Missing Martha

44

The morning brightly came. Martin woke up still fully dressed with the first four buttons of his shirt undone. His neck hurt from sleeping in a crooked position.
He yawned and stretched before checking the time; it was half past six. Ryan's appointment was supposed to be at 7am.
He looked over to Zoe who was sleeping on the seats opposite him, he took her hands gently and kissed her on the lips, making her wake up.
"Morning." He whispered, kissing her again as she smiled.
"Morning you two." Chuckled Lucy from the top bunk, taking in the warm air.
Martin and Zoe immediately split apart, laughing before the door opened, making them turn to see Cloda walk in with a loaf of bread in a paper bag. "Sorry- woke up early so I got a fresh loaf from the bakery down the street." She said.
"Smells amazing." Said Martin, taking the bread and finding a bread board and knife to cut it.
Zoe tied back her hair and wrapped a blanket around her as she changed into a shirt.
"Heya." Said Jemma, wearing a loose blue jumper and brushing her wavy blonde hair.
Ollie got up too, leaving only Ryan asleep on the bed.
"Cloda you genius!" Laughed Ollie, brushing back his dirty-blonde hair as he sat on one of the seats.
"So- Sir, whats on the agenda today?" Asked Ollie, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"I'll get him sorted out in the hospital." Martin looked over at Ryan who's back was turned and he lay still in bed. "Then you guys can do a bit of busking in the city."
"Cool." Said Ollie.
"In which case- Ollie can you wake up Ryan?." Asked Martin, taking a sip of water.
"Ryan! Wake up!" Called Ollie, making everyone laugh. Then he walked over and sat beside Ryan on the bed.
"Wake up, mate." He shook his arm. But Ryan didn't move.
"Ryan?" Ollie rolled Ryan over but his face was almost grey and his eyes were wide open.

Gasping, Ollie leaped backwards, crashing against the wall, his jaw shivering in terror as he glared down at Ryan.
"Ollie?" Asked Martin, immediately alarmed as he stood up, he saw Ryan's face.
"Everyone out!" He yelled pointing to the driver's door. Lucy, Jemma and Cloda did as he asked,
"Zoe take Ollie out." He ordered, running to Ryan's bed, "and get help from the hospital!"
"Ryan. Ryan!" He called, looking at the limp corpse of the teenager.
He looked for a pulse, he couldn't find anything.
His phone started to ring, he looked at it, it was Bronagh Watson. With anger, he ended the call, he began shaking. He couldn't believe what was happening.
"Ryan please wake up!" He cried, "Jesus.. Jesus Christ.."
Martin covered his mouth with his hand, feeling sick, everything was so surreal.
"Not you.." he whispered, looking down at the limp body, his eyes watering, "Please not you."

The doors bashed open with two paramedics.
They immediately checked Ryan's heart beat, Martin was almost worried if they'd detect his instead, as he'd never been this afraid before.
He ran out of the van behind the paramedics, seeing the other five standing absolutely traumatised.
Ollie didn't blink, he just reached out like a child as Martin wrapped his arms around Ollie's neck.
"Is he dead?" Whispered Ollie, terrified.
"I don't know, Ollie." He replied, trying to keep himself together, "I really don't know."
Martin split apart the hug, looking around at everyone, he had their full attention. "We're in this together, okay?" He took a deep breath and looked into their eyes, "whatever happens."
Martin walked first into the hospital, following the paramedics into resus.
Regret swirled through him as he saw the doctors swarming around Ryan with defibrillators.
They should have checked him out yesterday! Why didn't I try harder?! What if he's dead?! How on earth am I going to forgive myself?! What about the kids?! What will their future be?! Ryan wanted to be a doctor! Ryan wanted and deserved the world! He escaped his parents he escaped his home-country! He can't die here! He can't die now!

Martin was the only one allowed in resus, the other five had to remain in a quiet waiting room.
As the doctors spoke French and the nurses span around behind them, all surrounding Ryan, Martin felt himself shivering with utter fear. He remembered the ambulance ride to the hospital following Martha getting shot. He recalled just watching everything, watching them try and try and try to bring Martha back but in the end they couldn't.
They took off Ryan's shirt and Martin saw the numerous scars along his chest and stomach.
"Fucking hell." Muttered Martin, transfixed at the state of him, he leaned against the hospital wall, just whispering to himself please Ryan, please. Over and over again.
Until one of the doctors walked up to him.
Oh god this is it.. he prepared himself.
"He's alive." Said the man
Martin's jaw dropped and his eyes tensed, "r-really?"
"He is in a critical condition, but he should live. We will extract the tumour from his brain, he will need to stay in hospital for a few days, is this okay?"
Martin covered his mouth, "yes! Yes oh my god yes! Thank you! Thank you so much.."
Martin's eyes watered as he walked out of the room into where the other five were waiting in silence.
They stood up when Martin entered in tears,
"He's alive." He breathed, letting the tears stream from his eyes as he wrapped his arms around Ollie, "he's alive," he repeated, as if to reinforce it to himself, "he's alive."

Martin sat back down beside Zoe, wiping his eyes.
"It is a brain tumour. But they're gonna solve it immediately." He told her. "We're not gonna lose him."
Zoe looked up at Martin, covering her mouth as a tear walked down her eye.
Martin wrapped his arms around her, looking around to Lucy, Jemma, Cloda and Ollie who were huddled together, tears forming around their stressed eyes.
"It's gonna be okay.." he whispered to them as a tear fell from his cheek, "he's gonna be fine.."