They dragged me all the way back to the waiting room, struggling all the way. I didn't care about the scene I was making, I just wanted to get back to that room. I needed to see her so badly that I was about to knock over all these nurses if I had too.

        Trott and Smith saw the commotion and quickly ran up to us. "Woah, what's happening here?" He asked as some of the nurses backed off of me.

        "She's awake," I said, hearing my own desperation in the statement. "She's awake and I need to see her!" I whined.

        They both startled at the statement. "What?" Trott asked at the same time Smith asked, "How?"

        The male nurse dismissed all of the others and said to me calmly, "I'm sorry sir, but you can't see her until there's a referral from the doctor for regular visiting hours." He checked his watch, "And it's 3:27," he said with an edge of sarcasm.

        "You expect him to come back during regular visiting hours when she's just..." Smith started angrily, but then forced out a breath as Trott elbowed him in the ribs.

        "He's just upset," Trott smiled kindly at the nurse, "me and Smith here will make sure he doesn't cause anymore trouble." He gave another smile and grabbed both me and Smith and dragged us away.

        "What the hell?" I asked, feeling tired and depressed and hopeless. I was about to quit and come back tomorrow, but the look on Trott's face made me think that he had a different idea.

        "Alex, you can't just cause trouble. You want to get kicked out?" He hissed through his teeth.

        "Well I was thinking that I could convince..." Smith tried to defend.

        Trott cut him off. "We don't want them thinking we're going to make trouble," he whispered, checking around to make sure no one was around to over hear us as we stood in the corner of the waiting room.

        Realization seemed to dawn on Smith and he gave Trott a half smile. "But we're going to make trouble, arn't we?" he said slyly. 

        Trott gave me a mysterious grin. "hell yeah," he nodded.

        "Mate, this is a hospital!" I said, appalled by the idea of doing anything to the nurses that had been so kind to me over the past few months. "There is no way we are going to do anything disruptive. These people are just doing their jobs," I said sternly.

        Trott wasn't easily threatened by me, so he just waved me off. "We won't do anything that bad Ross," he dismissed, "just create enough chaos to get you into that room."

        I opened my mouth to shoot down the idea again, but Smith quickly asked, "So what are you planning?"

        "We need to get those nurses away from the front desk so Ross can go in and unlock the doors," he summarized.

        "But how?" I asked, not feeling comfortable with this.

        "If we can create a distraction or commotion somewhere else in the building, they would need to rush over there right?" Trott asked.

        Smith nodded, "Yeah, but what distraction is big enough to get all three of them away from there?"

        I blamed video games for this convoluted plans. There was no way anything he suggested could work, and I didn't want to be kicked out and not allowed to return. I could wait if it meant I knew that I could see her again, yet Trott and Smith were risking those chances just because they wanted some adventure and a good story to tell.

        But then again, I felt as if I were going to fall apart of I didn't go talk to Amanda soon. Would it be worth it? I thought back to all the days I spent next to her feebly keeping up a conversation in hopes that it would help. She hadn't left my mind once since the accident, and I had spent so long dreaming of the day she woke up and I was right next to her.

        I sighed, still not fully convinced. Trott was giving us a mysterious grin, and that could only mean trouble. "What do you have in mind?" I asked.

-----------------------------------------------------

        We stood in an empty stairwell, the sound of every movement or whisper reverberating against the concrete walls and floor. Me and Smith were keeping an eye out while we waited for Trott to return. He hadn't told us where he was going, just to meet him back at the stairwell in 15 minutes. My stomach was churning with the idea of what we were about to do, and waiting for my flatmate to return only made my already shot nerves worse. 

        The door swung open and me and Smith jumped before we realized it was only Trott. He gave us another evil grin and shook something in his hand. "They have a cafeteria here," he said, holding up a ketchup bottle. 

        Smith laughed. "That's brilliant mate!" he exclaimed.

        I saw what they were both thinking. "What the... Trott? No. This is a horrible idea; we're going to get arrested!" I yelled, exasperated. 

        "We are not," he announced. "Now come here Smithy!" he said, pulling on Smith's shoulders until he bent down. He started squirting the ketchup onto his forehead, and was making quite the mess by the looks of it.

        I rubbed my forehead, giving up. "This is the stupidest thing you have ever done mate," I said, dragging my hand down the side of my face and sighing, "It will never work."

        "Shut up," Smith said, straightening. He didn't look like he was bleeding at all; just seemed as if he struggled making a hot dog; he was a ketchup-y mess.

        Trott turned to me now that Smith was sorted. "Okay," he said, "once I leave, you wait five minutes and then follow me, alright?"

        "Yes but what are you going to do?" I asked.

        He ignored my question. "Okay Smith, you ready for your part?" he asked.

       Smith nodded. "Yeah, should I lay down at the bottom of the stairs or maybe..." his words were cut off as Trott barreled into him. Alex went tumbling backwards down the stairs, and my jaw dropped. I worried that he might not have needed the fake blood in the first place; he could have killed him.

        Smith groaned, "Fu... Trott what the fuck?" He let out a string of curses as he checked himself over.

        "Just act hurt!" Trott called, laughing.

        "I don't know if I can do that Trott," Smith spat sarcastically.

        Trott started pushing me towards the door back to the hospital. I tried to stop and look back at Smith. "You just pushed him down the stairs!" I said, astonished, still worried about my friends health. 

        "He's just resting," he assured me with a smile, continuing to push me out, "Just go hid in the bathroom and count to 300." He gave me a final shove as I tried to protest and I was back into the quiet of the hospital.

        The dim lights were eerie as I walked to the bathroom. I was nervous and scared, knowing that this plan was stupid and impractical. Though it had to work, for I knew this would be the last time I could see Amanda; at least until she left the hospital.  We were going to be banned forever from this place, and I only hoped that we never actually required their facilities.

        I waited five minutes, which were the longest of my life as I stared at the LED's of my watch. I paced, wishing I didn't have to go through all this trouble just to see my... friend. At the five minute mark, I left the bathroom and poked my head around the corner. I saw Trott at the front desk. "Please," he begged, sobbing, "My friends hurt. You have to come help!" I didn't recognize any of the people there, but then again I wasn't normally here after visiting hours were over anyway.

        The nurse looked at him with genuine concern. "Okay I'l call a docto..." she said, picking up the phone and placing it to her ear.

        Trott jumped over to desk so he was leaning over it, surprising me as much as the nurse. He grabbed the nurses arm, frantically shaking. "No! You have to come now! Please he's dying!" he cried.

        "Honey just let  me call..." she tried again.

        "Please!" he wailed, his voice echoing around the hospital, and it startled all the nurses so much that they had fearful looks on their faces. I couldn't hold back a snort at his performance, which was ridiculous and over dramatic.

        He started dragging her to the opening and she finally agreed. "Okay okay, I'll come!" she said, trying to free herself from his stony grip.

        "No! I need all three of you! He's a big guy!" he said, continuing to drag her.

        She was getting exasperated. "Well if you just let me call the other..."

         Trott broke down and sobbed, and she hushed him, following him down the corridor. The other two nurses looked around at the empty waiting room and soon went after them as well.

        "Holy shit," I breathed, not believing my eyes. It worked; The ridiculous plan worked! They actually believed Trott's insipid performance. I could barely move I was so surprised.

        But I knew I didn't have much time. Scooping the room once more to make sure no one saw, I quickly ducked under the divider at the desk and searched for the button I had seen the nurses press countless time. I found it next to the computer and jammed my thumb against it. The door buzzed familiarly, and then I heard the click of the lock releasing.

        I quickly made my way back from the front desk and slipped into the hallway. It took me a bit of scrambled wandering before I remembered where her room was. I tried to look as nonchalant as I could, but I still got strange looks from the doctors and nurses. I tried to calm my racing heart as I noticed the room number. There was no door, and I assumed it was because we were in intensive care and the doctors needed to get in and out at a moments notice.

        All thoughts of hospital practicalities left me as I saw her. Her bed was propped up into a sitting position and she still looked deathly pale and sickly. She was staring across the room, but there was no TV or anything to occupy her attention; just a blank wall. I cleared my throat to alert her of my presence, but she didn't seem surprised or startled.

        Her eyes swung lazily over to me and I was overwhelmed with the emotions that hit me. All those memories flooded back when I thought about how much I wanted to actually see her eyes, and the video didn't do them any justice. They were big, brown, and doe-like. She gave me a pensive and thoughtful look, and by the way her eyes tracked, I was afraid that there may have been brain damage.

        But then her lips parted, and a hoarse "Ross Hornby," escaped her, barely even a whisper. She coughed and cleared her throat, trying again. "What are you doing here?" she asked, stronger this time.

        I walked into the room. "Do you remember me?" I asked, feeling my stomach flip at the fact that she recognized me. Did this mean she remembered everything? That she had heard all my ramblings about work and my friends and flatmates.

        Her eyebrows twitched as she gave me another look that signified she was thinking about something. "I..." she started, "I watched some of your videos...I was going to work with you guys during my internship..."

        My heart sank as she said that. It was obvious that she didn't even know me. I felt naive at the thought of all that wasted time and even more wasted words. I selfishly hoped that I still had something to do with her survival, though I might not have influenced it in the slightest. I didn't want to tell her about the internship and her replacement right now, so I said simply, "I witnessed the accident."

        She seemed to flinch at that, and I felt bad for mentioning it. She opened her mouth to say something, but then clamped it down shut as he eyes widened even more and her face contorted into a concerned look; she must have just remembered something. "Where's my longboard?" she asked, panic edging in on her soft voice. That was probably the skateboard I had seen halved in the road that night.

        It was my turn to flinch. "It...I don't know. They might have saved it for evidence in the lawsuit or they may have thrown it out..." I trailed off as I saw the look on her face.

        Pure pain clouded into her eyes. "What?" she asked, her voice shaking. Her bottom lip jutted out as I saw tears collect on her bottom lids.

        "D...don't cry," I blurted before I could stop myself.

        "You don't understand. That thing was everything to me I..." she started, but then shook herself. "I guess I'm just glad to be alive..." she muttered, though I wasn't confused.

        "I'm sorry..." I said to fill the silence. She seemed to remember something else, and then lifted her fist towards me. I stared at it for a minute and then quickly cupped my hand under hers, realizing what she was doing. I felt round objects drop into my hand and I looked at the pills in my hand. She saw me and quickly said, "Do you mind getting rid of those for me?" she asked quietly, making sure no one was in the doorway to hear her.

        "Uhh..." I stammered, "Shouldn't you take these?"

        She got a hard look on her face and glanced down at the IVs in her arms. "Trust me, they're already pumping enough shit into me," she assured me, rolling her eyes. She seemed to be getting stronger as she talked, as well as the beginnings of her personality were shining through.

        I wanted to argue with her, but she turned from me and stared back at the wall. We sat in silence as I shoved the drugs into my pocket. I didn't know what to say, so I just watched my hands and twiddled my thumbs. This was such a bad idea, I didn't know anything about her; she might be the complete opposite of what I expected. The long board and drugs thing were already weird, I wondered what would come out of he next.

        "They said 3 months is a record," she said contemplatively, and gave a weak laugh, "They called it a miracle..." She buried her face into her hands then, and said "It feels like forever," her voice muffled but still understandable. 

        "I'm really sorry..." I told her, meaning it. I couldn't even begin to imagine what she was feeling. 

        She replaced her hands back to the bed, and turned to me with the same lazy gaze as earlier. "Ross Hornby?" she asked, her voiced devoid of any tangible emotion, "Why are you here?"

        "Hey!" I heard a shout from the door way, and an unfamiliar nurse appeared in the doorway. "You can't be in here!" she bellowed.

        I jumped as her loud voice filled the once quiet room. "I'm sorry," I told her, trying to seem innocent, "I was just leaving..."

        She grabbed my arm and ushered me out. Amanda looked confused, and then simply said "Goodbye Ross Hornby," as I left.

        I didn't know what think. I had been waiting for this moment for months, and that was not anything like I thought it would be. I needed to think it over, for my thoughts were a mess of everything that had happened tonight. I suddenly felt very tired as the nurse escorted me out, and I realized what an emotional roller coaster I had just experienced. 

        My pocket buzzed as I reached the waiting room. I checked my phone to mask my surprise that no one was shouting or reproaching me. There were no police sirens and Trott and Smith were no where to be seen.

        The text explained it. "We kinda got caught...and kicked out. Cya back at the flat. Be careful," it read. I shook my head and smiled at the craziness of it all; those two were gonna get us all in serious trouble some day, but not today. I texted Trott back and told him I was on my way home.

        I would process this all tomorrow, but right now, I really needed to sleep.

A/N Sorry if this is poorly written or rushed, I promise someday I might edit this garbage.