They discharged Kat from the hospital after forty-eight hours, though she was unconscious for nearly half of her stay. Even awake, the world seemed dreamlike, blurry, and bright. Long conversations bogged her down, but she managed to answer enough questions to satisfy the doctors and nurses. Scans showed there was no internal bleeding in her brain, and the X-rays of her foot looked promising.

As she sat in a wheelchair in the lobby, her nurse handed her a folder of information about prescriptions and how to continue treatment for her broken foot. She had to stay off of it entirely for the first two weeks, then get a follow-up x-ray to see how well the bones were healing and determine if she would then be able to put weight on it. After six weeks, she could try limited walking if everything looked good.

The nurse also heavily emphasized rest and the importance of preventing any further injuries, both to her foot and especially to her head, because that could cause permanent damage.

Kat listened closely but grew frustrated as the nurse’s words became more noise than information. Darius took the folder and studied the papers while the nurse handed Kat a baggie filled with shiny blue and black pieces. It took her a few seconds to recognize the shattered remains of her cell phone.

“It got pretty banged up when you fell...” Darius said apologetically, glancing up from a sheet.

Kat sighed at her misfortune. Yet another expense that she couldn’t cover. She hoped she’d at least be able to salvage her contact information from the mess.

“I guess Cami can keep borrowing my charger,” she remarked and craned her neck to look around the lobby, searching in vain for her cousin. The hospital had tried to call Cami, but she hadn’t answered. Kat couldn’t help but feel hurt that her cousin hadn’t dropped by, even if she told herself that Cami had probably tried to text or call her phone.

Darius finished signing some paperwork and handed her the clipboard. The letters swirled on the page. When she hesitated, Darius pointed to a line, and she gratefully scrawled on it. An orderly pushed her through the doors to the pickup area and handed her one last baggie. This one was filled with the bloodstained clothes she’d been wearing on arrival.

“Oh, sheesh.“ Kat looked up at Darius as he walked beside the wheelchair. “It probably looked like a murder scene in that stairway.”

Two days later, and the accident was still a blank in her memory. She must have been doing something—maybe helping someone out on the third floor? Kat frowned. She didn’t normally go down the stairs. Usually she used the elevator.

Darius tilted his head, gaze sliding away. “A little, I guess. I’m just glad I got there in time...”

“I’m glad, too,” Kat said, suppressing a shudder.

They stopped outside the hospital entrance. Kat blinked in the sunlight, squinting. The orderly set the brake on the wheelchair and stepped away. Kat murmured a thank-you, and Darius touched her shoulder.

“Hey, Kat?”

“Mhm?” She twisted in the wheelchair to see him better.

“I’m... really sorry that this happened. I’ll make sure you don’t get hurt again, okay? I promise.” His voice shook.

Kat waved lazily, fatigue dragging her muscles. “It’s not your fault.”

His face darkened, and he glanced downwards before crouching to look her in the eye. His voice gentled. “Are you okay staying here for a minute while I get my van?”

“I’m going to... leap up and cartwheel into the sun,” Kat said seriously, drowsily.

Darius laughed once, softly. “Don’t move.” He begged, then jogged off to the parking lot. Kat watched him go and then experimentally flexed the fingers of her sprained wrist, wincing at how stiff they felt. Even with the wheelchair, she could barely move. Let alone cartwheel.

Kat shut her eyes and tipped her face upwards.

A breeze rustled the blooming trees, scattering pink petals and flooding the air with sweet scents. Downy clouds decorated the sky overhead. The grass had regained color after the long winter. The pleasant scene washed over her, inviting, bright, and serene.

Kat shut her eyes as sadness welled up.

The doctor blamed the mood swings on the concussion, but Kat knew better. The long, slow recovery ahead weighed her thoughts like a stone. The break was serious. It would take two months to ‘heal’ and many more months of exercises to regain strength and flexibility in her foot. She might never recover completely; it depended on the ligaments and tendons. And until she was back on her feet—literally—she was only a burden.

 On top of it all, Kat was keenly aware that every day she missed work, she was effectively erasing her bank account and her chances of returning to college next semester. With luck, she could return to Cake Pop in four to six weeks. At least she wouldn’t lose the apartment. Still, what a mess.

She’d... almost died. If she’d landed differently, she could have. She took a shuddery breath and swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, trying to clear her mind and focus on the positives. Too much stress would only exacerbate her head injury. That much, at least, she remembered from the nurse’s long-winded explanation.

Tires crunches on the pavement, and Kat blearily opened her eyes as a gray delivery-type van rolled up. Darius hopped out of the driver’s side door and smiled sheepishly.

“Not exactly stylish, I know,” Darius said, glancing at the bulky vehicle. While plain, it shone like it had recently been through a car wash.

“It’s okay. I might bleed on it anyway, and I’d feel bad if it was super nice.” Kat flashed him a weak thumbs up.

“You’re not actually bleeding, are you?” he asked with concern.

“Nnnno.” She sleepily shook her head.

“Looks like your medicine is kicking in.”

“Yesss.” Kat agreed, grateful for the pain medication fogging her aches and thoughts. Her stomach swirled a little, another side effect of the medication.

“Up we go,” Darius slid his arms beneath her legs and behind her back and lifted her inside the passenger seat of his van. Kat braced herself for pain, but none came. Still, it reminded her of a task.

“We need to pick up my prescriptions,” Kat said, sharpening in on the thought through the fog in her mind.

Darius buckled her in and leaned her seat back. “I already did, darling.” He said breathlessly.

Kat’s brow furrowed. “I keep forgetting stuff.”

“It’s alright, try to rest.” He pecked her on the cheek. After a moment, Kat leaned away and stared at him.

“Go slow,” she said.

“Sorry. I’ll try to remember.” He cleared his throat, shut her door, and circled to the driver’s side. “How’s your head feeling?”

“Been better.” She admitted, stomach lurching. “Brain damage.”

“You keep making jokes, but it’s not very funny.”

“I am hilarious,” Kat argued. “And... sleepy.”

“I’m glad your sense of humor didn’t get broken. Here,” Darius pulled a blanket from between the seats and draped it across her. “Just rest for now, okay? I already picked up your stuff, so we’re all set.”

Kat blinked at him. “Stuff? What stuff?”

“Everything you’ll need while you recover.” His keys clinked as he smoothly pulled away from the curb. “I’ll be looking after you at my place for... for a while.”

Kat looked over in confusion. His breaths quickened and his fingers drummed on the steering wheel. “I thought we were going to my place. Cami was going to help...” Her voice faded as she struggled to piece everything together.

Had she ever gotten a hold of Cami? No, Cami still wasn’t answering her phone. But she’d briefly talked to her grandma last night, though she struggled to remember the conversation now.

“It’s best this way,” Darius said seriously. He signaled, and they got onto the freeway. “You get some sleep, alright? It’s going to take a while to get home.”

“What about... Cami? Mr. Walker will kick us out if I don’t... pay him.”

“I told you, it’s all taken care of,” Darius said with a smirk. “You don’t need to worry anymore.” He glanced over. Kat’s eyes had closed, and her breathing deepened.

He sighed happily. “Let’s go home, precious.”