I wake up to searing pain in my leg. “Uhh!” I keep my eyes closed.

    “Lucy, what's wrong?” Alex asks. I point to my leg. “Oh. I'll be back.”

   Oh?

   I clench my fist, trying to ignore the pain.

    The doctor says, “So, your leg is hurting, Lucy?” I nod. He must have been waiting right outside. “I was expecting this. It's normal. Take two of these twice a day for a few days. Let's just say until you can open your eyes. It'll help with the pain.” He puts two pills in my hands. I swallow them. “Make sure she takes those, Alex.” Alex probably nods because he doesn't say anything. I hear heels clicking as they leave the room and I can only assume that they belong to the doctor.

    “Mom and Dad?” I ask Alex. He probably hasn't called them yet. I wouldn't want them here except they're probably worried sick.

    “I was hoping you wouldn't bring them up. I haven't called them. I guess I should,” Alex says.

I roll my eyes under my eyelids.

I hear him dial their number on his phone. “Hi, Mom... Yes I know you've been worried about us, but I'm fine... Where am I? I'm at the hospital... I'm fine, but Lucy is, well. Just come down here.” He hangs up. “You're going to regret that. They're going to come and get mad at all of us. Emily, too, most likely.” I perk up when he says Emily's name. He laughs. “Yes, Emily's here. I'll go get her.”

    Why wasn't Emily in here yesterday? Maybe she didn't know until today. “Hi, Lucy.” I wave. “How are you doing?” I shrug. “Why don't you look at me?” I don't answer. I'm too tired.

    “She's not supposed to open her eyes. Her brain is freaking out with all the blood she lost. She can't see anything very well,” Alex answers for me.

    “Oh. I'm sorry. You have a lot on your plate. With you leg-” Emily stops talking. Alex probably cut her off. Why? She clears her throat. “I'm sorry I left you guys. I panicked when I heard you scream. I sort of took off.” I don't say anything. “Why aren't you talking to me? Are you mad?”

    “She hasn't been talking a lot since she got here. Just leave her be.”

    “Sorry,” Emily says.

    “Lucy?!” Mom yells. She rushes over to me, I feel the wind. “What happened?”

    “She got shot in the leg and she lost a lot of blood. Her eyes are closed because her brain is acting weird from the blood she lost.” Seems like Alex has become my new Gary.

    “How did this happen?” Mom asks. Alex tells her everything, from the forming of the plan to the questioning in the police station. Mom is quiet. She finally says, “So, you said that Danny got shot, too. So where is he?” That's a good question. He hasn't come over yet.

    “He got sent home last night. He's not supposed to leave for a few days,” Alex answers. I won't be able to see him for a while. Even though I can't see anything anyway. “He's taking time off his foot. Mom, where's Dad?”

    “He's at work. He doesn't know anything yet. I haven't had the chance to tell him,” Mom answers. Alex must give her a weird look because she says, “I guess I'll call him now.” She dials the phone and walks out of the room. She comes back in a few minutes later. “He's on his way."

    I want to open my eyes. I want to know my surroundings, where everyone stands. I open one eye and I feel pain rush around in my head. I close my eye. “Lucy. Keep your eyes closed,” Alex touches my shoulder. “Just another day or two. Be patient.” He removes his hand.

    We wait in silence for Dad to show up. “Hey, Lucy. I heard that this was all my fault,” Dad says. Mom probably yelled at him, telling him that. “I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing to you.” I didn't know that he really thought that he was helping me. “You just need to relax and heal. I think we all need to leave you alone.”

    “Remember to take your pills, Lucy,” Alex reminds me. How can I? I don't know where they are. “Actually, I'll come in later and help you.” I give him a small smile.

    I hear several sets of footsteps walking away from me. I'm all alone. I drift back to sleep.

    The next two days go by and nothing changes. I still have to take pills, I still have to keep my eyes closed, and I still don't feel like talking. No one new visits me. Danny still hasn't come back yet. I try not to dwell on it, because I know he's fine, wherever he is.

    I wake up on the fourth day of being hospitalized. The doctor is already in there. “I've been waiting for you to wake up. Today is the day that you can open you eyes. Are you ready?” I nod. It's finally time. “Okay, open.”

    My eyelids lift away and I see the room, and for the first time, I get a good look at it. The door is directly opposite me and there are two chairs on either side of the door. The blue curtain on my left, where Danny's room was, is open, and no one is in there. There are many machines on either side of my bed. The walls and ceiling are white and the floor is tile. I shift my eyes back to the door and I see someone there. My eyes still haven't adjusted completely to the bright light. I squint.

    “Hey. How are you doing?” He hobbles closer to me. Danny. He's on crutches.

    “Hi. I'm okay, I guess. I just opened my eyes. For the first time,” I say.

    “Well, look who's talking. Alex told me that you haven't been talking a lot since you got here. Even when you do, it's not a real sentence,” Danny smiles. “I bet you've had a ball in here for the past few days.”

    “Yeah. Totally. I bet you had fun laying down all day, watching TV. At least you could,” I say. I change the subject. “How are your crutches?”

    “They are such a pain! I didn't know that I could be so sore! I just appreciate sitting down when I can.” He pulls one of the chairs closer to the bed and he sits down. “You'll know the feeling soon enough.”

    I roll my eyes and answer, “Lucky me.” I shake my head. I don't want to think about that right now. I need to change the subject again, but I don't know what to say. I bite my lip. Silence comes over the room. I don't like quiet. It reminds me where I am, and I don't want to be reminded. “Have you talked with your aunt?”

    “She came to visit me at home yesterday. I had to tell her the truth of what happened. She told me that she was worried when she came downstairs to wake you guys up and you weren't there.” Danny rubs his forehead. “It's all my fault you're in here. If I had waited longer to get to you, they wouldn't have been right on our tails. They wouldn't have shot you.”

    “Hey, it's fine. I don't blame you for anything. You were just stressed out, like we all were,” I turn my hand to him and he grabs it. He keeps his head down. “Don't freak yourself out over this. I'm fine, you're fine, Emily and Alex are both fine. Just relax.”

    “No. I ruined your life, Lucy. I wish it was me that this happened to. You get to pay for what I did,” Danny shakes his head.

    “You didn't ruin my life. I'm just in the hospital. I'll be fine.” I see fear wipe across Danny's face. He's scared. About what?

    “They, they haven't told you, have they?” Danny looks up at me, his eyebrow are furrowed.

    “They haven't told me what, Danny?” Somethings wrong, something big. Fear flows through me. Is something wrong with my leg? Or my head? I look at the door and I see Alex, leaning against the door frame. “Alex, what haven't they told me?”

    “They had to remove your leg,” Alex says. “The bullet hit your bone. It was too late for anything to be done about it.”

    “What? W...” My grip tightens around Danny's hand. My breaths become shallow. “No. This can't be happening.” I look down at my leg. I see that nothing is there. How have I not noticed this? I feel tears streak my cheeks. Danny lets go of my hand. I see him hobble out of the room. I close my eyes.

    “Lucy, it's okay. You'll learn to walk again. You'll get a prosthetic leg. Calm down.” Alex walks to my right. “Everything will be okay.”

    “How? How is everything going to be okay? I...” I burst out in tears. “Why didn't you just tell me from the beginning?”

    “Trust me, Lucy. We didn't tell you because we wanted to make sure you were ready, ready to hear the news.”

    “Just leave me alone.” I turn my head away from Alex. I hear the door close. My tears dry and I find myself falling asleep. I dream of what my life will be like. Without being 'broken' and without a leg.

    No one comes in and talks to me for the next few days, only the doctor and a nurse, to check my vitals. I'm tired of being alone, but I don't want to face anyone.