published
If you want to enter, you can at http://www.spinebreakers.co.uk/Competitions/Pages/papercuts.aspx

x