I glanced away from the quarterback, Max, and looked to the ground. Ms. Anna and Mr. Bennett sat in the chairs next to the bed. Ms. Anna gave me a sweet smile, and Bennett nodded with a kind look in his eyes. "We're glad you're okay," Anna said, reaching a hand up to me and patting my knee. 

I gave her a smile, a little nervous with everyone in the room, looking at me. "Thanks..." I said awkwardly. One of the other guys coughed awkwardly, and I looked to the door as it opened. A doctor walked in. He looked up at all the people, and then to me. 

"Good to see that you have friends here, Jackson. Unlike usual." My usual doctor, Dr. Whennerholm, teased. My cheeks flushed a bright red and I held my head in my hands as he walked to me, the others in the room seeming a little off-put, especially Ms. Anna and Bennett. Whennerholm didn't seem to notice the odd tension he'd brought into the room. It was odd seeing him with all the other people in the room. Usually, when I came to the hospital, I was by myself. 

"Now, it's been three weeks now since your last visit for your transfusion," he said, flipping through what was most likely my file, making little notes as he went. I felt my stomach drop as the others in the room, Benett, Ms. Anna, and the group of teenagers processed what Whennerholm had said. "You're probably about ready for another one. How about next Monday? Amber is probably recovered from last blood draw to do another. I'll call her. How about I send an email to the school and tell them to sign you out for the day and Tuesday--"

"Whennerholm," I said while shifting in the bed and stopping the man from continuing his three thousand miles an hour talking. 

He looked up at me. "Yes, Jackson? Does Monday not work?" 

I nodded my head at all the people in the room, my stomach twisting with an ugly feeling. I kept everything about my "issues" to myself, telling my parents that I wanted the least amount of people to know, too. I had found in the past that it just led to everyone treating me like I was going to break at any second. 

Whennerholm, one of my only friends (and I was aware that that was sad, my doctor's being one of a few friends) seemed to understand my body language by the way I held my shoulders. His whole demeanor changed and he looked, smiling, at all the people in my hospital room. "Hello. I'm doctor Whennerholm. I take it that Jackson hasn't told you about me, but I'm his doctor. Nice to meet all of you," He said. There was a little chorus of hellos from the group of six or so teenagers, Ms. Anna and Benett quiet. 

Whennerholm walked next to me, Max, who had been next to my bed, moving. I caught his eyes for a moment and saw the worry in them. I cursed myself for not telling Whennerholm more vehemently that I really didn't have friends other than him and Amber. "If all of you could leave Jackson and I for a moment, we have a little something to discuss for a moment." 

All the teenagers nodded and shuffled to the door. One girl turned, her face lit up. "Jackson! Your phone number! Give it to us so we can get ahold of you once you're out of the hospital." 

My face heated up again, the band-aids on my cheek where I knew the bruises would be feeling hot. "Yeah, sure," I said as I lifted the pad of paper left on the bedside table and took the offered pen from Dr. Whennerholm. I scrolled my cell phone number down and handed it to the girl who'd spoken, her face bright. The six teenagers left, leaving Whennerholm, Bennet and Anna, and I in the room. 

Whennerholm turned to speak to Ms. Anna and Benett as the door clicked shut after the group. He was about to say something, but Ms. Anna, ever the storm, stood and spoke before him to make sure she was heard. Bennett rose behind her.  "Dr. Whennerholm. We're not going to leave until you tell us how Jackson is."

I felt uncomfortable sitting there in the bed while Ms. Anna and Benett seemed ready to have a face-off with Whennerholm. Whennerholm smiled, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught either of your names," the man said, smiling. Whennerholm was an interesting doctor; he was top in most of the fields that he did work in but was slightly on the spectrum which meant that he didn't have a filter, which leads to him sounding quite rude to some people. I had always found it funny, nothing he could say effecting me. 

"These are two of my teachers, Mr. Benett and Ms. Anna," I said, gesturing to the two of them. 

He smiled, nodding. "Ah. Well, it's very nice to meet the two of you, even under these specific circumstances." He said, grinning at me. He sat down on the edge of my bed next to my feet. "You see, Ms. Anna, as a doctor, I make an agreement with my patients that, if they so desire, their specific condition or situation will be kept confidential with me, my staff, and the hospital. Now, given that Jackson is seventeen and a minor, I'm obligated to tell his parents everything he comes in for when he comes in, and any shifts in his condition." He looked at me. "Including this incident with your current bodily injuries and how, according to the police and the evidence, how you got a minor concussion, a sprained ankle, and a nearly broken jaw." 

"Whennerholm, listen--" I began, but he held up a hand. 

"Don't give me that "I fell into a doorknob" bs, Jackson Sweetheart." His slightly flamboyant choice of words and the way he held himself made the whole situation a little more uncomfortable. At least, that is, for me. He turned back to Benett and Ms. Anna. "Now, unless Jackson feels as if I should explain his condition to the two of you, I'll have to ask you to leave, please," Whennerholm finished and they all looked at me. 

Although Whennerholm's words to Benett and Ms. Anna had been a little harsh, I did appreciate that he didn't simply hand over the information. I shook my head. Whennerholm smiled at the two teachers. "Now, you heard him. If the two of you are really concerned with his well-being, please leave now," he said. 

I didn't meet Ms. Anna or Benett's eyes as they walked to the door, Anna's shoulders looking stiff and upright, the image of intensity. "Oh, and please don't go digging through his school medical file. The school has an agreement with Jackson's family that the information is confidential." 

Anna turned back for a moment as if she was going to say something, meeting my guilty eyes, and then Benett pulled her out, mumbling something about how Whennerholm was right and needed to speak to me in private. 

Guilt filled my chest. 

>>>>>

Finally! Another part! I hope you guys enjoyed, and I will for sure be working more on this one.