Lights

Lights 12☼

Hi, Thank you so much if you're reading this! I've recently rediscovered my motivation for this story but I can only write in my free time so not all updates will be as quick as this. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12☼

 I woke up to the bright white lights of the hospital, and Austin sitting stiffly in a chair by the corner. I was in a hospital bed in the emergency room, with an IV hooked up to my arm. I was aching but feeling better.

"Austin," I croaked. His eyes flicked to me and he sat right up.

"You're awake!" he quietly exclaimed as he came to the side of the bed. "Elodie, what the fuck happened to you?"

"Please, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal." I said tiredly. I already felt like too many people knew about what was going on. Leah's family was one thing, and then it became the teachers, guidance counselors, and now Austin. I was doing a poor job of protecting my family.

"Not a big deal?! Look at yourself, El. You're battered and concussed." He was right, I could feel the tight gauze bandage wrapped around my head and my arms and legs ached. But he didn't understand that it wasn't her fault. Anybody would do what she did if they were in her shoes. 

"You wouldn't understand," I muttered. 

"The hell I wouldn't understand! Did your mom do this? Is she abusing you Elodie?" He was asking me rapid-fire questions that I couldn't begin to figure out how to answer. "We had to tell the nurses you were my sister so they wouldn't ask about your parents. This is fucked up Elodie, if your mom is hurting you you can't keep protecting her. Just tell me the truth!"

"It's not like that!" I cried. "She doesn't mean to do it! Its not--"

"Then what does she mean to do?!" He snapped. I looked at him with tears welling in my eyes. How could I explain? I could see in his eyes he was angry but only because he cared. It almost reminded me of my mother's eyes; there was anger, but something else too. Only for her it was anger and fear, sadness, and disappointment. I could picture her eyes and they were cold. But Austin's were warm with feeling, and it was for me. I didn't know what to do. I turned my crying eyes to look at the crisp, white linoleum. It was all too much for me.

"Elodie?" a voice called from the hall by the waiting room. I looked up from the white linoleum ground to see the doctor standing there, looking at me. I turned to my grandma and she nodded before guiding me to stand up. "Hi," he continued. "You can see your mother now, sweetheart." Grandma draped her hand on my shoulder to comfort me as we followed the doctor down the hallway. He looked back at me with a sad smile. "She's been asking to see you for days but we had to make sure she was stable before you could come in." I nodded and quietly walked behind him as we entered the room.

There she was, laying in bed, bandaged around her head and with casts on a few of her limbs. She was in bad, bad shape, but I was happy to see her. She was laying back with her eyes closed, but I could tell she wasn't asleep.

"Mom?" I called, and she perked up to look at me.

"Elodie?" She replied, lighting up as she sat up from the pillow. I hurried to her side to give her a hug.

"Mom, I missed you so much!" I cried, warm tears soaking her hospital gown. She held me tight and nuzzled her face into my shoulder. I could tell she was smelling my hair.

"Oh my baby, I missed you too! But I'm here now, I'm right here." She squeezed me again before pulling away. With her hands on my shoulders she looked at me and I could see tears gathering in her warm, brown eyes. I was already crying too. But then her expression slowly turned. And she began to rub the ends of my hair nervously and with suspicion. "Elodie..." She started to say, trailing off as she studied my hair. When she looked back to me her stare was cold. I had never seen that look on her face before, and definitely not directed towards me.