A Seat in His Heart

Chapter 9 - Guardian

[Gold]

I opened my eyes to the blasting fluorescent lights, my throbbing head and the pinch of pain in my arm. "Pete" I called out when I felt a grip on my hand. I looked down and it was Kyle, lifting up his head and staring up at me with that breath choking smile of his. "Gold are you okay?" He asked. I felt a pang of guilt hit me. He was the one there and not Pete, why did my stupid mouth have to call that name. I smiled weakly and nodded.

"Even though my head is throbbing" I added. "I'm really sorry, I should not have…" he trailed off with his eyes fixed on nothing in particular. "It is okay now, at least no one got badly hurt, I guess passing out wasn't so bad after all" I said and rolled my eyes, smiling at him. "You're very funny. You must be the only one to think that." He said, shaking his head.

Just then Pete came in "Oh my God Goldie '' he said rushing into the ward. He paid Kyle no attention and stood at the other side of the bed holding my hand. " I'm fine, Pete just chill" I laughed. Kyle tried to sit me up when he noticed I was struggling to get up but Pete beats him to it.

" Woah! I am not a princess or something, you don't have to babysit me, both of you" I laughed when I spotted the tension starting to emanate in the room.

Kyle squeezed my hands “do you want anything?" He asked.

" You don't have to get her anything, I can take care of her, '' Pete snapped back at Kyle. "Yo! Man, what the hell is wrong with you! You know you freaking caused this and you still have the mouth to talk?" Kyle retorted. No! they were at this again.

I made a mental note to remind me never to have these two in the same room ever again. I got the picture of everything happening but I just want us to be friends like before. I felt dizzy again, they're still exchanging words. "She is my girl" I heard Pete claim. "Yeah, like she even consented to that! Keep deluding yourself." Kyle laughed. That was something I never expected him to say, why was he challenging Pete that way? Did he really mean what he said back at the restaurant? My vision got more blurry and before I lost consciousness, all I could hear was a stern voice. "And what do you guys think you are doing!" The doctor came in.

************

Kyle was still in the room when I regained consciousness, I saw a man in a black suit arranging some supplies on the table in the room, Pete was nowhere to be found. "Who is he? And where is Pete?" I was confused. The man did not turn, he was still fixed on his job. It was almost as though he was on some strict order not to speak to me. When I looked around, there is almost like a whole Mart in the room. I blinked, waiting for Kyle's response.

"He works here, and about Pete well, security took care of him." Kyle said.

"By taking care of him you mean?" I asked, passing a suspicious glance at him.

"The hospital knows me as someone who brought you here and they're just acting accordingly." He replied simply. I nodded. So they kicked Pete out as a nuisance. I must call him. " Where is my phone?" I asked. "I will only hand you your phone after you must have eaten something, you are not strong enough to sass me now you see." Kyle laughed and placed a waffle and a glass of milk before me.

"remind me to kill you later" I stated, acting hurt. Kyle has me stuffed up until I can't breathe. After wiping off the milk moustache on my upper lip, he asked if he should call my aunt. I suggested he call my uncle. I gave him my uncle's contact and he returned my phone and stepped out. "Fifty missed calls!?" I shrieked, I ended up getting Kyle's attention because he kicked the door open and asked what was going on with a gesture since he was on a call. I gave him a reassuring smile and he went back to the call. Twenty missed calls from my mum, thirteen from my Dad, ten from Pete, four from my uncle, two from Trice and one of course from my aunt. I checked her time of call and obviously she called for me to go pick Diamond from school. She is the only one of the callers that I can guess the purpose of her calling. By the time Kyle returned I had ended the call with my mum. I just stared at Kyle thinking what I am to do about both him and Pete. The man in suit left immediately when he finished

”Your uncle is cool but your aunt is scary,” Kyle said, exhaling heavily. “You had some missed calls. I did not pick them up because I didn’t know if you wanted to let them know about this'' Kyle squinted his eyes.

“Yes I noticed, I have called my parents but I did not inform them of this.” I responded. Kyle informed me that the doctor said I will be discharged by morning and my uncle and his family left for a reunion at aunt Cindy’s.

“Kyle you’ve got a lot of explaining to do, firstly hospital nurses and attendants do not dress in shiny black suits and secondly this place looks like an apartment not a ward, how did you pull that off because I'm aware that we are only students, with some loans maybe?“ I speed talked.

“Trust me if you know the car you came in, you’d probably pass out a third time. None of that is important. I just want you to be okay.” Kyle cooed and patted my shoulder.

“You know, I never Knew I could pass out, as a child I had practiced passing out to avoid my ass being whipped by my mum when I broke her make-up, yet I could not pull it off back then” I changed the subject after sensing that Kyle was directly avoiding my question, maybe he has an uncle or some other connection.

“No, you did not!” Kyle laughed animatedly. I watched him laugh and he was quite stressed and disheveled from the fight. I asked him to freshen up and he insisted I go first. I did, and he went after me. The bathroom was exquisite, I even got a change of clothes, I thought to myself with eyes closed. The bathroom door closed. I knew Kyle was out so I opened my eyes. What I saw…