A Memory Faded - [Twenty]

Fletcher looked tiredly across to the doors. He felt like if only he could pass them, then maybe he would taste even the most delicate fragment of life again. Then, he heard the click of heels, and the voice of not a nurse, but a teenage girl, a very familiar voice. A smile lit up his face, and he felt color rush back into the life he was beginning to devalue. He couldn’t really bring himself to sit up, but he tried, and managed to get far enough to wave to attract Alex’s attention. She ran up to him and kissed him on the cheek, before wrapping her arms around him.
“I can’t believe it…you look paler than I thought was possible.”
Fletcher smiled weakly.
“Thanks…you look nice.”
“It’s school uniform, hardly Adeline is it?”
“True, but it’s not the clothes, it’s the person.”
Alex blushed and smiled.
“Injuries don’t stop you from flirting, do they?”
“It’s not flirting, it’s telling the truth.”
“Calm down, Fletcher.”
“Hey, I’ve been asleep for the past six hours.”
There was a silence. They just looked at each other, and then Alex looked down at her shoes.
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m glad I’ve got to see you…I don’t think school will be too impressed though.”
“Screw them. You’re the important one here, and besides, it’s not like we have exams for months yet. We don’t need to be there.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Fletcher’s mom stood up and took a few items from her bag, before leaving them on Fletcher’s desk. She whispered something into his ear, and then walked away. Alex took the recently vacated seat and put her gloved hands around his pale, bare ones, and looked into his eyes. She stroked his face, and he looked at her with contentment. His hand caught his leg and those eyes burst open, crying out silently with pain. He groaned, and Alex leant over and kissed him. He leant up and kissed her with as much energy as he could muster, which wasn’t much, due to his condition. She noticed that his lip ring had been taken out and set on the table aside, and replaced with a small stud to stop it from healing.
“Just sleep, Fletcher. I’ll be here when you wake up, I promise.”
“Alright…as long as you’re sure.”
“Yeah, I’m positive, you need your rest.”
“Okay then.”
He closed his eyes and she rubbed his left hand slowly, delicately. She could feel tension in it, but then he relaxed, and she knew he had fallen asleep. Taking her gloves off, she took out a sketchpad and continued a sketch she had already started. It was for a comic book she was writing, called 31st Day. It followed a boy and a girl through some strange events on Halloween, from possession to the dead rising. The boy was quite like Fletcher, but with short, ash blonde hair, and a slightly less toned figure. The girl was a little like Elizabeth to some degree, she supposed that was where she had gotten some inspiration from. She smiled and began to shade.
“This is gonna be for you, Fletcher,” she whispered, “Just you wait. It’ll be awesome.”

In theater, Alice stirred, although the operation was still ongoing. The doctor’s scalpel slipped, nicking the top of a vein. A slow flow of blood began to leak out, and he shivered. He nodded to an assistant to sort out the damage he’d caused. He was nervous. This was such a young child. He was used to doing the kidneys of adults, and although he was the best surgeon in the state at this, he was still under a lot of pressure, and the guilt that would come from messing up…it didn’t bear thinking about.
“Is the new kidney ready for transplantation.”
“Yes, doctor.”
“Good. Fifteen minutes ‘til we go.”
“Yessir. Do you need anyone to take over?”
“No…I should be fine."