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doctor admits. “My best guess is that the coma was brought on by hypothermia rather than head trauma.”
    Thanks,I think. I really appreciate best guesses when it comes to my health. . . .
    “There’s probably nothing to worry about,” the doctor assures me, as if sensing my unease. “From what we can tell, you haven’t sustained any injuries that should affect your mobility or faculties. So you should be able to get back to school in no time and be completely up and running.”
    “Great,” I answer, wondering what’s the rush.
    “Speaking of which,” the doctor continues, “you wouldn’t know it from looking at me now, but I used to play wide receiver for the Crocs back in the day.”
    “Really.” I assume he’s talking about the Crystal Falls Crocodiles, even though no one calls them the Crocs now, probably because it’s the name of an ugly plastic shoe. “Cool,” I reply.
    “But I still watch the games when I can,” he adds. “And I must say, you’ve sure got some moves.”
    Okay, now I understand. He’s confusing me with my brother. It’s not the first time it’s happened. There’s something about the hair, the nose—we look similar, all right. Especially since the doc probably only ever saw Cole from the stands.
    I don’t correct him. At least someone thinks I’m a hero for a change. Besides, I might have to explain why Cole is no longer on the team, and that would be uncomfortable.
    “Okay, just keep sitting up for a minute,” the doctor says. “I’ll get someone to replace this bandage.”
    He leaves, and a few minutes later a nurse named Barbara comes in to finish the job. With her, the silence is heavy. I make a joke, but she doesn’t laugh. In fact, she doesn’t even answer me except with grunts. Hello? I’m the kid who just went over the falls? I want to remind her.
    Nurse Barbara doesn’t seem to care. If anything, she acts like she’s angry at me or something or like I’m being a pain in the ass. Hey, why bother becoming a nurse if you hate people so much? It makes no sense to me. I guess some people don’t start out as jerks but just end up that way. Sometimes they get worn down and become a person they never thought they’d be.
    Maybe Nurse Barbara is one of those people. Maybe she’s dealt with too many drunk teenagers who’ve treated her like crap, who swore at her or threw up on her. Maybe she assumes I was drunk or on drugs when I went over the falls. Well, I’m not like that.
    But I can understand her feelings and decide to give her the benefit of the doubt. I just have to show I appreciate the job she is doing.
    “Hey, thanks for patching me up,” I say when it seems like she’s done.
    In response, she smacks the bandage to make sure it’s stuck on.
    “Ow!” I shout. “That hurt!”
    Nurse Barbara leaves the room without a word. No, she is definitely a bitch, I decide.
    Throughout the day I watch a little TV and wait for visitors. My parents arrive, but Cole still doesn’t show. Well, screw him. I pretend he doesn’t even exist.
    Surely the word is getting out that I’m awake now. But Bryce doesn’t return. I still don’t know what to make of what he did. I keep feeling like I must have imagined the whole thing. But there’s just no getting around the fact—it happened. I know it did.
    I should tell someone. But I’m scared. As crazy as it sounds, I don’t want Bryce to get in trouble.
    And now that I’m conscious again, Bryce is no match for me. Okay, I’m not that strong, but I’m stronger than Bryce.
    No other friends visit either. By other friends, I guess I just mean Willow, a girl I’ve been hanging out with. We were partnered up in a class last year and hung out over the summer. We like the same music. I play some guitar, and she plays ukulele, and we’re talking about maybe writing and recording some songs together. I don’t know if we’ll ever actually do it, but it’s fun to talk about.
    It’s been bothering me that she