"Happy Valentine's Day to all the lovers out in the Boston area. Though the weather is quite dreary, today's the perfect day to stay cuddled up inside with that special someone..."
Normani groaned as she searched for the snooze button on her alarm clock, still face down in her sheets. She sat up slowly, her head still pounding profusely after her intense crying session some hours before. Normally she wasn't one to succumb to such emotion but she'd let Lauren and her antics get the best- well, the worst of her and she resorted to locking herself in the bedroom and crying until she fell out into a heavy slumber.
But as rays from the winter sun crept through her pink sheer curtains, she knew that she'd have to face Lauren once more and decide how they were going to move forward, if they could at all. Hesitantly, Normani sashayed through her room, mindful not to hurt herself while stepping through the monstrosity that had become her sleeping quarters. Upon entering the hallway she noticed that it was very quiet, almost too quiet. Had her words in the heat of the moment last night struck that bad of a nerve with Lauren, causing her to leave ? Normani panicked just a bit now. Even if Lauren had left, she wanted to atleast know if she was alright and where she was staying.
Normani picked up her pace, peering once into the living and then once into the kitchen which was adjacent to the dining area. Lauren was no where to be found. "Lauren? Lauren where are you ?" Normani hollered like a madman, swinging her front door open to an empty hallway. Anxiety began to creep over Normani's subconscious as she envisioned all the horrible things that could've happened to her. All because Normani couldn't keep a cap on her emotions and always let her anger get the best of her.
She decided to go throw on pants and proper coat then go out and scout for Lauren. Hopefully she could compose a proper apology and they could sit and talk about everything like sane adults.
Normani needed to use the bathroom before she left and as she gripped the knob, twisting it with her usual ease she was surprised to find that the door was locked and there seemed to be a heavy weight leaned up against it as well. Normani pushed the door twice but to no avail. The door wouldn't budge. Taking a few steps back, she braced herself and charged forward into the door breaking it slightly more open than it had been before. There was still the matter of the unidentifiable dead weight blocking the door from opening all the way. Normani reached her arm in through the small opening, waving it around to see if she could move whatever was in the way. When she could reach nothing at standing level, she crept down to the floor, assuming her laundry hamper had fallen over and was the source of the blockade. Her palm made smacking noises as it moved across the floor, searching for a dirty T-shirt or used towel. But the cold clammy hands that met with her own made her heart drop into her stomach.
"NOOOOOO! LAUREN!" Normani screeched as she clawed her way into the bathroom. She somehow managed to create a large enough space to slide her torso through to the other side. There she saw Lauren's body lying motionless and slumped between the wall and door. Her lips were blue and a trail of vomit spotted her shirt.
Normani pulled her arm, tugging Lauren's torso towards her. "Baby, no don't leave me again! Lauren, wake up. Please Lauren, don't leave me. I need you ! Lauren PLEASE , wake up! "
Normani stroked her beloved's face, hoping to see even the slightest bit of activity. She had no desire to loose the only other woman, besides her mother and grandmother, who meant the world to her. In this moment, every bad memory, every single angry word spoken, all the sleepless nights now meant nothing. Normani just wanted one more chance to be there for Lauren. One more chance to make things right. One more chance to prove that she was still in love with her.
_______
Four hours later, Normani found herself sitting with her knees to her chest, her eyes red and puffy from crying while she sat worrying in the waiting room of Boston Medical Center. All she knew was that Lauren did still have a pulse. A very faint one nonetheless. That was the most information that she could gather from the EMT's before they rushed Lauren into the ICU. While the doctors worked on Lauren, Normani offered up as much information as she could about what had happened to Lauren to the nurses, in order to get the paperwork filled out. However, they were no use. After she gave them Lauren's full name and basic credentials, they shooed Normani away to the waiting room and began to talk amongst themselves.
Normani decided to get up and take a walk, sure that no one would be back with news on Lauren for quite some time. If she was lucky, she hoped to find a coffee or vending machine of some sort. Her stomach was empty and making her feel worse than she already did.
Normani trudged along the white and green tiled floors, her UGG boots squeaking with each step. She passed a group of nurses huddled around a food cart, mindless about their duties for that day. As she turned a corner, leading to another nearly identical hallway, her phone began to vibrate violently in her sweater pocket.
It was now early Saturday afternoon which meant that Normani had the day off from both work and school. Usually she'd be home relaxing or doing housework. And today was Valentine's Day no less. She squinted to read the name on her phone screen. It was her mother. Yet again. She breathed in deeply and answered.
"Mommy...listen..."
"Normani Kordei, I've been worried about you like you wouldn't believe. We all have been. What the hell is going on up there ? Your sisters and I are coming up there tonight to come get you because it's obvious that Boston isn't the best place for you."
Normani dropped her phone from her ear, rolling her eyes as her mother continued to rant from thousands of miles away.
"Mommy, listen to me please. I'm sorry. I'll explain everything to you when you get here, but I'm not leaving. I'm at the hospital right now." Normani muttered.
"What ? Oh my God! What's wrong with you? My baby, what happened?" Andrea cried.
"She back mommy. Lauren's back."
YOU ARE READING
Taking Chances
Fanfiction"I've done everything. All of it. You think it, I've done it. All the things you never dared, all the things you dream about, all the things you were curious about and then forgot because you knew you never would. I did 'em, I did 'em yesterday whil...
