S I G N S

Chapter 20

The sound of a car speeding forward.

Her scarf wrapped around Lisa's neck.

Green eyes and a sad smile.

The feeling of urgency as she flung herself forward not knowing if she would make it in time.

Jennie's eyes flew open.

She was breathing heavily, a panicky feeling in her chest. It was just a bad dream. Lisa was safe, curled up next to her on the bed. The heart rate monitor was beeping fast as Jennie tried to calm herself down. Everything was okay.

She closed her eyes, trying to quietly steady her breathing and heart rate. Exhaling slowly, Jennie opened her eyes, looking up at the ceiling. Her glasses were still on her face, having fallen asleep listening to the gentle rhythm of Lisa reading out loud.

She turned her head as much as she could with the neck brace, trying not to jostle the bed too much so she didn't wake up Lisa. It was the first proper night's sleep she'd had in days. Her head was resting against Jennie's shoulder, her eyes flickered side to side beneath closed eyelids. A tiny crease between her eyebrows was the only thing marring her peaceful face.

Jennie wasn't sure how long she lay there, listening to Lisa's slow breaths and feeling the gentle rise and fall of her chest pressed up against Jennie's side. Morphine coursed through Jennie's body, numbing the pain and making her feel drowsy. It was quiet as Jennie lay there, thinking things over.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of Lisa's breathing speeding up. Her eyebrows were knit together and a low moan fell past her lips. She was having a bad dream too. Jennie tried to lift her arm to shake Lisa awake, but the morphine made her body feel loose and her arm was too heavy to lift. A quiet gurgle sounded at the back of Jennie's throat, not loud enough to wake Lisa up.

"NO!" the frightened shout tore out of Lisa's mouth as she shot up in bed. Turning to look at Jennie, she visibly relaxed. Her eyes were wild and her chest rose and fell in time with her heavy breathing. She ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it out of her face as she gasped for air. Once she had calmed down, she gently brushed her fingertips along the side of Jennie's face.

"I dreamt that you died in my arms," she sobbed quietly, staring at Jennie's face as if she couldn't believe she was actually here. Jennie made a small sound in indignation; she didn't like the fact that Lisa was having nightmares too.

Settling back down on the pillows, Lisa curled up next to Jennie, relaxing as she felt the warmth of her beside her. Right now, she was wishing that she could feel Jennie's arms wrapped around her, making her feel safe. But it was enough to know that she was here.

They lay next to each other in silence, taking comfort in the fact that they weren't alone, until the nurse came in on his rounds. It was breakfast time, and for Jennie that meant a watery porridge that could be dribbled in through the gaps in the wires. Lisa insisted on feeding her herself, and the nurse left, informing them that he'd be back later on to check on Jennie.

Jessica showed up as Lisa was scooping up the last spoonful. Jennie and Lisa both looked over at the door as it opened and Jessica poked her head in. She smiled at the two girls, getting a bright smile off Lisa and what resembled a grimace off Jennie.