Prodigal Catharsis

Chapter Six

***Three days later***

***Rachel***

These past three days have been rough on all of us, Greg, Jessica, Peter, Cody, and myself. We're not sure when Jeff will wake up, but when he does, I'll be there to welcome him back with a kiss. Greg, Jessica, and I have been spending time together during our wait period, and to be honest with you, I really like these people, and I think they like me too. Three days ago, after I stepped out of the room, they seemed a bit skeptical.

***Three days earlier***

"Well," Greg started, "What really made you want to come visit Jeff since you two really had just officially met?"

I wanted to tell him that Jeff had secretly infatuated me ever since I saw how quickly he could gain control over himself when I kicked that soccer ball into the side of his head two years ago. Instead, I told him, "I found what he did to be a courageous gesture for a damsel in distress." I only thought I had fooled Greg, but he is a very smart man, and he saw through the bullshit in my eyes.

"I'm not sure that's the truth," he began, "Why don't you tell me how you really feel."

"Greg!," Jessica interrupted.

"Not now, Jess, I'm trying to learn this young lady's intentions with our son," Greg corrected.

"It's okay, Mrs. Harden, I can handle the question," I assured her, "Well, two years ago, when I was at soccer practice, Jeff happened to walk right in the way of a pretty hard kick. I began to take a secretive interest in him when I saw that he was able to calm himself down pretty quickly."

They looked at each other as if I had just spoken to Swahili. Then Greg turned back to me and said, "Continue."

"That was also around the time when my brother,Tommy, started to bully him. I told my dad about what Tommy was doing at school, but Tommy is dad's golden boy. Tommy can do no wrong, apparently. Eventually, it became so bad that I felt obligated to protect Jeff. I did the best I could, but it turned out that he's better at protecting me, and I just -"

"Tell us the short version, dear," Jessica interrupted.

"Mr. and Mrs. Harden, I feel like I'm in love with Jeff," I admitted. I anticipated the worst-case and thought that was going to be the end of that idea, but what they said next was heartwarming.

"That's all we wanted to hear. There should be no excuses or explanation about the way you feel about something or someone," Greg reassured me.

Noboby had ever made me feel so comfortable before. My entire life had been one big scolding for the way I feel. It felt as if I had found my home with people who love me.

"Come on, dear, let's go have lunch somewhere," Jessica said with a heartwarming smile, putting one arm around my shoulders.

***Present***

The next couple of days were just about like that. Just the three of us spending time together. Each day, after school, I would sit next to Jeff, waiting for him to wake up. Today seems to be dragging out longer than usual. Classes are lasting longer and longer each day.

Tommy hadn't been at school since the incident, but I have heard his buddies in the hallway, scheming some kind of m******e against Jeff. I need to warn him, 'Damn it, Jeff, wake up.'

After school let out for the day, I walked straight to the hospital to room 137. The entire forty minute walk turned out to be hell on my feet, but my mom didn't want me to use the car anymore because I would use it to, "visit that boy all day."

As far as I'm concerned they could go get f****d, I found a new family.

Sitting at Jeff's side, I tell him about my day. How he's all I ever think about and how my mother wasn't letting me borrow her car anymore.

A couple of hours go by, and I fall asleep in the chair with my head on the bed next to him, clutching onto his arm for dear life.