Odds Are Against Us

Lost

I woke up slowly and looked around the room with dim lights. I was at the hospital. It made me remember what had happened. We were hit by a truck, somehow I was still alive and... Bill? My breathing became faster and I felt like I was suffocating from panicking. I suddenly heard a familiar voice.

– Avery, it's me. You're okay, just breathe slowly. – my eyes were opened wide and I could see Tom talking to me.

– Bill. – it was all I was able to say.

– You need to calm down, Avery. – he caressed my hair.

– Bill. – I repeated, this time a bit louder. Wasn't he listening to me? – Can you hear me? – I asked him.

– Yes, I can. Just go back to sleep. You're exhausted and hurt. – he answered, making me relax a bit more.

***

– She's fine. She has a lot of cuts from the glass of the shattered windows from the car. I'm aware of the internal bleeding she had a week ago, that's why we're monitoring the wound on her stomach. Her right arm is injured, but we hope it will be healed in just two weeks. – I heard a doctor speak to Tom at the door of the room. I looked at the plaster I had on my right arm.

– And my brother? – Tom asked.

– You should accompany me. – the doctor said. I watched Tom get out of the room and walk after the doctor. I sat up immediately, took off my oxygen mask as well as the catheters I had and got up from bed, determined to follow them, completely ignoring the pain I had just caused my arm.

I stopped walking once they walked into another room. Then I saw him. Bill was laying in the bed, connected to a machine that helped him breathe.

– During the neurosurgery we had some complications trying to stop the brain bleed. We had to put Bill under a coma. – the doctor explained to Tom as he nodded. – The coma is preventing brain activity. The lack of activity will hopefully heal the bleed.

– When will he wake up? – Tom asked.

– We'll monitor the bleed and once it is healed we will slowly reduce the medication that is keeping him in a coma.

– You mean he can wake up with brain damage. – Tom said.

– Unfortunately, that's a possibility. – the doctor explained.

– Okay... – I heard Tom whisper as he nodded.

– I'll give you some space. – the doctor said and left the room.

I carefully watched as Tom sat down beside Bill's bed already completely in tears. I slowly walked back to my room realizing what all of that meant. Joan had died. Joan had died at 04:37am, after the car she was driving was hit by a truck, on our way home. I sat down on my bed under the covers, feeling dead inside. I had no reaction at all.

***

I glanced at the clock for the millionth time. It had been two hours since Tom went in Bill's room. I wasn't sure he would want to see anyone after what the doctor said completely shattered him, but I decided to get up and walk towards Bill's room anyway.

I peeked inside to see Tom still sitting beside his twin's bed, before I walked inside and closed the door behind me. Tom immediately looked at me with red eyes from crying.

– Avery... what are you doing here? – he asked as he wiped his tears.

– I um- – I felt tears finally running down my cheeks. – Joan is- – I couldn't get any more words out of my mouth.

– I know... I'm sorry, Avery. – he said. – Come here. – he said and I walked closer to him. He pulled me onto to his lap and held me as close to him as he could while I cried to heavens.