[A/N: HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! Song for the chapter:
- 5 Seconds Of Summer // Amnesia
- Owl City // If My Heart Was A House]

A sliver of light crept past a gap in my blinds, spotlighting my right eye and chasing away any chance of falling asleep again. Not that I wanted to anyway - I had done too much of that in the past two days after being confined to my room because of the stunt Tyler and I pulled.

Apparently the nurses called my mom while she was home on a mission to change her clothes and to make sure everything was fine and dandy back there. She drove to the hospital in record time but thankfully, Tyler got me back into my room minutes before Mom burst in, frantic and furious. Obviously I pretended to be asleep, so that saved the lecture until yesterday morning but after lecturing Tyler for being reckless, we got off pretty lightly.

Right now, my head was sore but the stabbing pain was numbed by painkillers. According to Dr Wilson I had suffered traumatic brain injury but they weren't quite sure what the extent of the damage was. My speech, touch, smell, ability to read and vision seemed close to perfect. Well my vision was crap to begin with after the accident on my tenth birthday, but it hadn't worsened.

However my motor skills were slightly rusty because I had been confined to the same bed for almost two weeks straight now. It was weird to think that this time a three weeks ago, Tyler was teaching me to drive and our lives were pretty much close to perfect and now I was struggling to draw up some of my dearest childhood memories.

Yesterday the team of doctors working on my diagnosis asked Mom to go through some early memories with me and Dr Wilson made notes if I had any recollection of them or not. There were a few I did remember, but most of them hit a blank wall in my mind and it frustrated me endlessly.

I wondered why the accident had chosen to spare me the memory of my father's brutal death but stole most of my good memories with him as a kid. Hot tears pooled around my eyes and I croaked at everybody to leave my room. Mom tried to protest but I began to thrash about, screeching from the intense pain that scraped against my skull. I managed to ruin the bandages covering my burns and three nurses had to quickly rewrap them before they got infected.

Just as a precaution, I was forced to take antibiotics but at least I was left alone after that. Dr Wilson made sure that nobody disturbed me and I was grateful that she understood that I needed my privacy.

I needed time to come to terms with the accident and all that I had lost.

The first time round, I lost my father and now I had lost almost all of my good memories surrounding him. Unable to move, I sobbed silently, croaking like a strangled cat as I tried to muffle my loud whimpers.

What did I do to deserve such rotten luck?

I don't know how long I spent crying, but hours later a sharp pain stabbed against my skull and I had no choice but to press the button beside my arm to call a nurse. When she came bustling in, Dr Wilson strode in behind her with exhausted eyes and worry lines framing her forehead.

"My h-head," I choked, struggling to string together a coherent sentence when the world was spinning around me.

Soon I was seeing double and combined with my poor eyesight, delirium forced me to cry out with agony. Sobbing helplessly, I heard Dr Wilson shout frantic orders at the nurse and soon I was being carted into a blinding white room for an MRI scan. Although my exterior injuries didn't allow me to move much, I was lowered onto the cold plastic surface by two nurses. They had to make certain that my bandages remained intact since my third degree burns were pretty serious.

"I'm sorry for the rush Ashley but the sooner we get an image of your brain, the sooner I can make sure that you aren't suffering from any complications that can lead to a brain haemorrhage," She explained as another doctor took charge.

Closing my eyes, I twitched my fingers, slowly curling them into fists although the effort made sweat bead my forehead. Racing around the hallways with Tyler had exhausted me to no ends and I could barely summon to energy to lift an arm up.

After several more scans and tests, I was carted back to my room in a wheelchair and gently laid down. A kind Asian nurse changed my bandages and when I caught sight of my skin I retched with horror. Cracked like parched soil on a great summer's day, my skin was scarlet red and glowing where the flesh was peeking from the melted upper surface. It was a mixture of deep orange and bright red, like a messy lasagna had been smacked onto my skin.

"Don't panic," She murmured, spreading a clear, jelly-like liquid over bright red boils that protested with pain. "It's not as bad as it looks. You got off pretty lucky since you won't be needing a skin graft."

The casual tone she used made me flinch but I guess she was right. Why was I mourning over a few more burn scars to add to my collection when I could be losing the soft skin from my ass to patch up the charred flesh?

I barked a humourless laugh and the nurse glanced up, dark eyes bright and curious but I just shook my head and pursed my chapped lips. She carefully wrapped damp linen around my burned skin and I was grateful that the horrendously scorched injury was no longer visible.

"How long will it take to heal?" I asked, running my eyes along her thick lashes and the small mole that dotted her right cheek.

"Usually it can take from six weeks to as much a year. But since you were subjected to the flames for at least five minutes before the ambulance arrived, I think it'll take about four months to heal." She tugged the blanket up to my chin before gently lifting both my arms so that they rested on top of the blanket. "But when you're discharged, we'll prescribe some creams that will make the skin scar less visibly."

I nodded and thanked her before she gathered her stuff and left me to wallow in my own despair.

My forearms, upper back and the right side of my neck were moist from the cool bandages but I was grateful that my face hadn't been touched by the fire. At least Tyler wouldn't have to deal with a grotesquely burned girlfriend if I could cover the affected areas. Leaving what was left of my hair down would deal with my neck and if I stuck to long-sleeved shirts nobody would be able to see my scars.

On the bright side, at least I'll still be able to wear short shorts.

With a defeated sigh, I stared at the cracks that lined the ceiling, like rivers on a world map, splitting up into tiny little branches. Since I was no longer comatose and after our wheelchair racing stunt, my mom forced Tyler to keep to his own room today. Mrs Miller wasn't too pleased with our recent behaviour either. She was annoyed that her son was shying away from spending quality time with his parents, agreeing with my mom that we should stay away from each other and stop creating havoc for at least one day.

According to Mom, Mrs Miller was just upset that Tyler hadn't left my bedside for the eight days I was comatose, especially when he was supposed to be resting in his own bed; and that was the real reason why she moved him to the private wards upstairs.

She wanted to keep us apart and for some reason, I felt the urge to strangle her scrawny little neck.

So now my room felt achingly lonely but I guess it was for the best. The thought of being alone with Tyler terrified me after I saw how grotesque my burns really were. I didn't want him to see me like this: helpless, broken and crying every few hours.

Towards the evening, Dr Wilson ushered my mom into my room and discussed the full extent of my injuries. I stared out of the window, refusing to listen to the talk regarding my burns. But when it came to the results of my MRI scan, my ears perked up like a cat and I listened intently.

She concluded that my temporal lobe was the result of my missing memories because my brain smashed against my skull when my head broke through the driver seat's window of Tyler's car. That caused a great deal of swelling but they managed to reduce it whilst I was in a coma.

The right temporal lobe was responsible for my long-term memories, basic behaviour, speech, reading abilities, personality and hearing. Although these factors were all at risk, Dr Wilson assured me that my TBI - traumatic brain injury - was miraculously mild. Especially considering the fact that I had suffered severe concussion on my tenth birthday.

I was having no trouble with motor skills, my speech or recognising people so I was good for now. She did state that my long-memory may return in snippets but some of my childhood memories were gone for good.

Before allowing me to sleep, they ran a few more tests and it was determined that my hearing may also be off balance for another week at most, but the only permanent damage was my ability to store old memories and my bone crushing migraines. I was more than grateful to emerge from the accident unscathed with no more than head trauma and third degree burns.

I narrowly avoided death for the second time in my life.

Once again, the doctors deemed me as lucky, but I felt anything but that.

I was broken, bruised and burned - inside and out. It didn't matter what Tyler thought about them because I thought they were atrocious and hideous and disgusting.

**

I turned my head away from the bright light that flooded my room and sighed heavily at the slumped figure in the chair beside me. Her blonde hair was wiry with frizz, lifeless and lacking their usual sheen. Dark circles were as prominent as purple bruises around her eyes and I wondered if she had slept at all during the three weeks.

"Mom?" I croaked sleepily just as the door creaked open a fraction.

Another blond trudged into the room, striding like a zombie and staggering to my bed with tired, lifeless eyes.

When Tyler noticed that I was awake, he set down the two coffee cups he was balancing in his uninjured hand and seated himself beside my chest.

"Morning beautiful," He leaned forward and planted a lingering kiss on my forehead. "How are you holding up?"

I stared at his broken arm and the scarlet scar that stretched over his eyebrow.

"Fabulous now that you look worse than I do right now," I lied, forcing myself to hold his gaze rather than look at the bandages that were plastered on half my neck, back and upper arms.

Tyler chuckled at my dry humour and kissed me again.

"Don't insult my good looks or I'll become insecure," He pouted, brushing a few brittle strands of hair away from my forehead.

My breath hitched considerably and I edged closer to his fingers, eager to feel more.

"Like that's possible," I croaked with an eye roll. "Help me sit up please."

With numerous grunts and pauses to relieve the pain in my head, Tyler managed to single-handedly help me scoot back and  he gently leaned me against the headboard of my bed. I made space for him and we sat together, shoulders pressed against each other as we stared straight ahead at the closed blinds.

Laying my head on his shoulder, I smiled when he pressed his lips to my temple. We sat in silence for about ten minutes, enjoying each other's company as I thought about what I had missed while I was comatose.

Graduation had come and gone and I received my high school diploma. Mona collected it on my behalf and Blake collected Tyler's, which was kind of them to do so, but I just wish I could have done it myself. It was one of those 'once in an lifetime' moments and I spent it getting squashed to a pulp in a hazy dream during a coma that I couldn't quite recollect.

To my surprise, Principal Jenkins asked the entire senior year to pray for my speedy recovery which, I guess, was nice of him. I felt annoyed that Tyler could have made it to graduation, since he only broke his ribs, arm and had a few scratches beside the scar on his eyebrow. But he refused to leave my bedside at all during the eight days I was comatose because he genuinely believed I wouldn't make it through.

Prom had also slipped by, though neither of my friends went. I felt particularly bad that Mona's beautiful dress had remained unworn because of me. Eventually, I grew tired of the silence and winced as a dull ache shot through my scalp.

Tyler picked up on my sharp breaths and turned to face me.

"Haven't you taken your pain meds yet?"

I shook my head. "I have to eat first but I'm not really hungry."

He sighed heavily. "Ashley, you have to eat to get well enough to leave. Don't you want to get discharged too?"

Surprised, I sat up straighter.

"You've been discharged? Already?"

Tyler nodded and rubbed his temples, "Yeah, last night. I tried to sneak out of my room but my mom wouldn't let me see you after I 'kidnapped' you in a wheelchair. I don't see how it's kidnap if you were willing."

Thinking back to the exhausting MRI scan and diagnosis I had received yesterday, I bit my lip and wondered how he would take the news if I broke it to him. I was already burned, would he want a girlfriend with traumatic brain injury?

Sighing heavily, I decided to be honest. Tyler was mature enough to make a decision whether he wanted to keep on dating me. I wouldn't blame him if he ran to the North Pole. He's suffered enough collateral damage to last him a lifetime.

"Yesterday Dr Wilson finalised my diagnosis after lots of scans and tests," I stared at the fine lines on my knuckles and the skin turned milk white when I clenched my hands.

In a small voice, I told Tyler about my TBI and he sat still, studying my face with a heartbroken expression that made my breath catch. With a hiccuping sob, I found myself crying into his arms even though I was certain I used up all my tears last night.

"I'm s-sorry," I whimpered, pulling away from Tyler's chest and peering up at him with bloodshot eyes. "You already have enough on your plate."

"Don't be," He clenched his jaw, running his fingertips under my eyes to swipe away the last of my tears. "This doesn't change anything, you know that right?"

Although I had been unsure yesterday, meeting his powerful, bright eyes made my insides heat up like a furnace.

"Yeah," I smiled shakily, thinking about exactly how much I love him. "I know."

Taking care not to put my weight on his broken ribs, I planted a kiss on his cheek and rested my head on the crook of his neck.

"I love you," I whispered quietly and I swear I felt him smile into my hair.

"I love you more."

With an eye roll, I kept silent even though I found it near to impossible to believe that he could love me more than I loved him.

Sighing heavily, I fiddled with the hairs that ended a few inches shy of my shoulders and scrutinised the dead ends. My fingers brushed the bandage on my neck and I bit my lower lip.  It felt like I was wearing a slippery layer of parched skin that protested with even the slightest movement. Tyler noticed my discomfort, gently easing my head from his shoulders and helping me rest against the headboard as I let out a deep breath.

Swinging his legs off my bed, he stood up and stretched his cramped arm. He rubbed the muscles in his thighs with his uninjured hand before turning around to face me.

"Your mom asked me to wake her up as soon as you're up," Tyler paused, scanning my face. "Are you' ready to be fussed over or should we leave her for a few more minutes?"

Eyeing my mom, I shook my head. "She'll be cranky with us all day even though she needs the sleep. I'm gonna force her to go home tonight anyway."

"Good luck with that," Tyler's hair flopped to the side when he shook his head. "I told her that I could watch over you last night but she forced me to leave."

I scoffed and gave him a confident grin, "Well what did you expect? You just got discharged and your crazy mom would've thrown a bitch fit if you tried to stay. Plus, I'm very persuasive."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "No, you're just violent and your mom will give into your tantrum not your charms."

With a light laugh I winked at him. "But you give into my charms all the time."

"Actually I give into your violence. You're anything but charming Ash."

"Is that so?"

Tyler's gaze settled on my lips as I puckered them and I waggled my eyebrows suggestively.

"Screw you," He feigned a scowl because I proved him wrong.

"I know you want to," I laughed and two pink spots formed on his cheeks.

He flashed me a lopsided grin making my toes curl and my pulse quicken. Even with his blood red scar and his arm in a sling, Tyler still managed to look unbelievably hot. My eyes lingered on his ass when he leaned over to wake up Mom. His jeans were snug enough to hug his incredibly toned legs but loose enough to make me wonder exactly what he looked like with nothing on.

Suddenly the image of his naked body the morning after Blake's birthday party filled my mind and I suppressed a girlish giggle. Blushing at the direction of my thoughts, I mentally smacked myself for perving on him right in front of my mom.

"Diane?" Tyler gently shook my mother awake, clasping her small shoulders with his large hand.

She slurred incoherent mumbles but failed to wake up.

"You're on a first name basis with my mom?" I raised an eyebrow at him and he gave me a sheepish smile.

"You'd be surprised how many times she told me to stop calling her Mrs Martin," He shook her shoulders again, pushing her into an upright position as she slowly woke up.

Mom's eyes fluttered open, scanning the room until they met mine. Instantly her dazed blue orbs came into focus.

"Ashley? You're awake?"

With a crooked smile, I rolled my eyes. "No Mom, I'm still asleep."

She shot up and leaned over me, smothering me in kisses like she's been doing every morning since I woke up. Without protesting, I gave into her affection and turned my head to the side, shooting Tyler a panicked look.

"Help me," I mouthed.

"Nope," He mouthed back.

"I hate you," I narrowed my eyes at him. "Jerk."

"You love me really, munchkin," He winked.

I flipped him off behind my mom's back and Tyler shrugged his shoulders, watching me squirm with enjoyment until my death glare forced him to pry my mom off me.

"Diane? Ash is really hungry," He said to my mom. I glared at him but he continued to bore his eyes into Mom's. "And her head hurts but I pressed the call button like five times and the nurses haven't come for her morning medication yet."

Why was he lying? I already told him I wasn't hungry and neither of us had made any movement to call any nurse whatsoever. Confused, I tried to catch his eye but he held my mother's eyes as they widened.

She spun around to face me. "Your medication isn't here? What game are these nurses playing at?"

She drew back her shoulder and ran a hand through her hair before wrenching a hairband from wrist and tying everything into a messy bun.

"I'll find Dr Wilson and find out what's going on," Mom huffed, heading for the door in short, angry strides.

The entire time she cursed under her breath, Tyler's shoulders shook with laughter and I felt guilt churn inside me for a brief moment. The poor nurses were going to face my mom's wrath.

"You're a devious liar," I chuckled after Mom stormed out of the room and was out of earshot. I could still hear her grunting that her 'baby wasn't being treated properly'.

Tyler turned away from the door and a sly grin, approached me slowly.

"Why did you do that? I asked you to help me, not send her on a wild goose chase."

"I go to great lengths to get whatever I want whenever I want," He flashed me a cocky smirk and I felt hot and flustered when he took a seat on my bed.

"Giving into my charms already?" I teased, trying to conceal my nervousness and anticipation. "And what exactly is it that you want?"

Tyler cupped my cheek and leaned towards me, brushing his lips against mine for a brief second before freezing still.

"This."

He kissed me, pushing me until my back was plastered against the headboard. My arms weakly wormed their way around his neck, hanging loosely as my fingers played with the hair curling around his nape. Tyler's fingers trailed along the length of my jawline before they disappeared into my hair. He held me like he was scared I would break into thousands of porcelain pieces, taking care not to touch the bandage around my neck. The warmth of his mouth and the steady pace that his lips moved against mine was enough to make my skin prickle with jolting electricity. I sighed happily when he pulled away, too dazed to utter a word when my mom came bustling back into the room with two nurses trailing behind her.

Tyler sprung away from me as the nurses began to fuss over me. I clamped a hand over my mouth to muffle a giggle at the startled look on his face when Mom raised an eyebrow with suspicion. When she didn't say anything, I sighed with relief.

Good, I thought. She never realised that Tyler cunningly set her up so we could have a few moments alone.

A goofy grin made it's way onto my lips as I took an endless amount of pills whilst one nurse stood over me and made sure that I swallowed all of them. Puzzled, the other nurse fumbled with the electronic buzzer beside my hand.

"There's nothing wrong with the call button ma'am."

Mom's pale blue eyes found mine, registering the pink flush that was stark against my pale face.

"Yes," She drawled, narrowing her eyes as her gaze slid to the left to meet Tyler's sheepish smile. "I know that now."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[A/N: Can't. Stop. Listening. To. Amnesia. By. 5SOS.

Vote, comment, share....all of that shizzle shazzle. Anyway, I'm at Chicklit #135 which is soooooooooooooooooooooooo cool and I'm freaking out because I jumped 25 places in one day :'D This chapter is a bit on the shorter side but don't feel disheartened because you will L-O-V-E tomorrow's chapter ;)

Why? Because. Just...because.

Chapter 66: Showering With The Bad Boy

Need I say more? *waggles eyebrows*
- Kaddy]