• Jared was later invited to join Robert at a bar on the south side of town. Jared lifted his glass into the air. “To the ex-bachelor, you’re gonna miss being single.” He smiled, and Robert laughed and they both took a few swigs of their drinks. They slammed their glasses onto the counter.
    “So what about this Brown girl? You found something?”
    “She moves, a little, but she can answer yes and no questions.”
    “So why the hell do they not try and help her?”
    Jared shrugged. “Donno, but I’m gonna find out.” He smiled and drank more.

    Jared walked into the hospital the next day with a fresh note pad and a new pen. He approached the room that Allie stayed in and walked in, shutting the door behind him. “Allie?”
    She blinked once, and Jared smiled. He took a seat within room.

    Weeks passed, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Allie came out of her coma eventually, and the Browns had a journalist to thank. She eventually gained enough strength to be taken off life support. Allie secretly hated her parents for being rude and nasty people, as a child she had been afraid to turn into them and took the coma as an opportunity not to learn from them. Possibly loosing the will to live a long with it. Unfortunately, Allie was paralyzed from the waist down. But, Jared came every day to visit, and eventually found himself calling her room every night, or staying at the hospital as long as he possibly could.

    Jared ate at the Denny’s with Robert like they had forever. “How long have we been doing this now?”
    “Few years…” Jared replied, pushing around eggs on his plate.
    “Did you ever publish that story on Allie?”
    Jared shook his head. “Never got around to it.”
    “What’s eating you Jared?’
    “Nothing.”
    Robert inspected him. “Nah, something’s wrong.” He frowned. “She’s killing you Jared, I can see it.”
    Jared weakly looked up from his plate. He had gotten thinner and paler then Robert remembered.
    “When’s Carol due?”
    “Stop trying to change the subject Jer.” He paused. “You love her, that’s why you can’t leave.”
    “Robert I—“
    “I think she loves you too Jer.” Robert smiled. “And don’t give me any crap about this either. That you don’t date and junk. You have been for about four years now, calling her, visiting her every day. Can’t deny the facts.” He chuckled. “You need to get her out of that place.”

    Jared rushed into the hospital, ignoring the doctors and nurses that said hi to him as he passed. He made it to Allie’s room. She was sitting in her wheel chair, looking out the window with the sun on her face. Jared snuck up behind her, bending over and wrapping his arms around her waist.
    “Hi.” He whispered.
    Allie giggled a little and smiled shyly.
    “What are you doing?” He asked.
    “Day dreaming…”
    “About?”
    “Things.” Allie smiled and looked up at the sky through the window. “I can’t remember the last time I was off the hospital grounds.” She touched the window gently.
    Jared smiled broadly and let go of her, to stand by her side. “You really want to get out of here…don’t you?”
    Allie looked at him with a hint of curiosity and nodded. “Yes.”
    “Have you ever thought about leaving with me?”
    Allie seemed shocked. “Leaving—with you?”
    Jared nodded, seeming excited himself. “I don’t know…buying a nice house, maybe get a better job, marrying a girl—“
    “Marrying?” Allie interrupted.
    “Mhmm.” Jared’s smile grew wider. “Marrying you maybe…”
    “Jared!”
    Jared smiled and wheeled her away from the window. “Jared! What are you--?!”
    He went down on one knee in front of her.
    “Jared! Stop—“
    Jared went through his pockets quickly, pulling out a little velvet box.
    “Allie Brown? Will you marry me?”
    Allie was speechless. She stared at the ring in the box that Jared had given to her. Who—who in the world would want someone like her?
    “My parents would never allow it.” She muttered.
    “They will to me.” Jared promised. “They think I saved you, remember?”
    Allie laughed little. “But you did save me.”
    “I love you Allie.”
    “I love you too Jared.” She said as she slipped the ring on her finger. “Forever.”
    “Forever.” That sounded perfect.

    ://-----{.}-----\:

    “A tragic commodity happened today in the suburb of Green Oaks today in Milburg County. On Country glen road, a man was killed in a car crash. He was later identified as Jared Petterson, a journalist for the Weekly Times, on his way to his own wedding….News reports like that spread throughout the state like that. You saw we had reporters lined up outside the door for weeks.”
    Allie blew her nose in a tissue.
    Robert sighed and handed her another. “It’s funny, in a way. Everyone thought you were the one who was going to die, but the guy who saved you did instead.”
    “I suppose.” She said taking the tissue. “Thanks.” Allie’s eyes were red from tears as she pulled her hair behind her ears.

    Jared’s article ‘The Sleeping Beauty,’ was in newspapers around the country all that week.

    ‘Jared Petterson, 1985-2009. “The future is the future...why worry about it when there’s so much now?”’



    *Inspired by ‘Paperthin hymn’ By: Anberlin*

    ‘I thought you said forever, over and over,
    A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion.
    These thoughts run through my head, over and over,
    Complaints of violins become my only friends.’