Falling In Love With You | cth

xxi

xxi | the news

They decided for once to come back home early for a few days. They had the right to turn first, but a car came out of nowhere at full speed, passing over the speeding limit. My mom made it, but my dad didn't, he wasn't wearing his seatbelt, and now he's in critical condition.

Firstly, Luke had to tell Ashton where we were going in his car. I was silently crying as we all drove to the hospital. Ashton, Michael, and Calum sat quietly in the backseat, I kept on tapping my leg with my left hand. Luke noticed and held my hand. I felt a familiar stare down at us, I ignored it because I didn't care at this moment.

Before the bullying started, I was really close to my parents, especially my dad. Growing up, I would go watch superhero movies and listening to dad's music. We did everything together. Then that stopped when I reached middle school, he became more distant from me, then eventually ignored me like I never existed. Through those years, I still care for him even my mom, they just piss me off constantly.

Soon the large building approached us, Luke enters in the parking lot, we weren't inside directly but I got off and fell. I didn't mind, it was just a scratch on my leg. I ran through the parking lot and enter through the hospital's sidling doors, walking to the desk.

"Hello, there was a car accident, I'm looking for Jude Winters?" I asked, rapidly.

"Are you here to visit someone-"

"Look, lady, just tell me where is Jude Winters!" I yelled.

On the corner of my eyes, on the other side of the hallway, I saw a familiar brown wavy hair.

"MOM!" I yelled, running past the desk.

I ran to her. She was crying, looking too pale. Mom was talking to a female doctor who looked very young. I come up from behind her. I started to hear what the doctor was saying to my mom.

"Mrs. Winters, we are trying our best. We do not have an-"

Soon, a door burst open and nurses were on both sides of a hospital bed, rushing out of the Emergency Room towards the end of a different hallway.

"Doctor Fost, the patient is having had a stroke. We need to take him to the OR." One of the nurses said.

"Dad?" I called out, starting to walk to the hospital bed that carried a familiar mop of brown and strands of white hair.

"Cassidy-"

"Dad!" I cried, tears falling down my face.

I ran to the hospital bed, the nurses and doctors were telling me to move back and wait since I wasn't allowed to go to the operation room with him but I didn't want to listen to them. That's when people started to pull me back.

"Let me through!" I yelled.

I ran through a small spot. I felt arms around my waist, lifting up from the ground and walked backward.

"LET GO OF ME!" I screamed, fighting back, hitting the arms or trying to loosen their grip on me

I held onto a door and held onto it as much as I can. But whoever was holding onto me, pulled me too much and we both fell to the ground. I landed on the person's chest, looking up, it was Calum. I quickly sat up but Calum grabbed my wrist.

"It's alright to cry," Calum whispered but loud enough to hear.

I breathe, rapidly. Tears brimming, my vision became blurry. I cried in front of him, and he brought me into his chest.

-

As the hours passed by, Mom, Angelina, my uncle, Thomas, my aunt, Ella, and my little cousin, Anne, were praying. My family is Catholic but I refused to join in with them, wanting time to myself. My family sits in a circle, holding hands, and praying; meanwhile, the boys and Calum sat with me on the other side. I was sitting next to Luke, holding his hand and Michael wrapped an arm around my shoulder, my head on his shoulder and his head on top of mine.

A few minutes later and my family, the boys, and Calum fell asleep. It wasn't pleasant or peacefully sleeping. It was like a night of terror for everyone. And for me, I couldn't fall asleep and I wasn't going to until there was news about my dad.

I shivered in my seat, the wet clothing hugged my body from the beach, I didn't dry myself on the way here. Getting up, I walked to the direction of the bathroom. But then I realized I didn't know where the bathroom was. On the way there, I made my way to the front desk, a middle-aged woman with beautiful hazel eyes and blonde hair quietly typed away on her keyboard.

"Um...excuse me," I mumbled.

The lady stops and looks up to me. At first, she was going to ask me as she asked everyone else in the hospital. 'Hello, how may I help you?' or 'Are you here for an appointment?' or 'Hi, are you here to visit?' But she knew me and my family were waiting to hear from my dad.

"Hello, what do you need, sweetie?" the lady asked.

" Where's the bathroom?"

"Down this hall, first door to your left." she told me, "Are you cold?"

I nodded.

"Well, go to the bathroom and met me in the next door," she told me

I nodded and followed her directions quietly entering the bathroom. No one was in here. I went to the sink. I looked in the mirror, I looked like a mess. I cried so much, my mascara smeared under my eyelids. I washed my face and dried up. I left the bathroom and went to the next door. I found the lady, going through a cabin.

The lady gave me clothes. It was hers but told me that I could keep it, handing me an over-sized tan sweater, a white undershirt, and blue jeans.

After the nice lady leaves and I changed, I come out of the lockers, seeing my mom talking to the doctor. I hide behind the wall before entering the hallway.

"H-How is Jude?" mom nervously asked the female doctor, Doctor Fost, from earlier.

"Everything went well. He had a stroke and we took him into surgery but he's all good." Doctor Fost told my mom.

"That's wonderful," Mom sighs, palming her chest in relief of the good news, "When can I see my husband?"

"Um. Mrs. Winters, here's one thing. You could see your husband. But-"

"But?" mom asked.

I stared at Docter Fost, she didn't want to tell mom, but she knew that mom and my family need to know. When she opened her mouth and I wished she never said it, "Everything went well, but Mr. Winters is in a coma."