Crossed Paths

XVI - Keri's Not Okay

"Maia what are you doing here?" My mom hissed at me from just inside the ward. I turned my head around and looked at her, terrified. The first thing I did was put my finger against my mouth to indicate to her that she should shut her big ass mouth, "I came to accompany Keri."

"Maia what the hell were you thinking? How did you get down here?"

"I used an elevator," I lied because I knew if I'd told her the truth she would watch over me like a hawk until I left this goddamn hospital.

"You used an elevator? After that accident? I don't know whether that was brave of you or stupid of you," my mom flicked my ear and then looked at Keri. "This is your friend?" No Mom, this is your future daughter-in-law, but whatever your Asian ass wants to believe. I sighed and nodded. Keri probably wants us to be friends because she's friend zoned me multiple times. Suddenly my mom's phone rang. "Yeah I found her, she's on the second floor down....okay......wait, Maia do you want anything from the cafe?"

"Yeah I want water."

"She wants water, get me a Coke......okay, bye. That was your father."

"Yeah I figured," I sighed and looked at Keri. I put her hand in my hand and wiggled it a bit.

Soon my dad arrived with two Coke's and my water. He smiled at me and said hey and then he looked at Keri and gave an approving smile. I think I blushed as I looked at Keri again. He gave my mom her Coke and when he came to give me my water, he leaned into my ear and said, "how's my little gaysian?" I giggled and my mom looked at us in suspicion. "She'd make a good daughter-in-law, don't you think?" He stood next to my mom with his arms crossed by his chest and legs shoulder-width apart.

"She's a bit old for Ray, don't you think?" Mom looked at Dad concerned.

"I never said she was for Ray," Mom looked at him with her mouth wide open and just before she could say anything, Keri's parents walked in. They looked calm, but I knew they couldn't be more bereaved. Because, to be honest, it felt like she was dead. None of us wanted her to be, but she may as well be.

"Hello Maia," Keri's mom said to me and her dad couldn't look away from the marble hospital floor, "you must be Maia's parents, we're Keri's parents."

"We are so sorry-" my mom started to say but Keri's mom interrupted.

"Please don't say that. Everyone keeps saying that and I'm sick of it. It's not anyone's fault that this happened so no one needs to apologise. It could've happened to anyone, but it happened to my daughter. I'm sad. But there's nothing I can do about it. I can just pray that she will be okay and sit by her side, hoping that no parent has to go through this themselves," Keri's mom sighed and sniffled, clearly trying to prevent tears.

"You're right," my mom looked at her hands in embarrassment, "I'm just glad that you don't hate my daughter for what happened. Because neither of them had any choice over what happened," Keri's mom looked at my mom. She smiled and hugged her. They hugged for a good two minutes, rubbing each other's backs.

I looked at Keri and her finger twitched a little. I got so excited I almost fell out of the wheelchair! "Mom! Keri moved! Oh shit she moved!"

"Maia, language!"

"She moved?" Cristina exclaimed.

"No, she didn't. Maia stop being cruel-"

"No shut up mom I'm serious!"

"Maia how dare you?"

"No, Daya, she's serious," my dad stared at Keri's twitching hands in awe, as did Keri's mom. Everyone paid attention to Keri's hand until a nurse came in. We all turned to him simultaneously and he was shocked to see us all. Especially me but he didn't say anything. He told Keri's parents that he was just going to change Keri's bandages. So he went to get what he needed and came back.

"Sir, Keri's hand started twitching," I said when he sat down next to the bed. He looked at me in shock for a second.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" I exclaimed a little too eagerly. He looked at me.

"Okay I need to find her doctor," he notified and quickly left. A couple of minutes later, the nurse came back with Dr. Sheikh, her doctor.

"She supposedly twitched her hand," the nurse explained. The doctor nodded and asked us how. I demonstrated kind of and the doctor looked at the nurse, "there may be some damage done to the section of her brain which controls the nerves," she sounded a little distressed but didn't want to panic Keri's parents.

"Oh my god!" Keri's mom almost collapsed, "what's going to happen?"

"We need to get her in a CT scan and check the damage done to her brain, we may have missed some details-"

"How could you have 'missed some details'? You're not doing your job correctly if you 'missed some fucking details'!" Keri's dad burst out. I almost started hyperventilating, I was so worried for her. I needed my lettuce. I needed to know if it was okay. If she was okay. "Mom I need my lettuce!"

"No, you need to get back to your ward, come on!" My mom began started wheeling me out.

"No please stay!" Cristina's voice cracked, "we really need some friends right now," my mom stopped and my dad looked at Keri's parents. A couple more doctors joined Dr. Sheikh and took Keri away. My mom hugged Keri's mom and Keri's dad went with Keri and the doctors. I sat there awkwardly, worrying about whether Keri would be okay. I sighed and my dad sighed too. "She's gonna be fine," I broke the silence and my dad looked at me with a pitiful smile. The moms sat on chairs and held hands for comfort.