The nurse told me that he'd have to stay a day or 2 in there just in case. I agreed and paid the bills for him. It was the least I could do because he just lost all of his money on that crashed boat. I told him I'm leaving for the day, and he told me to go take care of the shop, so I did. I ran to my shop and changed into normal clothes and started to work. After a short day of work I showered because I was in the ocean all day yesterday, so I had to get the salt water off my body and hair. As I was showering, my mind wondered like it always did. It wondered to Shon's boat, Shon, school, Jake, my Aunt and Uncle, surfing, taking care of the shop, and memories.
I'm glad Jake gave me his prize money, otherwise I couldn't pay for Shon.
I got out of the shower and dried off, put my clothes on and patted my hair. Then I braided it so it wouldn't go all over the palace, and so it would be wavy in the morning. I walked out to my balcony again to take a breath and to clear my mind. The moon was full and bright, so bright that it dimmed the light of the stars around them. The waves were receding and coming into the beach in rhythm, and a soft humid wind was blowing through the palm trees. Tomorrow is Monday, and I'll have to take more and bring Shon's school work to him as well. Which is no trouble for me, I'm just worried about Shon. I go inside, lock up, and hit the hay.
Shon
While I was at the hospital I kept in touch with Lyra, and she told me about her day. Being at the hospital always gives an eerie feeling to a person. The smell, noises, and the set up. It always feels strange, empty, depressing because bad things happen there like injuries or sickness or death. I want to leave here as soon as I can. While I'm here though, I try to make the most of it. I'm able to walk around, with my IV stick of course, and I made some friends. Most of them were old people who were alone and needed some company. So I listened to their woes and gave the best advice I could.
I ate lunch by myself while face timing my friends at school. Then they would have to leave, and I'll be alone again. Not technically, I guess, but it feels like I was. It felt good to befriend hospital patients so they wouldn't feel as lonely as they did before. Some of the same nurses came to check on me over and over because they were hitting on me.
When school was over Ian, Kori, and Lyra came over to spend time with me, and to give me my school work. Lyra wrote things down on sticky notes all the time, and her handwriting was so neat and organized. They brought food along with them that we all ate. We talked for about an hour and then Lyra had to leave to work at her shop.
After another hour of conversation, Ian and Kori had to go and do their jobs and I was all alone again. I looked out my hospital window and watched the ocean water and its rhythmic waves. I came across a familiar building and looked at it more closely until I realized that it was Lyra's home. People were coming in and out of her shop with different types and colors of flowers. They were tiny from where I was watching, but I had the arrangements memorized so I knew what they bought. Before long I realized that people were not going in anymore and that the shop must be closed now. I looked at the clock that was at my bed's nightstand and noticed that it was 7:30 already, and that the sun was setting, but it was still bright outside. She then walked out to her beach yard and relaxed in the water. She turned to syren again. She looked magnificent in her syren form.
I have to get used to seeing her like this.
She was having the time of her life by swimming and doing tricks in the water. She soon got out of the water and dried off. She froze and then my phone went off. I got a text from her.
"Want me to bring you dinner?"
"Please." I texted back, having a smile creep upon my face. She came around 8:00 with her homemade cooking. She left the tomatoes out just for me because she knows I don't like them. We talked while we ate about inside jokes, life, and current events.
I'll let her tell me her "secret" when she's ready.
Then a nurse came into our room out of breath. She looked anxious as she looked at Lyra. It was girls and their secret communication that men just don't understand. Lyra got up worried, and closed the door behind her. I watched through the windows, not like a stalker that I was being all day, and watched it all unfold. She opened the door and said "sorry" before leaving again. Apparently her Aunt was in the hospital and her Uncle was nowhere to be found. I waited for Lyra to come back. She did, maybe an hour later, and she continued eating. I joined her and the rest of the time we had was quiet and empty. After we finished eating, Lyra got ready to leave for home.
"I don't know what, how, or if things will play out to your liking, but I will always be here for you every step of the way."
"Thanks Shon." she hugged me tightly for a long time. I hugged her back, and stroked her hair. She started to cry, but I was here for her. She needed me, so I stayed.
For her.
How life is just going wrong right now, but I'll be here for her. She needs me. She let go and wiped her face. Then she left. Tomorrow I'll ask her Aunt everything that went down, and I'll ask her about Lyra, and if she knew her secret too.