chapter twenty – wheelchairs and Mikayla

"Marc, Kevin, Devin, Thea!" Dr. Preston scolded us.

The four of us were waiting for the doctor to call us for our check ups and we started playing with the wheelchairs in the hallway.

"Those are for patients!" Dr. Preston shook his head at us.

"But Dad!" Marc whined.

"Do you have legs?" Dr. Preston crossed his arms.

"Yes!" Marc groaned.

"Do they work?" Dr. Preston asked.

"Yes" Marc snorted.

"Then get your butt out of the wheelchair"

I ignored the stares from all the kids in the hallways. They believed what Mikayla was saying. I believed what she was saying.

This was all my fault.

****

Viewpoint General Hospital, Yesterday

****

"Can you please just let me inside to see him?" I cried out to the nurse.

"Ma'am only family is allowed inside the ICU" The nurse looked both annoyed and bored with me.

"I'm his girlfriend! I haven't seen him in weeks! Please" I begged the older woman.

"Are you married or engaged?" The woman glanced up from her computer.

"No" I frowned.

"Then you're not allowed inside. You're just going to have to wait until he is moved to a general patient room"

****

"Do you feel good about yourself?" I blood ran cold at the sound of Mikayla's voice.

"Leave me alone" I whispered. Not ready to cry in front of the entire school population.

"Why couldn't you just leave them alone?" Mikayla continued and I grit my teeth.

"Mikayla" I pleaded with her.

****

I've been waiting an hour inside of this waiting room since the nurse refused to let me in to see Marc.

I've just been waiting to see anyone. Mrs. Preston. Eric. Matt. Summer. Anyone. Even Dr. Preston.

I just need to know if Marc's okay...

My eyes snapped up when I saw the doors to the ICU slowly begin to open.

****

"They aren't on your level, fatass" Mikayla hissed at me. "You wormed your way into their lives and now look at Marc"

I felt the tears start leaking down my face. Because she was right. If I had never came back into their lives, Marc would be okay right now...

"Is the fat bitch crying now?" Mikayla laughed and then I snapped.

I heard a crunch as my fist collided with Mikayla's nose.

She stumbled back a little bit before her eyes connected with mine. They had a dark glint in them.

"Marc's not here to protect you anymore"

And then she tackled me to the ground and we were rolling around on the floor with our fists flying.

****

Matt was wheeling Marc out in a wheelchair.

Marc looked exactly the way I pictured him in my nightmare. But he wasn't covered in blood, which I was thankful for.

Matt was saying something to Marc but Marc kept his eyes on his lap.

He looked so broken. So defeated. Like he was just done.

"Marc.." I spoke, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat.

Marc's eyes snapped to mine and his lips curled into a frown.

"Marc" I stood up, getting ready to walk over to them.

"Forget the vending machine, Matt" Marc spoke and his voice was scratchy. "Just take me back"

"Marc please" I cried out and tried to get to him.

"Are you sure?" Matt glanced between us with furrowed eyebrows.

"Just take me back" Marc raised his voice.

"Please, Marc. Just listen to me" I sobbed.

Matt reversed back through the doors and my heart broke.

"You're going to regret this" Matt whispered.

Marc's eyes met mine as he spoke.

"No I'm not."

****

"You need to grow up" Wyatt hissed as he left the school with me in tow.

"I need to grow up?!" I sputtered out. "You're 20 years old and you still live at home!"

"I'm in college. I'm trying to make myself into something" Wyatt growled.

"Your college is on your computer" I snorted. "You don't even have a job! Dad pays for it!"

"I swear to god, Thea" Wyatt spun around to face me.

"What? What are you going to do?" I glared at him.

Wyatt closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

"This isn't about me, Tee. You got suspended. Dad's going to kill you"

"So what?! I don't care anymore" I screamed.

"Over a boy, Thea? Really? This is why I'm telling you, you need to grow up" Wyatt rolled his eyes.

"Mikayla is a class a bitch. She's spent her entire life trying to hurt me. She's been telling everyone that it was my fault that Marc got hurt. And she's right about that but she deserved what she got" I yelled in frustration.

"You sound like a child" Wyatt sighed.

"Fine. Then I'm walking home"

****

"Thea?" Summer put a hand on my jumping shoulders.

"He hates me" I cried.

"He doesn't hate you" Summer sighed. "He's just upset. He's dealing with a lot right now. And your relationship isn't his main focus right now"

I looked at her and she looked just as bad as I did.

"He's not talking to Kevin either. And I know that's killing Kevin. He thinks that this is his fault"

I felt guilty as I remembered my words to him before we got the call.

I didn't know that Marc was actually hurt. I just wanted Kevin to know what he could have done. But it really wasn't his fault...

"Can you just tell me that Marc's going to be okay?" I asked her.

The look in her eyes told me that everything wasn't going to be okay...

****

"You got suspended?" I sighed as I heard by Dad's disappointed tone.

"Daddy" I whimpered.

"Thea... what happened?" Dad sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him.

"Daddy" I started crying again as I heard Summer's words from yesterday echo in my head.

"He's paralyzed from the waist down, Thea. The doctors think it's temporary but we're all scared that they're wrong..."

Dad wrapped his arms around me as I sobbed into his chest.

"It's going to be okay, baby girl" Dad whispered into my hair. It was supposed to comfort me but it didn't. It just made me feel worse because I knew it wasn't going to be okay.

"It's all my fault daddy" I cried.