Not So Typical

Chapter 22

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've just gotten back to college/university and so I have been busy with classes and other activities but now I finally have time to write and so here it goes, I hope you enjoy!

It felt like the longest day of my life and the sun had only been up for a couple hours. It was a fifteen minute cab ride to the train station, then an hour and a hald train ride to London, and then another thirty minute cab ride through morning traffic to the hospital. It was all a blur of people and hallways and doctors, I was trying to keep Harry together and not really focusing on anything else, I barely heard the doctors say that she didn't have long to live but when I did everything snapped back into focus. The large curly haired boy that was usually so happy and excited was crumbling in front of me, his eyes swollen from the tears and filling with even more. Gemma tried to hug him but he pulled away and rested his head on my shoulders.

"Why my mum, Mel? She's never hurt anyone" he sobbed into my sweatshirt. I felt the tears well up in my own eyes as I looked at a comatose Anne over his shoulder but I forced them down, I had to be strong.

Minutes later an ear piercing ring sounded through the room stopping everyone in their tracks.

"She's coding! Get Dr. Ellis! Excuse me but I'm going to need all of you to get out!"

Nurses were ushering us out of the room and plugging all kinds of machines into Harry's mum, we stood in the doorway holding onto each other until the door was shut and we were stuck peeking through the small window.

"Mel, I can't do this. Can we please just go somewhere else" Harry whispered quietly.

"Uh...sure. You gonna be okay Gem" I asked as he pulled me away from the door.

"I'll be fine, just take care of him" she said calmly and then returned her attention to the tiny window.

I somehow managed to make my way through the hallways and followed the signs pointing to the courtyard. It wasn't warm enough for the fountain to be running or the flowers to start growing but we were able to be alone and that was all that mattered. Harry took the lead and chose a bench in the far back corner as far away from the doors and windows as possible.

"I don't really know what to say but let it out, whatever anger or hurt, whatever you're feeling just let it out" I said quietly squeezing his large hands with my small ones.

"I don't want to talk about it, let's talk about anything else. Global warming, complex math, why I didn't go to uni, anything else Mel, anything."

I hear his voice crack as he looks away and focuses on the cracks in the sidewalk, he is trying so hard to keep together but I really wish he would let it out. I can't help him when he doesn't even give me a hint of where to start.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Green, you know this" he says with a quizzical look on his face.

"Tokyo or LA?"

"Tokyo, I went there as a kid and the pure size of it excited me. Wait, you knew that too. Why are you asking me things you already know" he chuckled, squinting his eyes trying to figure me out.

"I just wanted to hear your laugh, you always laugh when I'm being ridiculous. It worked didn't it?"

"That it did, thanks for that. Today has been really heavy, laughter made it all feel a little lighter even if only for a few seconds" he mumbled before pressing his cold lips to my forehead.

The doors to the courtyard creaked open, pulling our attention to see who was intruding on our moment. I saw the lilac hair flowing down the sidewalk and I knew it could only be Gemma.

"She's awake Haz."