It seemed like it took forever to get there. The entire Hanson family was in the van and they were all as excited as I was.
"Hi Ike!" I greeted him. "Are you taking us?"
"Um, no. My dad's driving," he said and pointed to the front of the car.
"Oh, I was so happy that I just didn't notice," I said while jumping all over the seat.
When we pulled up in front of the hospital, I ran into the building before anyone else could even get out of the car. I heard them calling my name and telling me to wait up, but I didn't listen. Taylor was waiting for me.
As I sprinted through the halls, I suddenly realized that I had no clue where the intensice care unit was. Sure, it was only yesterday that I had been there, but I completely forgot once Taylor filled my brain again.
I ran around frantically searching for someone who knew. Suddenly, I spotted a man in a white coat. It was the same doctor who I had taken keys from the day before. I dashed up to him and practically scared him to the floor when I began to yell in his face.
"Where's intensive Care!? Huh? Where is it?"
The man looked at me as if I were crazy. "Um.. who are you and why do you want to get into intensive care?"
"My name is Jennifer and I have to get in to see Taylor Hanson!" I cried.
The doctor chuckled. "I'm sorry little kid, but I have been ordered not to let in obsessed fans," he said and laughed.
"I am not an obsessed fan! I am Taylor's girlfriend!" I insisted, getting more angry by the second. Well, maybe I wasn't really and officially his girlfriend, but I hoped it would be a good excuse.
He laughed again. "Yea, you and every other girl in the world." That was it. I was completely pissed off!
"Look pal," I said stubbornly while pointing my finger at him with anger. "I'm not in a very good mood right now and if you don't tell me where the IC is right now then I'll have you ordered well done with a side order of fries! Got it!?"
The doctor looked scared for a moment by the yelling I had just given him. I guess he just wasn't used to getting bosed around!
"Uh.. um... it's straight down the hall to the left. You can't miss it. Now will you please let me go?"
Ooops! I had been holding a tight grip of the doctor's shirt through my nasty speech. I obediantly let go and took off down the hall.
"Hey! Wait, don't you need the keys?" he called after me, but I was already gone.
I reached the room with "IC" written on it with bold letters and grabbed the keys from my pocket. I still had them.
I found the key that fit and banged open the door. "My God, Taylor's not here!" I cried out. The blue bed was empty and alone. What....?
Then I realized what was going on! Duh! Taylor was awake in better so he didn't need to be in intensive care anymore. But if he wasn't here... where was he?
I turned and jumped back out to where the doctor had been. He was already making his way down the hall. "Hey you!" I yelled.
He spun around and gasped at my sudden appearence. "Not you again." I heard him mumble.
"Where did you take him?" I asked again wildly.
"Uh..."
"Tell me!"
"Um... he's in a different room now on this floor," the man said while standing backed against the wall to get away from me.
"What room?"
"Um, down that way, to the right, and then your left. It's room 189. You can't miss it," he choked out, afraid that I would bark at him again.
"Thanks," I said and quickly took off. I got a few feet away and stopped. I ran back to the doctor and tapped him on the shoulder.
He turned around and freaked out again. "Now what?" he said nervously.
I reached into my pocket and took out his keys. "Happy birthday," I told him and stuck them in his hands.
"Wait a second... where did you get these from?" the man called after me as I sped away.
I found the room with 189 written on the door in gold letters and I pushed it open with excitment. It was a regular hospital room with two beds in it and white walls with blue carpeting. There was a left on television hanging from the ceiling and a radio and telephone by the beds. Lying on the bed closest to the door was Taylor. He was asleep.
I could tell now that he was fine and just taking a snooze. He had probably been awake only a few minutes before. The TV remote was resting in his free hand and my stuffed bear was caught between his broken arm.
There were cards and flowers and other sorts of gifts on a bigger table nearby. The gifts were all from relatives and close friends. There were also family gifts from Ike and Zac and the other Hansons. There was the large bouqet of assorted flowers from my parents. My present had been my baby bear.
Tay looked like a sleeping angel. I didn't want to wake him so I sat and waited for the Hansons to find the room. A few minutes went by and I decided to get up and change the channels on the TV. MTV news was on and I flipped through the stations until I came to the Sci-Fi channel. Mystery Science Theatre was on and I decided to watch.
Suddenly, I heard rustling of covers from behind me. "Hey, I was watching that," a groggy and tired voice said. I turned around. Taylor was awake now.
I smiled at him and held my breath to keep from letting all my joy out into the room in one scream. Tay looked at me as if he wasn't sure who I was. He blinked once or twice and then I saw a huge grin form on his face.
"Jennifer!?" he gasped with excitment.
I could only nod my head. "Holy Monkeys! What happened and where ya been?" he told me cheerfully.
I got up, ran over to him, and embraced him in a huge hug. It lasted for about five minutes. I was that happy to see him.
"Oh, Taylor, I'm so glad you're okay. I've missed you so much you wouldn't believe it," I whispered while sitting next to him on his bed.
"Why are we whispering?" Taylor joked in a whisper. I laughed and felt tears rush to my eyes. I didn't hold them back. They were tears of joy.
He smiled at me. "So, are you going to kiss me now?" he asked slyly. I looked at him in surprise.
"Taylor, you just got better from the accident, this is my first time seeing you okay, and you want me to kiss you?"
"Well, yea. You're glad to see me, right? It will heal my wounds-" Tay didn't get a chance to finish because at that moment I bent over and gave him a big kiss on the lips.
Taylor kissed me back happily and looked like he enjoyed the few moments it lasted.
"Taylor! Just what do you think you're doing?" we heard a voice from the door.
The Hanson family was standing in the room, wide eyed. Only Ike and Zac seemed not to notice. "It's okay Mommy, that felt good," Taylor said in a small babyish voice. I giggled.
Diana ran up to Taylor's bed. "Well, never mind that. At least you're okay," she said and hugged him. Then she began to cry as well. The rest of the family greeted Taylor and we went through the whole mushy episode.
When we settled down in chairs and had wipped away our tears, Taylor spoke. "It was weird. I was in some strange place that I'd never seen before and suddenly I saw an Angel next to me. She told me to wake up. She asked me to wake up just for her and that she would be here when I did. The next thing I new, I was in a bed here at the hosital."
I listened to Taylor's short story, but as he told it, I realized something in my mind. The angel he was talking about was... me! I'd said those same exact words to him when I had snuck into the hospital. Should I say something? I thought.
"Taylor," I said quietly, but loud enough for everyone to notice. "Um.. that was me."
"Who was you?" he asked.
"The angel. I told you to wake up for me if no one else..."
Tay smiled. "No wonder why she was so beautiful." I felt myself blush. The whole flirty thing was definetely starting up. Taylor was beginning to act like normal again.
We told him the whole story of what he had missed while he was in the hospital, including my escape to his side. Tay laughed really hard and then thanked me for the teddy bear.
"How are you feeling?" Walker asked.
"Oh, fine, I guess. A little sore, but that's it. I'll live," Tay replied.
We stayed there for a few hours and we were all just relieved beyond belief that Taylor was perfectly okay. It got late and we left when Taylor fell asleep from pure exhaustion. I blew him a quick kiss as I headed out the door. My dark days were suddenly blindingly bright.