Amends

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Everything was so bright, way too bright, I had to squint my eyes to make out where I was, but that didn't help because there was far too much light to make out anything. There was an icy chill, I could feel it over my skin, but I wasn't cold or warm, I felt pretty normal yet there was still that chill.

Despite the brightness, I felt at peace after a long time – I felt almost numb and it was solacing. I wasn't too sure about my surroundings and my head felt muzzy, but I was at ease, every kind of pain I experienced was gone and I was... content.

"Why is it so bright in here?" A voice scolded and in a matter of seconds the owner of that voice closed the blinds, and I blinked a few times, finally able to take in my surroundings.

A short, woman in a white nursed outfit looked annoyed as she walked towards me and checked on my vitals. She appeared to be strict but over the last three days that I was awake, I had gotten her to smile a handful of times and she was slowly warming up towards me.

I was told that I was in the hospital for ten days now and was in a medically induced coma for seven of those days, I recalled the accident and everything that led up to it but after I went unconscious, everything was a blank until I opened my eyes and was greeted by my father's worried and tired eyes.

I shortly slipped back into a deep sleep but twelve hours later when I woke up, I was on the road to recovery. I was told that there was a moment they thought they lost me forever, my heart even stopped for a few seconds but with the help of the amazing Dr. Sharma and his team, I was revived in no time. It wasn't an easy seven days, my condition fluctuated but by the fifth day, my vitals picked up and it was only upwards from there.

I was officially moved out of ICU a day ago and put in an exclusive private room – which was very similar to a luxury hotel room – sans the comfortable bed. The room was big and airy, with a stunning view of the city from the window, there was a set of couches as well as a little area for breakfast and tea with a rounded table and four very comfortable chairs.

I didn't expect less when my father was calling the shots, he wanted nothing but the best and that's what he got. I, however, didn't care much for that, I was happy to be out of ICU for obvious reasons, but I was even happier to know that I could now get more visitors than just my dad and grandparents.

I missed seeing my friends, I knew they were present and even caught a glimpse of Faith once, but my doctor preferred if only my intermediate family visit until I was stronger and out of ICU. My phone was done for in the crash, so I currently had no access to the outside world, but my dad said he'd get me a new one ASAP.

I didn't care for that right now because I knew I would see Faith, Jimmy, Owen, and... well the one person I craved to see the most – Mitchell. I didn't just crave to see him, I craved to yell at him, argue with him but most of all, I craved his hug and to be enveloped by his scent I loved so much.

I knew we had a fight and running out in the middle of the night was reckless and impulsive, so the paranoid Mitchell was bound to be mad. However, I knew him, and I felt deep in my heart that we were going to work through this. If being at death's doorstep taught me anything, it was to not hold back in fear of loss or a broken heart, I wanted to tell him how I felt so all those stupid fights over his ex could finally stop.

"How are you feeling, Ms. Brinson?" My reverie was broken by the nurse.

"Hmm?" I blinked, "I told you to call me Mila, and I'm alright; feeling a lot better than yesterday."

I was getting better with each day; I incurred many injuries but thankfully the internal ones were a lot better. I was no longer internally bleeding; I could breathe on my own again – no matter how painful it was at times because of the two surgeries I had. I sometimes had to go to sleep with a nebulizer, so I didn't put too much strain on my lungs that were healing.

The physical injuries were going to take time to heal, I had a good few amounts of cuts from the shattered glass, they weren't too deep but they were still painful, my left arm was fractured so I was in a brace, I had whiplash but it was healing well so the uncomfortable neck brace was removed a day ago. I suffered a gash at the back of my head and they had to stitch the wound so I had a bandage around my head.

My legs were thankfully fine, other than a few bruises from hurt muscles, I was alright and could walk fine. I suffered a few broken ribs which punctured my lungs so that was the most painful part, my abdomen was wrapped most of the time to allow healing but when it was time for my bath in the mornings, I could see the number of bruises and cuts which made me hate looking at myself.

Physical injuries were dealt with and thanks to the powerful painkillers the doctor administered, it knocked me out most nights and made me terribly drowsy and confused but they took the pain away in minutes. The hard part was the PTSD, I got flashbacks of the incident at times and it gave me anxiety, the mere thought of being behind the wheel again scared me to no end.

I mentioned it to my doctor, and he told me not to worry about it, it was normal but right now my main focus should be on physically healing. Other than flashbacks of being confined in that car, my mind thought back to Mitchell a lot, we had so many unsettled matters and I wondered what was going through his head. I couldn't ask my dad if Mitchell was present, I mentioned his name once and my father completely ignored it, I tried to ask Abuela, but she was more interested in feeding me than anything else.

"When are visiting hours?" I asked the nurse.

"After breakfast and your shower," She answered.

I groaned under my breath, I hated doing both those things, eating hurt so I had to do so slowly, and I wasn't allowed to shower until a day ago – before that, I was given a sponge bath.


"Hija!" I was greeted by Abuela later that afternoon, carrying a large purse.

I smiled, it was good to see her in better spirits, she always cried when she saw me, and Papa had to console her and remind her that I was alright. She seemed a lot more at ease now that I was out of ICU, color had returned to her face.

She pressed a loving kiss on my forehead and smiled down at me, "¿Qué tal?"

"Mucho mejor hoy," I replied honestly because I really was feeling a lot better today, in fact, I felt the best in days.

She smiled in glee and looked so much more relieved, she clapped her hands together and said, "Estoy muy feliz de escuchar eso."

"Where's Papa?" I asked.

"He was feeling a little tired today, he'll visit in the evening," she answered, taking a seat.

I frowned and was a little worried, "Is he alright?"

"Sí, cariño," She waved my worry off, "No te preocupes."

"Abuela," I drawled, "Don't hide anything from me."

She gave me a look, "He hasn't been sleeping well because of worry but now that you are out of ICU, he feels more at ease."

I let out a breath, "Tell him to rest assured, I'm getting better."

"Muy buena," she grinned, "You look a lot better than the last few days, which is why I brought you something."

I looked curiously as she pulled out two containers from her bag, she opened them and one was filled with empanadas and the other had buñuelos – a deep-fried, golden ball-shaped fritter.

"Cheese and corn filled empanadas and I know you missed Christmas, but I thought I'd make it and bring you some freshly made buñuelos," She said offering me some, "I hope they're still your favorites."

They did smell delicious and both snacks were a favorite of mine, but I wasn't sure if eating anything deep fried was a good idea, I knew if a nurse or my doctor saw Abuela feeding me that, they would oppose immediately.

"Abuela," I said under my breath, "Aren't you staying at a hotel? How did you manage to make these?"

"I simply told your father to inform his kitchen staff that I would be using the kitchen for an hour and he knew better than to deny me anything," She smugly said.

"Leo offered his kitchen, but I cannot work with that boy in the kitchen," She pulled her face, "He thinks he knows more about Spanish food than me, so for the sake of my blood pressure, I used the hotel kitchen."

"The useless hotel had no saffron though," She rolled her eyes, "So I made the buñuelos without any."

It felt like I was at home again hearing her speak, she was badmouthing Leo and complaining about running out of some spice or the other. Hearing her talk made me laugh, it hurt like hell when I laughed but it also felt good.

"Cuidate cariño," Concern was written on her face when I flinched in pain.

I took in a painful breath and stopped laughing, Abuela looked at me worried, and asked, "¿Estás bien?"

I nodded, "I needed to laugh, gracias Abuela."

"I'm probably not allowed to have this, but," I grabbed a fritter and popped it into my mouth, savoring the yummy flavor.

I moaned in delight, that one little delicacy tasted better than all the hospital food I was given. Abuela looked pleased that I was eating proper food in days, she believed the road to recovery included good food.

"Those are some peculiar sounds," My heart almost froze for a moment, there was only one person who picked on my moaning when I ate.

I immediately turned my head in the direction of where the masculine voice came from and was slightly let down when instead of meeting a pair of blue-grey eyes, I was greeted by warm, familiar brown ones.

I was expecting Mitchell, but I was still more than happy to see Leo, especially since the last I could remember he was avoiding me.

"Leo," I grinned widely, "So you are still on Earth, huh?"

Guilt flashed across his features, his smile dropped, and he lowered his gaze, I figured he must've felt awful for not answering my calls, especially the last one.

"I know these don't begin to explain how sorry I am, but I hope they make your surroundings better," He said and put down a bouquet of blue hydrangea's and lavender, - one being my favorite flower and the other one of my favorite scents.

"They're beautiful," I grinned at the bunch which was already in a pretty vase, "Thank you."

"Ciao, Nonna," He greeted Abuela with a kiss on her cheek.

"Hola, mijo," She greeted back in Spanish and it felt like I was home again.

Leo didn't seem to be in a mood to annoy Abuela, he glanced at me sadly and I rolled my eyes. I was getting tired of being looked at like a pity-case, my dad visited every day, but he barely spoke, he simply sat there looking miserably sad and kept asking if I was alright and needed anything – I didn't need this from Leo too.

"I'm not dead," I light-heartedly said, "Don't look at me like that."

"Mila," He scolded, "That's not funny."

"I don't know," I drawled, "When last have you looked at your face?"

The faintest of grins grew onto his face and he playfully flicked my nose, "Smartass."

"Lighten up, Leonardo," I mused, "I'm alright."

"I won't be if you call me that," He scrunched his face.

Abuela let out a small chuckle, "I missed this, you two argue worse than your Papa and me – it feels like I never left."

Leo casually wrapped an arm around her shoulder and grabbed a buñuelo from the container, he popped one in his mouth and chewed, while he appeared to be a food judge.

"Hmm," He hummed, "Good job, Nonna but I would've added a little more –"

Abuela slapped the back of his head and shrugged his arm off, "¡Cállate!" She scolded, "They're perfect, you need taste!"

I laughed at that and held onto my stomach, it hurt so bad but Abuela and Leo arguing were too funny not to laugh at.

"Mils," Leo was at my side, wrapping an arm around me, "Are you alright?"

I nodded, "Perfecta, it just hurts a little when I laugh."

"Okay, no more laughing or any kind of activity that causes you pain," Leo said, "Maybe I should leave and come back later."

"No," I grabbed his free hand, "Stay."

Leo looked down at me, brown eyes boring into mine and I could see the dark circles under his eyes and how sleep depraved he looked.

"I will leave," Abuela announced, breaking the moment between us, "I will be back with Papa in the evening."

"Take care," She kissed the top of my head, "Te quiero."

I blew her a kiss and smiled before she took her edibles and left.

Once Abuela left, silence filled the room and I could feel Leo's gaze fixed on me, he let go of me and took a seat on the chair beside my bed.

"Are you just going to stare at me?" I asked, breaking the silence.

He exhaled and ran a hand over his face, he really looked exhausted, "I," He paused, "I don't know what to say."

'After all this time how have you not noticed that Leo is madly in love with you?!'

Mitchell's words from our last interaction flashed through my mind, I recalled calling Leo to fix things and discuss what Mitchell accused him of but now looking at him, I didn't have the courage to bring it up. Besides that, I didn't have the energy or will to get into a deep conversation which would've most likely pushed Leo into hiding again.

"I'm sorry, Mila," He breathed, and his voice sounded so vulnerable, "I shouldn't have ignored all your texts and calls, I acted like a real dick, I wish I could take it back."

"Seeing you..." He gulped, shut his eyes, and shook his head before looking at me, "I kept playing the voicemail you left before the accident and I cursed myself knowing I could've prevented this if I just picked up the damn phone!"

I could see how pained he was, he couldn't even look me in the eye properly. I couldn't hold him responsible for what happened, it wasn't anyone's fault but mine and the reckless driver who caused the accident.

"Hey," I placed my hand over his, "All's forgiven and forgotten," I assured him with a smile, "Just as long as you don't ghost me like that again."

"Never, I promise."

"I was so afraid I was going to lose you," He softly added, "I've never been more scared in my entire life."

He was staring into my eyes and his emotions were so raw, I felt bad for him because I could see how remorseful he was, but I was given another shot at life, I was letting go of all negativity and decided to live life to the fullest.

"Leo," I could see something in his eyes and couldn't help but ask, "Why were you avoiding me?"

He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes were fixated on my wide gaze and I could see that he was in deep thought, his pupils dilated before he blinked and looked away.

"Because I'm a mamón," He casually said, "An asshole but I will never do that again, even if you call for the dumbest shit, I will pick up and be by your side whenever you need me."

I smiled at him, but I wasn't convinced with his answer, I wasn't the best at reading eyes, but I was starting to wonder if what Mitchell said was correct. Could Leo be in love with me? I hoped he wasn't because even though Leo meant so much to me and I did love him, but as my best friend because a cabrón named Bitchell had my heart.

"You better," I told him, "Or I will cut off your balls and feed them to you."

"Kinky," Leo winked, "But behave yourself, we're in a hospital for God's sake."

Leo stayed for a while and like always, he lifted my spirits but also toned down his idiocy because he didn't want me to laugh too much. I enjoyed his company and even if he did his best not to make me laugh, I still did, and the smile never left my face.

"Leo," I hesitated, but I had to ask because his silence was killing me, "Was everyone here at the hospital?"

Leo nodded, "Yeah, all your friends and family," He smiled at me, "You're one loved lady."

I half grinned and decided to just ask instead of beating around the bush, I needed to know if Mitchell was here because even though I recalled nothing, I could swear I felt his presence at times and even heard his voice.

"Even Mitchell?" I asked with a small voice.

Leo stiffened and his cool demeanor dropped, I could tell just by his darkened gaze that he still didn't like Mitchell – if I wasn't mistaken, that dislike looked more like hatred now.

"As I said, all your friends were here," He nonchalantly answered, "Even those who aren't deserving of any kind of relationship with you."

His answer wasn't straightforward, but I gathered that Mitchell was present, I felt relieved with that knowledge. I had a doubt he might've been mad, not only for ruining his precious Sadie but for impulsively leaving once again.

"Leo," I drawled, indirectly telling him to not go there.

"He is the reason you're in this situation and for that, I will always hate the bastard." He said harshly.

That made me wonder if everyone was blaming Mitchell and shouldering him with the responsibility of what happened. I sure as hell hoped they didn't because even though my fight with him made me want to leave, I decided on my own without even discussing it with him. I knew that if he caught me leaving, he would've done everything he could to stop me or driven me himself.

I felt uneasy thinking of the harsh things Leo, Faith and more so my dad must've said to him, I knew for certain my dad probably wanted to kill him and the mere thought upset me.

"Is everyone blaming him?" I asked sharply.

"Rightfully so," Leo answered.

"It's not his fault," I quickly defended him, "Please don't tell me everyone was treating him like a punching bag, drowning him in guilt?"

Leo could see that I was getting worked up, he slid his hand from under mine and placed his over mine, caressing it.

"He's fine," Leo softly said, "You should focus on healing and getting better more than worrying about anything else."

I wasn't convinced, I needed to see Mitchell now more than ever.

"Hey," Leo cupped my cheek, "Stop worrying about everyone else and just concentrate on getting out of here. You can deal with everything else once you have two working arms again."

Leo was right, I wanted to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. I missed Christmas and so did everyone else who stayed back for me, I didn't want to keep them back with me until Easter.

"I want you dancing by New Year's Eve," Leo teased, "I want to see those sexy tango moves."

I rolled my eyes playfully, "New Year's Eve is in two days so I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."

"Well, if you aren't discharged by then, we'll have to bring the party to you," He teased.

"Nurse Brenda will have your ass," I told him.

"Is she cute?" He asked with a smirk. 


Leo stayed until he had no choice but to give my other visitors a chance to see me, he was reluctant to leave but after a kiss on my forehead and promise to see me later, he left. Mandy, with tears in her eyes, then came to visit and I was touched by her care. She promised to take care of me once I was discharged, she even got my room back at my dad's house renovated so I could do things easier. I assured her that I was alright, and she didn't need to be that extreme.

After she, my brothers came to visit and tackled me into a bear hug, Eric scolded Dave for being too rough, but Dave was too

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net