New York, New Tomlinson

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

My eyes were closed. The light behind my eyelids was bright. I opened my eyes and checked my surroundings. I was in a hospital room. There was a tube in my left arm. I started to shake. What am I doing here?

"Help! Help!" I screamed.

Two nurses came running into the room. I could see traces of panic in their eyes even though they tried to hide it. I continued to shake as tears started to roll down my cheeks.

"Why am I here? Where are my parents?" I cried.

The nurses exchanged a few glances. It's as if they didn't know what to say. One of them stepped out of the room. The other nurse sat down in the chair next to my bed. She took my hand in her own and squeezed it.

"It'll be alright, Ellie. You're a strong girl. You can get through this."

I sobbed. "Get through what?"

The nurse dropped her eyes to my hand. She rubbed tiny circles on my skin. Surprisingly, it was calming me. A few minutes later, the other nurse came back into the room with a man behind her. Judging from the way he was dressed, I'm guessing he was a doctor. The nurse holding my hand got up from the chair so he could sit down.

"Ellie. I've got some bad news," he softly spoke.

My lip quivered. Bad news? What does that mean? I just want my mum and dad. Where are they?

"You and your parents were in a car accident. You've been asleep for two days."

I sniffled. "Where are my parents?"

The doctor took a deep breath. He turned back to the nurses before looking at me again.

"I'm sorry, Ellie. They died on impact. There was nothing we could have done to save them."

I felt my heart break into tiny pieces. I completely broke down in that hospital bed. Images of the car wreck started flooding back into my mind. I can't believe I almost forgot about it. I cried until my eyes were dry.

Before anyone in the room could react, I pulled the tube out of my arm and jumped up from the bed. I ran out of the room passing the two nurses and doctor in the process. I made it halfway down the hall before I heard them running after me. I didn't look back. I needed to get out of there.

I ran through a door and into another hallway. I found myself on the first floor of the hospital. I reached the lobby and burst through the front door that lead outside. I collapsed on the sidewalk. It was raining. I sat there and cried some more, not caring that I was completely drenched in water.

I heard someone exit the hospital behind me. I looked around to see my cousin, Chris, standing there. He had his hands in his pockets and a sad expression on his face. He walked up and kneeled beside me. I leaned into him as he wrapped me in his arms. I buried my face in his shirt soaking it with my tears. Chris lifted me off the ground and carried me back into the hospital lobby. I closed my eyes and gripped his shirt.

"It'll be okay, Ellie. I'll always be here to protect you," he whispered to me.

I shook my head. "No. No. No," I said. I felt someone shake my shoulder. I opened my eyes to find Louis standing next to my bed. I took advantage of the opportunity and wrapped my arms around his torso. He hugged me back as he hushed me.

"Ellie, it's okay. It was only a dream," he cooed.

But it wasn't just a dream. It actually happened. Maybe not recently but it did. I hated that day almost as much as I hated the day of the accident. Waking up in the hospital with no parents to care for you has got to be the worst thing in the world. I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy.