âI donât know if Iâve told you already but Iâm a foster kid?â he asked her to see if she knew. He didnât know whether the medicine was screwing with his memory or if he just didnât tell her. âI change places like roughly every month because well .. the parents donât really connect with me so basically Iâve slept on old mattresses already so Iâm not opposed to this bed at all,â he explained, listening to her intently as she spoke about the different nurses here and her relationship with them. âIâll try it the next time they check on me. I guess theyâre so used to just giving one all the medical information that itâs refreshing for them to talk about something else as well,â he assumed with a small shrug, taking a mental note to do it next time one entered his hospital room. âOh boy, do I relate to that,â he said in between a loud sigh and a shake of his head, the memories of yesterday reoccuring involuntarily. âI value honesty more than anything like I donât give a shit if someoneâs not loyal as long as they tell me what they did wrong. Thatâs not too much to ask, right?â He caught himself almost ranting a little, stopping himself before he could get angry about something that had no meaning anymore or at least he should not be affected by at much anymore after being bothered by enough as it is. A dry laugh escaped his lips at her words, scrunching up his face a little as he thought about it. âAs just mentioned - youâre honest, probably the strongest person Iâve ever met, pretty cute if I may say so and your jokes are funny,â he listed, not caring whether he was being a little blunt about it. He wasnât much into sugar-coating and compliments but maybe it was yet another side effect of his antibiotics. However, he kept silent for a while when she turned to pry a little about his nightmares, scratching the side of his arm where the IV was inside. âDumb actions, nothing more. Itâs whatever,â he dismissed it, waving his hand in a dissive way as well. He gave her a small smile when she added to her words, apologizing a little. âItâs okay. I have to process it myself before I can go and tell anyone really,â he sincerely pointed out which was probably the most he had ever said about his situation even there was no information really. He chuckled quietly, a somewhat bright smile reappearing on his features. âDr. Maisie is already my favorite,â he acknowledged, just excited for his milkshake to arrive somewhat soon. He was pretty sick of just water, especially because they didnât have any ice tea here and he wasnât into hot beverages like tea or coffee. âUh, yeah - where did I put it?â he spoke to himself a little, turning in his place a little with a small groan as he picked up the bottle and brought it to his lips to take a sip. âItâs always a hassle to drink so I forget.â
âI fucking refuse to pee into the bottle! What the hell?â He couldnât help but match her laughter with his own soon after which he had to stop as soon as he started though as his chest began to sting. âOkay - donât do that,â he huffed, narrowing his eyes for a moment as he laid his head back into his pillow. âThatâs a promise?â he then asked, lifting the arm closest to her and extending out his pinky finger as he flashed her a soft smile. He knitted his brows together a little at her words, tilting his head to her side. âYou sure thatâs not the definition for a loser?â he jokingly quizzed, placing his hand on his chest. âI sure as hell feel like one right now,â he exhaled, tongue darting over his lips. He shook his head in denial, fiddling with the tube that was stuck inside of his arm a little. âI donât have much to lose, I suppose. Iâm barely scared of anything,â he genuinely pointed out, knowing that it probably sounded like the most depressing thing that ever left his lips but it was what it was. He nodded a little, seeing her shock and surprise in her facial features but he decided to not mention it or call it out. âMhm?â he hummed quietly, teeth nibbling on his bottom lip. âI shouldnât work out too much but thatâs not an issue. Iâll have issues with bending down because obviously those plates are not really flexible and .. I think thatâs it? I was halfway asleep when the doctor told me about it.â
âWoah - no, you never did. I had no idea. How long have you been in the system for?â Maisieâs brows raised, she knew his home life wasnât great but didnât realize it was due to foster care. âThat must be so ... I donât know. If you ever need anything or a place to stay, you are always welcome at my house. Seriously. I donât want you sleeping on mattresses.â Her family didnât have a lot to give with Maisieâs medical bills piling up, but they would certainly give David anything to help out. âYeah, theyâre lifesavers once you get to know them. Youâll warm up to them with how much time theyâre here, they are having to spent an hour transporting you to the toilet, after all,â her eyes had a humorous glint in them as she spoke. âNo, it definitely isnât. Iâd like to know the truth about everything, even if it will hurt me. And I think youâre the same way,â she inferred, he seemed like honesty was his priority. âSo keep preaching.â He was, he was almost ranting. At his next words, Maisie couldnât help but laugh as she felt her cheeks turn slightly red. âOh my god. Stop it. Youâre too nice to me, you know. I think Iâm turning you into a softie. You have a reputation to upkeep, remember?â In all honesty, the words did make her feel good, made her feel like she was at least someone people enjoyed being around instead of being a burden. âI wasnât aware nose tubes were cute,â she wiggled her eyebrows playfully and straightened out the oxygen on her face, before turning her head down into her arm to cough, incredibly loudly and pretty disgustingly, but that the price of having lungs that were literally full of mucus all the time. Luckily it was over in a moment. âSorry,â she cleared her throat, straightening back up. As she realized her prying was probably making him uncomfortable and he wasnât going to talk about it, she kept her head somewhat low, feeling bad for even talking about it while he was in a rather fragile state. âNo, I shouldnât have asked. We all need a little privacy, and I should respect yours.â Privacy was something she was often denied, so she understood its importance. She moved on to the next topic swiftly. âOoh, Iâm flattered. Sheâll be here any second now. She got an extra large, too,â she teased slightly, she knew hospital food was disgusting so hopefully heâd enjoy this. Maisie stood up, ready to help him before he got it himself. âThey should give you a really long straw or something. Let me know if you need help.â If he was willing to ask for help in fixing his hair, he probably had let his guard down enough to know he could ask her for help with anything else.
Maisie was completely cracking up, her face was flushed bright red and she held a hand over her mouth as she quite literally cackled. âYou are too stubborn for your own fucking good, Jesus, David -â she caught the next laugh in her throat as she saw his face squinch in pain. â-Okay, okay. Sorry. Iâll keep my jokes to a minimum,â she replied, feeling a little bit guilty. âItâs a promise,â she returned his soft smile and inched closer to him, wrapping her pinky (with its signature clubbed quality, thanks to CF) around his tightly. âWe can go on little adventures and not have to worry about me running out of oxygen or getting sick or coughing my lungs up,â she grinned, it felt good to think brightly about her future, she was feeling positive about it today. âA loser wouldâve had zero visitors and been sobbing once they heard the first rib crack. Not you, kiddo,â she giggled at her word choice, it felt odd for a little 5 foot tall girl like her to call a guy over 6 feet kiddo. Her smile fell at his next words. âOf course you have things to lose. You have your friends. Me. Your own life.â She paused. âYour integrity,â she tacked on. âAnd probably more things but these antibiotics mess with my head. Even though you might not have much, you still have things to live for ... hope for.â She knew she was being sappy but she didnât really care. As he explained the situation, she nodded slowly. â... Oh. Okay.â She scratched her arm absent-mindedly. âJust affect your physical activity ...â she mused not really knowing what to say. âSo if you canât work out too much maybe Iâll beat you in a marathon one day,â she joked somewhat dryly, forcing a smile on her face. âKidding. Youâll still beat me. But, Iâm sorry, That sort of sucks.â