The Fall (Camren)

Deep Sleep

Author's Note: Hi Folks, I hope you are still enjoying this story even though we've taken a slightly darker path than usual. 

I think maybe two or three more chapters and then it's over.

As always your comments and votes mean the world.

Anyway, lets get to it....

xxx

It's funny isn't it? We spend our whole lives worrying about the future, planning it, trying to predict it, trying to prevent something from happening. We orchestrate our future by altering the present; like that will make it better, like that would make it hurt less when the orchestrations prove pointless.

The future is constantly changing and no matter how we prepare, how we try and imagine it, one thing is for certain, the future is never how we predict it.

There is no better example of that than the girl laying in front of her right now. Camila is pale against the crisp white sheets; she is unconscious, hooked up to tubes and wires and connected to monitors. The tube hanging from her mouth is connected to a ventilator that moves up and down in a steady motion, a replica of the inhalations and exhalations she should be doing on her own.

Lauren could never have predicted that this was in her cards, in the same way that she also could never have prevented this turn of events. That thought doesn't make it any less horrific, doesn't offer any kind of consolation.

Camila's hospital room is small but clean, an antiseptic smell hangs in the air and the lights are a little to fluorescent. It was cramped and stuffy with herself, Dinah, Normani and Ally all keeping vigil over Camila.

It had been twelve hours since the crash. Camila had suffered, what the doctors kept calling, a TBI. They eventually explained that it meant Traumatic Brain Injury. She had been put in an induced coma; a precautionary measure that the doctor insisted was a way to help the healing process.

It seemed counterproductive to Lauren, doctors were supposed to keep their patients conscious, cognitive, breathing for themselves. Not purposefully making them comatose.

Lauren had shouted, yelled, and demanded to know how putting Camila in a coma could possibly help. Even after the doctors sat down with them, explained it plaintively and succinctly. It would reduce the blood flow to her brain which would narrow the blood vessels and relieve intracranial pressure. It would allow healing time and reduce the swelling in Camila's brain. All of their explanations made sense but her brain refused to accept that it was the right thing to when it just felt so wrong.

Nobody could tell them how long Camila would be in a coma for but the worst part was they also couldn't say if she had suffered any permanent damage. It was all a waiting game and Lauren had never classed patience as one of her strong suits.

She sat and observed Camila through drooping eyes, they burned through exhaustion, crying and from the smoke during the crash. She refused to let her eyes rest, refused to fall asleep, she was too scared to look away from Camila but every second she looked at the broken girl she fell a little further into despair.

None of them had slept since it happened, after they had all been rushed into hospital and informed of Camila's condition, they had all piled into her hospital room ignoring protests from the doctors and nurses.

They had all been called out separately to have their own check-ups but Lauren had refused to budge. Miraculously, everyone except Camila had escaped with just cuts and bruises, even Danny got out with just a broken nose from the airbag. Apparently the tour buses were built pretty well and Camila was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.