Chp. 75 “A Step Forward”

“You have to shave off my hair?” I questioned in annoyance, wondering how stupid I was going to look bald. I knew they had to do it for brain surgery but it sucked knowing I wouldn’t grow my hair back in seconds after the procedure.

Henson sighed, “Andrea, it’s just one spot, not your whole head. It’s just hair.”

I steadied my breathing as I allowed them to shave wherever they were going to have to open me up. Avery’s hand never left mine as I watched some hair fall to the ground, trying not to think about all the horrible possibilities.

Could I die during the procedure now that they were fucking with my Healing gland? What if it didn’t work?

Avery whispered, “Everything is going to be ok, trust Henson.”

I looked up at Henson who was finishing up with the razor, smiling, “Andrea, it’ll be fairly quick, don’t worry. We know what we’re going in after.”

I questioned, “How quick?”

“Maybe a couple of hours, just depending on how everything goes once were in there.”

I nodded, looking into Avery’s light comforting eyes that were letting me know she was going to be here the entire time waiting for me to wake up. She smiled slightly, allowing me to return it as Henson began getting IV’s ready for the procedure.

Everyone gave me the “Are you sure you want to do this?” speech, but I really didn’t understand why. I understood it was  pretty major surgery on a pretty important part of my brain, but it wasn’t like I couldn’t easily obtain the Healing power again if I really needed it.

I could always call Blaine up.

The more I thought about it the more I realized everything was going to be ok, and after this Avery and I would finally be free to go home. I just wanted to enjoy the rest of my summer with Avery and leave this entire summer behind me, because there honestly wasn’t much good to remember. I knew I was being quite negative, but really, could you blame me?

My girlfriend almost died, and then not long after I had found out the truth about her and her family. I cheated, got caught, and almost lost the one girl in my life that I couldn’t picture myself without. I got shot about thirty times within one single day, and to top it all off, I lost my best friend.

The aching pain returned in my chest as I thought about Max, and I closed my eyes quickly to stop the tears from coming. Every day I missed him more and more, and I was praying it would start getting easier. I was still so lost without him, as if I was missing a part of me, and technically speaking I was, because when he died I lost my electric powers.

I didn’t even have that anymore to remind me of him.

Henson signaled for me to give him my arm and I did, looking at Avery and knowing I was about to be put to sleep. I smiled, “See you when I wake up.”

She walked over to me, kissing me on the lips, “I’ll be waiting. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I felt the needle stick into my arm as I laid my head back, watching more doctors walk in as Avery walked out. I began thinking about my family, wondering what they were going to think once I was back in Jacksonville. I really missed them, but what were we going to do whenever we got back home?

And then all of a sudden my eyes got extremely heavy, and I fell asleep.

~ ~ ~ ~

“She’s waking up.”

I tried to open my eyes but they were still extremely heavy, and for some reason I was thinking about eating a bowl of ice cream. My head felt funny, and I was pretty sure I giggled out loud, which caused amused glances to be thrown my way from Avery and Henson.

“How are you feeling?”

I laid my head back down, realizing that it felt like a ton as I tried to hold it up. How did I feel? My head was fuzzy and it tickled, and my skin was soft, and I felt really happy. So did I feel good?

I answered involuntarily, “I feel like… daisies.”

Avery walked over to me, “Daisies?”

Is that what I meant to say? I think it was. I nodded in response, allowing another small grin spread across Avery’s beautiful face as I tried to lift my hand up to touch her. She leaned her head into my palm as I touched her face, and all of a sudden I felt happier than I already was.

She spoke again, “We’re going to move you to a recovery room ok, Andy?”

A what?

Henson and another doctor helped me into a wheelchair, and as I leaned back I tried not to fall asleep again. I was so tired, and I had no idea where they were taking me, but I was hoping it was my house. I really wanted my bed, and my parents, and a bowl of ice cream.

I was starving.

“The anesthesia really got her good.”

Again my mouth spoke before I could stop it, “Who’s… anes-thes-ia….?”

I heard Avery’s beautiful giggle as we turned into a different room, allowing a white bed to come into view. It kind of looked like Avery’s old room when she had gotten sick, but I tried to push that horrific memory to the back of my mind.

Strong hands helped me into my bed as Avery turned the covers down and tucked me in, allowing me to get a good look at her. She was so perfect, with her perfect hair and her perfect skin, she was just perfect.

I touched her face again, and she smiled, and I could tell she was holding back laughter. I frowned then, questioning, “Why are you… laughing at me?”

She shook her head, and if it wouldn’t have been for the sleepiness I was experiencing I would’ve continued to try and talk to her. She sat next to me, and I could see a weird look written on her face, but my eyes were closing again. I tried to keep them open so I could question what was wrong, but my eye lids began closing.

She whispered, “Go to sleep.”

I forced words out of my mouth as my eyes closed, “But I want… to talk.”

“We can talk when you wake up, ok? I’ll be here.”

I felt my breathing steady as I allowed my eyes to stay shut, and felt the dizziness and sleepiness overtake me. There was no possible way I could stay awake anymore, but the more I tried to the more tired I became.

So I eventually allowed myself to fall back asleep, hoping Avery would be there when I woke up.

~ ~ ~ ~

My eyes opened at the sound of monitors beeping, and I looked up at Henson who was writing down on his clipboard. I saw Avery sitting in the chair next to my bed, and I realized no one had realized I had woken up.

Henson spoke, “She’s doing well, I checked her stitches and they’re fine. She’s healing just like any normal person would.”

Avery sighed as she leaned back, nodding, “Thank God. How long do you think the recovery time should be?”

He glanced at his chart again, flipping through some pages before answering Avery. He put the clipboard down and lifted his glasses, “Maybe a couple of months. The incision wasn’t big at all, she’ll just have to be careful the next 24 hours and keep her head wrapped. After that you can take it off of her.”

Avery nodded and then looked at me, noticing I was awake and well. She stood, walking over to me, “Hey sleepy head.”

I glanced at the clock, realizing it was actually quite late, “How long was I out?”

“About seven hours, you must be starving.”

I felt the aching in my stomach as she brought my attention to it, and I looked up at her and Henson. I nodded, “I am.”

Henson smiled at me, “I’ll get them to bring you two dinner. How are you feeling Andrea?”

I realized not only was I hungry but my head was hurting, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. After all, I had been shot multiple times and would’ve bled to death if it wouldn’t have been for my Healing ability.

I shrugged, “My heads hurting, but that’s about it.”

He nodded, handing Avery a bottle of pills, “Give her one after she eats, her headache will get worse. Only for the time her heads wrapped, once she takes it off the headaches should go away.”

Avery nodded and set the pill bottle down on the nightstand next to my bed, sitting as Henson left the room, leaving us alone.

She smiled, “How are you really feeling?”

I smirked at her stare, knowing she knew me so well, “I feel like death.”

She leaned over, kissing my temple as her hand rested on mine, “I know, once you eat I’ll give you your painkillers.”

I tilted my head, remembering how Avery had been in the same position as me and hated how much I had babied her. Although she had been in a much worse position than me, I figured I could pull her leg at little bit.

I shook my head, “You don’t have to baby me, you know?”

She smiled, but I recognized the odd look she had had in her eyes before I had fallen asleep. I touched her face as she responded, “You had brain surgery, I think you deserve a little babying.”

She was trying to distract me because I knew she saw I had seen her look, and apparently she didn’t want me to question her about it. I wanted to though; because I didn’t want her to hide anything else from me, not even what she was feeling.

“What’s wrong?”

She looked away from me, shrugging, “I don’t really know, but I feel sad and very happy at the same time.”

I questioned further, “Why?”

“Because, you went through all of this pain and trouble for me, just so you could be normal, when we both know you’re far from it.”

I smiled, seeing why she had been feeling weird the entire time this had been going on. I shrugged it off, “I want to have a normal life, and I don’t want to live forever. I want to grow up with you Avery.”

Eventually I saw tears rimming Avery’s light eyes as they searched in mine as if she wasn’t believing what I was saying. She touched my face, and I understood why she felt the way she felt about this. I had sacrificed a lot for her; a job opportunity, a bright future in the field of protecting people like me, great income, and a long fulfilling life.

But I didn’t want any of that if she wasn’t next to me the entire time.

She shook her head, “I just don’t get why you gave all of those opportunities up for me.”

I smiled, feeling a sense of sadness well up in my chest as I realized she didn’t believe she was worth the sacrifice. She was worth more than all the money this place could give me, and this wasn’t the life I wanted anyway.

I leaned up and kissed her soft lips, tasting salty tears that had fallen out of Avery’s eyes. I cupped her face and smiled, hoping that she would believe my next sentence because it was absolutely true.

“You’re absolutely worth the sacrifices, Avery.”