I'm Still Here (Je Suis Là) Read Online Free

eldest child. And since Alex and Rebecca have been together, Steve’s protectiveness has gone into overdrive.
    And that’s exactly what he’s doing now. Being the brother who won’t let anyone near his little sister.
    â€œCome on, Steve,” Alex starts. “What do you think is going to happen in the hospital? He must just be a friend of Elsa’s who’s fallen asleep, that’s all. Let’s not make a big thing of it. The question is whether we wake him up, or start the party without him.”
    â€œLooks like he’s made the decision for us,” says Rebecca.
    I hear my visitor wake up. I visualize his eyes opening, adjusting to their environment, and I want to laugh when I hear him gasp on discovering that there are three people watching him.
    â€œWho are you?” Steve doesn’t waste any time. I bet he’s squared up to him, his face about ten centimeters away from the face of the stranger, eyes squinting, trying to recreate Superman’s laser-beam stare. I count to five before my imposter replies, his voice still melodious.
    â€œA friend.”
    â€œRight…”
    â€œYes, right, I’m a friend.”
    Confirmation that he must be at least thirty, or he wouldn’t be this assured with Steve.
    â€œI don’t believe you.”
    â€œSteve,” interrupts Alex, “stop it.”
    â€œI don’t know him,” retorts Steve. “It’s already like going through airport security just to get onto this ward. I want to know who he is and what he thinks he’s doing here!”
    â€œThat’s exactly why he can’t be doing anything wrong here, if he’s already managed to get in!”
    â€œRight…”
    My stranger straightens up and puts his sweater back on. “Do you know how to say anything other than ‘Right…’?”
    Whoa. He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. I’d like to warn him, but it’s too late. It sounds as though Steve has grabbed him by the collar and pulled him out of the chair.
    â€œWho do you think you are?”
    â€œSteve, stop it!” cries Rebecca.
    â€œFucking hell, who does this guy think he is?” Steve says again.
    â€œLet go of him!” says Alex. “And you,” he turns to my visitor, “should apologize—if not, we won’t stick up for you a second time.” Alex, the perfect gentleman. I can see why Rebecca fell in love with him.
    â€œI’m sorry,” says my visitor flatly. “Will you let me go now?”
    I can hear Steve’s grumblings as he lets the stranger go. And then he sits beside me on the bed. The starched sheets rustle near my ear.
    â€œSorry, Elsa,” he murmurs, stroking my hair. “That’s it, I promise. Just a little excitement for your birthday.”
    I hear his voice waver for a second or two. He blames himself for not having checked my knot, or for not having been strong enough to stop me falling with the avalanche.
    From what I understand, it was Steve who got me out from under the snow. The doctor said it had been a miracle that he found me at all. But I know that it was the connection between us. A big brother always looks out for you.
    Today, though, I have to admit that he’s taking it a bit far.
    â€œSo! Elsa, we’ve brought you a cake, with thirty candles that you almost certainly wouldn’t want to blow out, but I would force you to anyway. And we’ve got you a little present.” The sound of Rebecca’s voice cheers me up. She empties out the contents of a plastic bag and I’m sure it’s Alex who helps her to arrange the candles.
    As they do this, my visitor gets up.
    â€œYou’re sure that you’re a friend of Elsa’s?” Steve starts again where he left off. If I ever get out of this coma, I’m going to be having words with him about this.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œSo what’s her name