The news stabs at my heart. I remember when Carrie killed herself, she was in a coma for days before she slipped away from us. It's hard to think about the same thing happening to Alex. Addressing Pamela, I ask, "Can we see her?" She nods and says, "You can, but you're only allowed ten minutes an hour." Alex's mom stands up, grasping Reese's hand. I'm mildly surprised when she grabs mine, too. Softly, I squeeze her fingers, and she squeezes mine back. Together, we make our way to the elevator and punch in the number of the floor.
When the elevator stops, we get off and veer for the double doors marked 'Adult ICU'. Mrs. Foster sets Reese down on a chair and peeks in the window, trying to catch a glimpse of Alex. I join her, peering in the window and watching the nurses in green scrubs milling around, checking wires, hooking people up. My eyes search over the beds, looking for Alex.
Finally I spot her. She's laying motionless and stiff as a board on a white bed, wires hooking her to various machines. There's lots of wires that are attached to her chest. They lead to her heart monitor, something that keeps track of her heartbeat. There's a hose in her mouth leading to a ventilator to help her breathe. And there's a tube in her arm leading to an IV stand. She looks....lifeless. A tear seeps from the corner of my eye as I watch her chest rise and fall with the help of the ventilator.
Mrs. Foster steps away from the window first, and hurries to put on the gowns we have to wear to see Alex. I step up beside her, pulling my own gown on. To my surprise, she puts an arm around me as we walk into Alex's cubicle.
Contrary to my beliefs, she doesn't seem mad at me, which I don't understand. If I was her, I would be mad at me. I mean, I'm practically the reason her daughter is lying on a bed here in the intensive care unit, in a coma she might never wake from.
I walk to Alex's side and pick up one of her hands. It's pale and cold. Her mom goes to her other side and picks up her other hand. Gently, carefully, I make a place for myself to sit on her hospital bed. I lean down to whisper in her ear: "Baby. Hi. It's Tristan. We're all so worried about you. Please hang in there, baby. I love you. I can't live without you." I press my face up against her cheek. Her skin is cold, but the soft brushing of her hair that I get from being so close to her is rewarding.
Her mother strokes her face softly, fluttering her hands over Alex's closed eyelids. "Please come back," she whispers. Tears fill my eyes as I try to imagine a life without her. Without my very first love. I may have had flings before, but I never loved any of my girlfriends. It was all about status and rank. I wanted to keep my position on top, so I dated the hot girls. But, right now, there's only one person on this earth that I want to date, and she's lying on a hospital bed with a huge slash through her wrist.
Nobody says much after that. We just sit with Alex, wrapped in a painful silence. Holding onto hope, I clutch at her hand. I feel like it's the only way I can keep her ties to reality.
Before long, the nurse comes to remind us that our time in the ICU is up. Soberly, I follow Mrs. Foster out through the door of her cubicle and to our waiting bench, where Reese has long since fallen asleep. Alex's mom gathers Reese in her arms, holding her tight as if she's the only thing in the world. I sit down beside them, burying my face in my hands. It's then that I realize, nobody has told Lisa or Hannah that Alex is here. I grab my cell and dial Lisa's number.
She answers on the third ring. "Hello?" she asks, slightly breathless. "Hi, Lisa," I say, wincing at how carefree I sound, as if this is an ordinary phone call. "Tristan?" she questions, sounding confused. I nod, before I realize she can't see me. "Yeah." "Why are you calling me?" she asks. "It's Alex," I reply gloomily. "Oh my god, did something happen to her?" "Yeah," I answer guiltily. "She, uh, she cut too deep this morning." "Is she dead?" Lisa asks, fear mounting in her voice. "No," I reply, and she lets out a sigh of relief. "But," I continue. "She's in a coma that she may never wake from."
A crash resonates over the wire, and I know Lisa's dropped the phone. I can hear muffled shouting and a girl's voice, so I assume Hannah's over there. Finally, Lisa comes back to the phone and asks, "Which hospital?" "Mercy," I reply flatly. "We're on our way," she replies, and hangs up the phone.
***
"Where is she?" Lisa cries fearfully, bursting in the ICU five minutes later. I gesture to Alex's cubicle, and Lisa and Hannah peer in anxiously. Mrs. Foster rises, lifting Reese off of her lap, to hug Lisa. "Who's this?" she asks when she pulls back, gesturing to Hannah. "This is Hannah," Lisa answers. "Alex's friend and...my girlfriend." Alex's mom smiles and holds out a hand for Hannah to shake.
When the greetings have been exchanged, Hannah and Lisa sit beside each other, next to me, holding hands and looking worried. I slip my arm around Lisa, who's sitting closest to me, and she snuggles against me. Hannah looks like she's struggling not to cry, and Lisa looks like she's about to cry. I'm about to cry, too. Softly, I lay my head on Lisa's shoulder, closing my eyes. She does the same, and soon all three of us are sleeping against one another, worry clouding our ability to dream.
AN: I KNOW IT SUCKS!!! IM SO SO SO SORRY FOR THIS TERRIBLE CHAPTER!!! Maybe my next one will be better.
Next update: Tomorrow or the day after
Don't forget to vote comment and share!!
All my love,
Em
YOU ARE READING
Antidote
Romance"True love always survives, Alex." *** Antidote is a young adult novel that will ensnare the soul and capture the mind with its every word. Alex Foster, a girl who is used to living in misery, finds herself inexplicably attracted to a boy that she t...
