Crumble • lrh {Insanity book 2}

twenty four

|may be mistakes|

{translation: I write this all on my phone and I'm currently at a camp ground with no wifi and/or proper writing conditions. forgive me.}

•••••

Calum doesn't question us when we get back to the waiting room, our eyes red and shoulders slumped, much more responsive then before, though he does raise an eyebrow.

Liz is here, sitting a few seats down from Calum, expression tired and hopeless. I can relate.

I take a seat next to Calum, and Michael sits next to me. I yawn, fiddling with the few bracelets on my wrists, rubbing my eyes constantly.

Ashton comes in about 30 minutes after we do, looking like he's been hit by a truck.

He wordlessly plops down in the other seat next to Calum, yawning. He drags a hand over his face, coughing. "Any news?"

Calum shakes his head. "You looked wrecked, man. What happened?"

"Ally's a difficult drunk." Is all he says, before he leans his head on Calum's shoulder and closes his eyes. "No homo." He mumbles quietly before he passes out.

Calum doesn't say anything, he just slips his arm around Ashton's shoulders. Calum is always touchy with people, it's not an abnormal occurrence. He's the one to be all cuddly after something bad happens, it helps him cope.

Morning comes pretty quickly, and my mom arrives with donuts for everyone and my medicine. Nobody eats much, as expected, but I take a few extra pills then necessary, for the sake of my sanity. Ashton's still conked out against Calum, and there's a lot of swearing when he tries to wake him, so Calum just gives up after a few attempts. Ally still doesn't turn up, and nobody leaves to check on her.

My mom sits next to Liz after everybody's done, trying to talk to her, but every time she says Luke's name Liz visibly deflates a little, and she stops.

It's not until around midday when we finally get some news.

A nurse opens the door to the waiting room, making all of our heads snap up, and clears her throat.

"Luke Hemmings?" She says his name like a question, and I stand up with the others. Calum manages to shove Ashton hard enough for him to wake up, and he starts to grumble and close his eyes again before he sees the nurse, and he stands up too.

I expect her to say 'Only family right now' or, 'A few at a time please', but she just nods and gestures for us to follow her.

We walk in a neat line through the door into the main area, Liz in the front because she's Luke's mother and it's an unspoken rule that she gets to see or hear about him first. The nurse leads us into a smaller area with a few doors, a roundish-shaped room. She stops outside one door, and all of us sort of group around it.

"I need to speak with the patients parents, are they here?"

Liz nods quietly, raising her hand a bit to catch the nurses attention. The nurse asks for her name, scribbles on her clipboard a little bit, and turns to us. "You may see him now, courtesy of the doctor who treated him. You can go in all at once, but I don't advise it, the patient is very anxious and it might trigger him. I would suggest just a few at a time. Now, Mrs. Hemmings, come with me."

Liz looks reluctant to leave from the door, giving it a longing look, but she follows the nurse out of the room anyway. My mom trails behind her, ready to come help if necessary.

Calum, Ashton, Michael and I just stare at the door for a few seconds. I'm too scared to look through the small window.

"I think you and Michael should go in first." Calum says quietly, and I blink.