The Road Ahead (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 4 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Twenty-One

❝fear (pronounced fɪər or feer), noun
a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc.,whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.❞

Phoenix had tossed and turned the whole night at Grandma and Grandpa's house. He was worried about Pa and Spencer.

He rolled out of bed at around seven, making himself some tea. Grandma looked stressed, standing over the stove. "Good morning, Nick," she said. "Are you up for some bacon and eggs?"

"Not hungry."

She sighed slightly. "Me neither, darling. But we have to eat something."

"I don't wanna." He sat down, playing with his pencil. It was black, and had a red eraser up the top. "Are we going to see Pa and Spencer today?"

"Hunter was in some severe pain last night," said Grandpa, walking in and sitting down. "Ryan messaged me, she said they were up half the night."

"What about Spencer?"

"He's not waking up yet, sweetie."

Robin wandered into the kitchen. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying, and she wouldn't look up. "Do you two want hot chocolates?"

"I want Mama," said Robin quietly.

Grandma sighed, leaving the stove for a moment and hugging her tightly. "It's okay," she said softly. "Everything's gonna be just fine. We'll go back to see her and Papa again soon."

Phoenix looked at her. "Wanna go watch TV? I think Regular Show is on."

"Okay."

Leo watched them leave the room, then looked at Lynette. "I still can't believe Hunter was..."

"I thought he wouldn't be so irresponsible." She sighed, looking down. "It's so awful. Poor Ryan is just there, trying so hard to keep it all together, especially with Elle..."

"Where are Mira and Carter?"

"Overseas, she said. They'll be travelling back here in three weeks. Will and Naomi offered to look after the kids tomorrow night."

"Oh, that'll be good for them. Maybe little Lizzie will be able to distract them a little."

Lynette nodded, quickly putting the scrambled eggs and bacon on a plate with the hash browns she had made. "Kids, breakfast is ready!"

They walked back, looking defeated. Leo couldn't help but feel bad for them. "Don't worry, you two," said Lynette gently. "We'll get to see Papa and Spencer when we get to the hospital."

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Elle got changed into the clothes that Grandpa and Grandma had brought her, and went down to Hunter's ward. Ma looked totally exhausted, and Pa was asleep. "What happened to you?"

"He woke up last night, started having chest pains. They thought it was his heart, and I... yeah."

"Didn't sleep? Yeah. Every time I was about to fall asleep, I thought I heard his heart monitor flatline, and I'd wake up again."

Ryan's heart stopped cold for a moment, and she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Alright. Grandma messaged me, told me that they'd be coming to visit right about now. She's bringing us some breakfast."

"Oh."

They sat in silence for a while, watching Hunter's shallowly rising and falling chest. His eyelids fluttered every now and again, and his breathing would hitch, too, signalling that he was in pain, despite the amount of morphine in his blood.