New York, the big apple of my heart

New York, the big apple of my heart: Chapter 35

It's been a couple of days since they told us Leo was in a deep coma.

Lizzie and I haven't talked at all. I'm sure she's mad at me even more now that her brother's really injured.

Mom and Dave have been coming every day to support George.

I have been sitting all alone in room 212 of the hospital. I still am unable to walk because of the pain and the stiches. Which means I haven't been able to see Leo yet.

I really want to see him. Tell him I'm sorry (even though I think it's not really my fault. Perhaps I should have done something when they were fighting...). It's the least I could do.

Dad came two days ago. He's staying in a hotel nearby. He comes to see me every morning, and spends an hour or so, then leaves, as his boss couldn't help but organise reunions and meetings in New York, and then sent Dad so that he wouldn't go himself. Then Dad comes back late in the afternoon, and we eat dinner together around six, and he comes back to his hotel room at seven.

Days are long and boring. I watch people come and go in the hallways. Nurses rushing to patients that asked for them every two minutes. Sometimes they bring crash carts.

Mom checks on me once or twice, and Dave too.

***

Today, I asked the nurse if she could take me to see Leo. It's been a week now.

They I waited for visit hours to pass, and around eight she took me to Leo, whose room was still next door as the doctors are still running some tests to find the cause of the coma.

He was skinny and pale, lying in that hospital gown in that hospital bed. There was a screen next to him that showed his BP and O2 sats, beeping uninterruptedly in the heavy silence of the room.

There weren't any flowers or get-well-soon cards anywhere. Just the hospital's furniture.

"I'll leave you here, okay? I need to go. Call someone to drive you back to your bed if you can't do that on your own," the nurse said before rushing out and shutting the door behind her.

I bit my lip to prevent myself from crying and repressed the tears that were coming to my eyes.

I approached Leo's bed in my wheelchair.

With a shaky hand I stroked his hair, and then went down to his cheek.

"I'm sorry." The words went out as a whisper. "Please don't die on us Leo. Please?" I asked, and looked at Leo's closed eyes, as if waiting for any possible response.

But Leo's face stayed calm and frozen.

"Thank you. Thank you for saving my life." I murmured, taking hand.

***

I woke up the next morning at the words of a familiar voice.

I looked at my watch. It was seven o'clock.

I then looked at the nurses' station through the glass doors, which was right in front of my room.

And I saw a girl.

Seventeen years old.

Mini skirt, expensive bag from a French designer.

Long light brown hair.

Jackie.

I remembered the talk I had had with her several days ago on the phone, interrupted by the tragic news of Leo's coma.

If I remember right, she'd told me Leo and her had broken up. She was also telling me the reason why. 

I felt the sudden need to know that reason.

"Jackie!" I called, hoping she would hear me. "Jackie! Over here!"

She turned around. She had dark rings under her eyes. She looked like crap, with no make up on.

"Emily! Hi!" She was holding a bouquet of roses.

She gave me a welcoming, big hug, as if I was the oldest of her friends.

"Okay, Jackie, you can let go now, I can't breathe!"

"Oops. Sorry! What are you doing here?!" She sat on the bed.

"Me? Long story."

I told her about the transplant. Or at least I began telling her about the transplant when she smirked with disgust:

"Okay, okay, spare me the details!" she exclaimed.

"And how's Leo?"

I got pale and bit my lip.

"He...um....He....uh...." I stammer.

"Emily!" she put a hand on her heart, "You're scaring me! What's happened to Leo? Is he alright? Oh my God, is he dead?"

"No, no, no. Nothing like that. At least if you consider coma part of 'not dead'."

"Coma? Did you just say Leo was in a coma? Don't mess with me, Emily! Someone in a coma is like someone that's dead between the alive."

I nodded as a sign that I wasn't joking.

She froze.

"I can't believe it. Leo and I were on a date the night the accident happened."

"You were on a date or making out?" I heard myself asking. I wanted to slap myself when the words came out.

"Well, of course we were making out, whatdduya think?" she glanced at me with sudden anger. "He 'wasn't in the mood'" she explained, and with her fingers making quotation marks. " for sex. I told him he could go home if he's tired, we could very easily postpone our date. I swear to God, he smiled, grabbed his shirt and ran away. He told me he'd discovered something. Something about you."

She got my attention on "you".

"Me?" I asked, pointing at myself.

"Yes. You. He told me he'd discovered he still loved you."

Again, astonished, I pointed at myself and asked: "Me?"

"Yes, YOU, you moron!" she stood up. "I came to say goodbye to Leo. I'm going back to France. I have no reason to stay here. Because of you." she said, angrily. "I came here for Coop. You took him away from me. I am Leo's girlfriend, you're all he can think about. And now that he's in a coma, I can't even tell him bye and kiss him. I loved him, you know? I had deep feelings for him."

Is she just telling me it's my fault her love-life is ruined?

Is she also just telling me she's leaving?  

At that moment, I just wanted to sing and dance.

JACKIE WAS GOING BACK TO FRANCE!

FREEEEEEDDOOOOM!

"I can say goodbye to him for you, if you like." I said, failing to hide my joy and excitement.

She nodded, took her bag, and on her way out said: "Ciao."