33: Franny (1/2)

33. Franny

Dad's talking.

And moving and eating and drinking. And I don't know what to do. Most of the time I just sit there beside his bed and rattle off random thoughts, anything that comes into my head. How school was, what homework I have, how Tally is and what I'm going to make for myself for dinner.

I talk about Tyler a lot, too.

I don't realize it until Dad gives me a weird look. He's never given me that look before and I quickly change the subject. Now I'm careful about what I say in front of him. I want to talk about Tyler and I want to share everything that happened with him the last couple weeks. He's becoming the rock that I never had and the one thing I need to shield myself from my own father.

But I don't know where I stand with my dad. He's better and healthier and is adjusting to the loss of an eye slowly. But things happened before he was attacked. He threw a bottle at me and every night that still manages to worm its way into my mind. Things look like they're getting better, but I have no idea anymore. I don't want to forgive everything he's done just because he was attacked.

An attack that was ultimately his own fault.

I don't want to forgive him if he's just going to start throwing bottles again.

Hospitals runs are less enjoyable now that Ethan has gone home. I spend time with my dad but then leave quickly after. Tyler isn't around the hospital anymore and Tally has less time for me because her parents are back and going at each other's necks.

So that leaves me. To walk in and out of his hospital room and decide how the hell I'm meant to talk to him. I'm thankful he's alive and that he's well. But just because he got beaten to a pulp doesn't mean that he'll change.

”Alright,” the doctor says as I shrug my coat on, ready to leave. ”Looks like everything is healing correctly and your eye has no current infection and should be all good to go. I'd say you can go home on Thursday, Mr. Howard.”

It's Tuesday.

He nods. ”Sounds good, thanks.”

The doctor gives me a smile as he leaves and I wrap my scarf around my neck. The tips of my fingers already tense from the awaiting chill outside. Suddenly we got hit with a huge temperature drop. It's supposed to warm up over the next few days, though.

”You gonna be okay for two more days?” Dad asks.

I smile a little and nod my head. ”I'll be fine,” I say. ”You've got to rest though. Get all your energy up.”

I try not to look at the large bandage pressing down on his bad eye but it's difficult not to.

”I'll be good,” he says. ”Don't worry about me. Be safe.”

I nod and pick up my school bag off the floor before walking out of his hospital room.

***

”You see this?” I hear Tally say as she shoves a piece of paper in my face. I bat her hand away and move off from my locker, taking the paper into hand.

The page is bright blue with bold words slapped across the middle: 'Father-Daughter dance!'

I roll my eyes. ”Yeah, well, that's not happening, is it?”

”The whole thing's stupid,” Tally mutters, crossing her bare, pale arms over her chest. I'm wearing a long-sleeved sweater and there she is, defying the weather in a tank top. She must be freezing. ”I mean, what about the people without a dad? Or hell, what about the people without a daughter?”

I shrug. ”Father and son dance. Mother and son dance – I don't know. It doesn't matter. I'm not going.”

”Well that makes two of us.” Tally sighs. ”I hardly want to go to a dance with my dad. Mom probably wouldn't even let him out of the house anyway. They're both so fucking annoying.”

'Annoying' means something different to Tally—it always did. When she says her parents are 'annoying,' it never means that they've just pissed her off or that she can't deal with them at that point. It means that she literally can't be around them. When her parents are 'annoying,' it means they're fighting. And when they're fighting, they're hurting each other.

”Can I stay over?” she suddenly asks. ”Just for tonight.”

I smile. ”You can stay over as many times as you want,” I say.

”Your dad won't care?” she asks.

”Not when he's all the way in the hospital. He's not being released till Thursday.”

”You don't sound too happy,” Tally comments.