Flirting With The Good Girl

Infamous Last Words

"Try harder!" Ethan snaps. "He's my brother. You can't just expect me to leave here without him!"

"We are trying. We're doing everything possible to help him." Dr. Philip says calmly. "The worst thing that could really happen is if the coma lasts longer than two months and we highly doubt it will."

Ethan pushes the doctor aside and slips into Carter's room.

Dr. Philip looks at me. "Be prepared though, people in his state sometimes don't make it to two months because weakness has taken its toll."

Jessica flips the chair she was sitting in and storms out of the waiting room. I hear something break before I chase after her. A vase of flowers is shattered beside the reception desk but Jessica continues to destroy things in her path as she makes her way outside.

She's nearly made it to the car when I grab her arm to turn her around to face me. "Jessica, calm down -"

Her hand connects with my face before she pushes my hand off her arm. "Get the fuck away from me, Jake!"

"Jessica -"

"No! " she shouts angrily. "Just stop! We could have prevented this! But no, I had to be a fucking slut and stay with you last night when I should have went to Carter's to make sure he was okay! I've been a fucking whore, allowing you to kiss me and then kissing you back when Carter was trying to be everything I ever wanted! And now all our fucking shit caused this! Caused Carter to nearly die!"

Her body is shaking with rage as she pulls at her hair. "Just leave me alone."

"I'm sorry-"

"Go!"

She pushes me away angrily as tears run down her face. "I don't need you to be here. I want you to leave. I don't need you. Just go!"

She pushes me back until I'm nearly back inside the hospital. I grab her arm, hoping to try to let her understand but she pushes me away again before walking off.

I move to follow but Jackson suddenly grabs me. "Leave her alone, Jake. Because of her, you nearly ruined everything."

His words slice through me and guilt, once again, consumes me.

"You can go see Carter." He mumbles before walking back the way he came. I look back outside where Jessica is crying and cursing at the wind. Her sadness pains me but Jackson is right. I'll just leave her alone.

I find my way back into the waiting room where Ethan is crying and Luke is asleep on his lap.

Carter's door is slightly opened, allowing me to slip in to the quiet room with nothing but he sound of beeps.

When my eyes land on him, I feel like screaming. He doesn't even look human. This isn't Carter. This isn't Carter.

There's several tubes and wires covering his body where they connect into monitors that hold his life. His face is pale and lifeless but it is Carter. The only real damage done to his face is a long scar starting at his jawline and running down the side of his neck. But it's just hard to believe this is Carter.

I walk up to the side of his bed and pull a seat up. Looking at him, memories flash of our friendship. I feel tears pool in my eyes. "I'm sorry." I say. "I'm so sorry."

It'll ever been enough, I know.

"I've been a real shitty friend. I went after a girl you were in love with. I shouldn't have. You never would have done that to me. You would have choked back the feelings and moved on. But I'm a disgraceful person and I wish I could have been the kind of friend you needed. I'm a selfish idiot who deserves to be where you are. I should be the one in the hospital bed, not you,"