Big Brother Soot

• Hospital Visits •

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***
Sophie's POV
***

The beeping machines around me bleep endlessly, making each minute pass by slowly. The hallway where I'm sat is quiet and kind of dark, only dimly lit by other patient's room lights. The clock in front of me on the wall reads one am.

What happened still seems blurry to me. All I can remember is Wilbur shaking me awake and then driving me to the hospital while the ambulance took mum. It's surprising I haven't shed a single tear yet. I guess I know that mum's going to be okay.

I sigh and lean back in my chair, trying to stretch out my back. Wilbur and I have been waiting to hear about mum for about an hour now. They admitted her into the emergency ward and said they had to run some tests and put her on a drip. I don't really know what that means, but Wilbur nodded along and told me to wait outside her room. He went to get coffee but hasn't been back yet.

***

I open my eyes when I feel someone shaking my shoulder. I slowly sit up and rub the back of my sore neck, cursing myself for falling asleep in a bad position.

"Hey," Wilbur says gently. "I spoke to the doctor"

"And?" I ask, sitting up and feeling more awake now. "What did he say? Mum's going to be okay, right?"

Wilbur sighs and sits next to me, brushing his hair out of his face. He looks me in the eyes as he takes hold of my hands, squeezing them gently.

"S-she's going t-to be okay, right?" I ask again, trying to keep my voice steady as tears cloud my vision.

"She's...trying her best," Wilbur replies after a pause, dry-eyed and serious. "We can go see her for a bit, but I need to take you home afterwards. You need to sleep"

"I'm fine," I sigh and stand up, pushing the negative thoughts to the back of my mind. "Can we really see her now?"

Wilbur nods and walks to the room in front of us. He opens the door and lets me walk in first before following. When he shuts the door, mum's eyelids lift, revealing milky light eyes.

"Mum?"

"Come here, baby," mum croaks gently, waving me over with the strength left in her arm.

I step closer to the bed, suddenly afraid of mums current state. She's hooked up to drips everywhere and has a bandage wrapped around her head, absorbed scarlet blood stares back at me. Her pale face, neck and limbs are enough to set me at unease. She doesn't look well.

Mum grips my hand in hers and sighs. Her hands are ice cold and she lacks the usual strength.

"I need you to listen to me, Sophs. I don't have long left, but-"

"Don't say that," I frown, feeling the hot tears fill my eyes as I clock what mum's saying. "You'll be fine. It's just a small thing, it couldn't possibly-"

"Sophie," Mum says, caressing my cheek fondly as she lets a tear stray down her face. "I have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. I had a test a few weeks ago and they came back positive-"

"No," I say forcefully, shaking my head, refusing to let this happen. "You're fine. You'll get better"

"Chronic means it's constant," Wilbur mentions quietly, placing a hand on my shoulder.