Obliterated

Chapter 22

Liam

December 14th, 2016 | 3:00 pm

Liam practically ran out the door after his last final of the day. He was so thankful basketball was done for the season, he would've lost his mind if he had to stay for practice today. He got in his car and drove to the hospital to check on Lexi. Things hadn't gotten much better for her dad. He had yet to make any improvement and for the most part, he remained unconscious. At one point, he had responded to a couple nerve checks but other than that he remained the way he was. Liam's dad had little hope that he would wake up.

"Surgically, there's nothing I can do for him," his father had said when Liam asked.

"Then what can I do for Lexi?" Liam asked sadly.

"Be there for her."

So, that was what Liam did, he tried at least. Except, Lexi didn't want to talk. She barely did much of anything for that matter. She just sat at her father's bedside and watched him, hoping for the slightest change in his improvement. Lexi had actually surprised everyone though. Liam's parents had insisted she go to school and take her finals but instead of taking two a day like everyone else, she took them all at once. She finished all of them within five hours and came back to the hospital right after. Liam's parents thought that she would've failed them all given that she hadn't studied that much, but once again Lexi proved everyone wrong. She got her results back and she received all A's. Even Liam knew he wasn't going to do that well.

When he arrived at Lexi's father's room, he wasn't lying in bed. He was sitting up watching his daughter. Lexi was trying to smile at her father and not to let her tears fall. She looked up at Liam from his bedside. She nodded her head towards the door and she followed him outside.

"He's awake?" Liam asked.

Her expression turned grim and sullen. "He woke up this morning, it's been too long though, it's not going to last," she whispered.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Lexi blinked away a few tears. She took out her father's file from its place next to the door and handed it to him. Liam didn't need a medical degree to know the brain scans were bad, really bad. No wonder Lexi looked so depressed, she was being forced to basically wait for him to die.

"They called it a surge or something," she mumbled.

"I'm so sorry," he said sadly.

"You've said that before," she pointed out.

Liam didn't know how else to comfort her, she was drowning and he didn't know how to save her. He just glumly followed her back inside the room and sat down with her. Lexi leaned forward and rested her head on the edge of his bed. Her father put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair gently. Liam saw tears in both of their eyes, even he knew it was time.

"Dad, please don't leave," Lexi begged with tearful eyes.

He smiled that same smile Lexi wore. Liam could see a lot of her father in Lexi these days. Especially now, they had the same crinkle lines around their eyes from laughing so much, the same grin, the same knowing look. It was also clear what a big toll this past year had been on them both. Liam held back his own tears as he watched the heartbeat monitor start to slow. This wasn't fair.

"Dad, please I love you," she sobbed. "I can't do this without you."

Her father tried to move his arms around his daughter, but he was so tired. He could barely keep his eyes open.

"It's. . . okay, Lexi," he finally managed to say. "You. . . have. . . Austin."

Lexi was crying uncontrollably now. At once, all the machines started beeping and the nurses and doctors rushed in. Liam had to grab Lexi and move her to give them room to work on Henry. Her whole body was shaking, he could feel her tears on his sweatshirt.