Stormy Weather

And I'll never go home again

4 months before

Celeste and Cindy burst through the doors of the hospital. Rushing up to the receptionist, Celeste couldn't keep her hands from shaking, that aching, gutt-wrenching fear had consumed her. She couldn't lose Drew, it was impossible, he was her saint, the one good thing she'd always have. "I'm- I'm looking for Drew Evans"

Celeste muttered, balling her hands into fists, letting her nails sink into her skin. The receptionist took a second, looking on her clipboard, nodding to herself "Room 208"

Celeste turned and rushed down the hallway, Cindy on close on her heels. Suddenly, Celeste stopped in the middle of the hallway, Cindy stopping so abruptly that she almost tripped over her feet "what is it?" Cindy looked around, they weren't at room 208

"You should go Cid" Celeste's voice was barely above a whisper, strained and wobbly "You don't need to be here, I won't kiss and tell"

Cindy shook her head furiously, grabbing Celeste by the arm and spinning her around so that they were facing each other "I'm not leaving" her voice came out stronger than Celeste had ever expected

"You're important to me Celeste, I'm not leaving you" Celeste let out a strangled breathe, shaking her head as tear fell down her cheeks. Cindy could've sworn her heart ripped in two the moment she saw it

"What if he's not okay?" Looking into Celeste's eyes, she was no longer the brave girl Cindy always wished to be, but instead, afraid, just like everyone else "I can't- I can't live without my father Cindy, I can't"

Cindy gave Celeste's arm a gentle squeeze, just hours ago Celeste was the one comforting Cindy "it's going to be okay, Stel, it's okay"

Celeste sniffled for a second, before taking off down the hall away again, Cindy following suit.

Heart pounding in her ears, stomach churning, Celeste rounded the corner to room 208, praying, praying that when she opened the door, Drew would be sitting upright, eating shitty jello and joking with the nurses.

When Celeste saw the police milling around the room, Celeste's heart dropped, although she didn't hesitate as she pushed through the door to room 208.

It was almost silent, beside the monitor beeping, and a hissing sound released from the tubes. He wasn't stilling upright, he wasn't laughing or talking, he had a tube down his throat, bandage wrapped around his head. Feeling rushed out of her body.

"What the fuck happened?" Celeste questioned the doctor in the corner, checking his vitals, Celeste rushed to Drews side, placing a hand on his arm. He wasn't as warm as he usually was. "Dad" she whispered

"It seems he got in a car accident" another voice entered, deeper and more familiar, a hatred burned deep in Celeste "we found his car smashed into a tree off highway 6, seems he had been sitting there quite a while" Sheriff Goode said

It was just nothing, all the words they were saying, this couldn't be real, Drew was supposed to be waiting for her when she got home. "When is he going to wake up?" Celeste mumbled, ignoring the sheriff

"He suffered a blow to the head, they did emergency surgery on him, but his brain had already swelled," the doctor said "there has been no reported brain activity"

"What the fuck does that mean?" Celeste snapped,

"He's brain dead"

The world blurred as more tears welled up in her eyes. Her hands gripped the bed to keep herself upright, this didn't make sense. That couldn't make sense, this couldn't be. Celeste couldn't even begin to fathom the further implications this would have, only that this couldn't be right. "I don't-" Celeste croaked, her voice had suddenly disappeared