Not So Bad After All

# 8

'No... this has to be some twisted dream... I'll wake up any minute now...' But Ruby knew that this was no dream. This was indeed reality. She was standing beside her mother's hospital bed, her body covered in bandages and her left leg in a cast and propped up with pillows. Her mother had an IV in her arm, keeping her mom hydrated. The constant beeping of the heart monitor was the only noise that filled the room, and even that seemed to be drowned out be the unbearable silence. "I'm sorry..." Ruby turned her head to Anastasia, who had drove down to the hospital at lightening speed once she heard what had happened. How they didn't end up in a wreck, Ruby wasn't sure. "Don't be..." Ruby said, with a quiet and shaky voice. "Thank you... for driving me here... for being here." Anastasia nodded softly. Now that Ruby thought about it, this was one of the few occurrences that Anastasia wasn't happy and hyper, nor was she smiling. "I called Peyton and let her know the situation. If you want me to, I can call Leo as well." Anastasia murmured, Ruby nodding. Anastasia went out of the room to call Leo and Ruby broke down. All the fear, frustration, and sadness overwhelmed her and she collapsed to the floor, her upper body on the side of the bed. She sobbed into the sheets, soaking them with tears. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she lifted her head, shock replacing her emotions for a split second. "Ryder...? What are you doing here?" She asked, hiccuping in between sentences. "My dad works as a doctor here and he had something he wanted me to help out with here. Not to mention my three friends are here." He muttered, taking a seat in the chair beside her mom's bed. "Why?" Ruby asked, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "Just something I had to do for someone I have started caring about more than them." Was all he said. "I get that you're trying to distract yourself from what happened to your mom, but I really don't think now is the time to be focusing on me." He said, propping his head in his hand. "She got in a wreck, simple as that..." Ruby said, looking away from Ryder and to her mom. She heard a sigh before some shifting and she felt someone pull her up into a hug. "Let it all out." With those four words, Ruby shattered back into pieces.

They had stayed like that for a while. Ryder holding Ruby as she clutched his leather jacket and sobbed into his shirt, soaking his white tank-top. Until the door opened, that is. Leo, Anastasia, and Peyton entered the room. Anastasia didn't even seem phased the Ryder was there, considering she had been the one to let him in after a quick chat between the two. Peyton and Leo, however...

"What are you doing here?" Leo hissed, glaring at Ryder. Ryder didn't look phased at all by their sudden appearance or the nasty glare Leo was giving him. "I was just leaving." Ryder replied, grabbing a small sheet of paper from the table beside her mom's bed and writing something on it. He handed Ruby the piece of paper before patting her on the shoulder and exiting the room. Leo switched his glare from the door to Ruby. "What were you doing with him?" He growled. "Now is not the time, Leo." Peyton said, giving him a glare that made him immediately shut up. She walked over to Ruby and wrapped her into a hug. Ruby held onto Peyton, needing some form of comfort. 'I already lost dad, I can't lose mom, too!' She thought, tears beginning to once again well up in her eyes. Peyton rubbed her back as Anastasia came up and wrapped Ruby in a hug, too. Ruby sniffled, but tried her best not to cry, though a few defiant tears leaked out of her eyes. Leo just sat down in the chair Ryder was sitting in and said nothing. Ruby glanced at the piece of paper Ryder had handed her.

Call me if you need me

(xxx) xxx-xxxx

-Ryder

(A/N: Guys, I am terribly sorry about the rather short chapter and the slowdown of progression. I just started back up with school and it has me rather stressed at the moment, so please bear with me for now. I will continue updates as listed on my schedule. Just bear with me for now, folks. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Have a wonderful day!)