Miles Apart

Chapter 19- Ellington

"How did you get him to take a nap?" I heard Riker ask.
"I told him to rest, and then I put my nap time playlist on and went back to my room. I came back in and he was out." Rydel replied.
"It sounds like he's a child and you're his babysitter or something." Ross chuckled.
"I am!" She laughed.
"Hey! Guys I'm awake now! And I heard all of that." I said irritably.
"Whoops, sorry Ell. These people don't love you the same as I do." Rocky smirked.
"Rockliff forever." Ryland joked. Everyone laughed.
"Jokes aside, what actually happened? I can't remember." I asked Rydel.
"You lunged at Isaac and punched him like twice before you got restrained. You're lucky I was there to beg them not to call the police. I claimed that tour has exhausted you and you're out of your mind." She explained.
"Well thanks... I guess. What about Nat? Is she okay?"
Everyone was silent. They all looked down at the floor and tried avoiding my anxious stare.
"What, guys? Seriously I want to know." I begged, my heart sinking further into my stomach.
"She's in a coma." Riker whispered.
"No she's not. She's fine. She's already been in a coma. That can't happen again." I argued desperately.
"Ellington, listen to me. Accept reality. She's in a coma. She somehow got more drugs into her system and she may not wake up." Rydel replied sternly.

None of my emotions were able to catch up to me. I just sat in a daze, upset, confused, and exhausted. The Lynch's gave me solemn looks. I hated this. I hated every part of it. I was hurting them, something I'd never intended to do. I was hurting our fans, something that hurt me so deeply that I couldn't stand it. I was taking every conversation I'd had with Natalie and making it a part of some fairytale that I'd conjured up in my head. How was I supposed to know that she would wake up and love me? She could wake up and hate me, or she would maybe never wake up. And what did that do to all of us waiting around? It hurt us. And it was all of my fault.
I thought of all of this alone in my room until Ross came in.

"Let's go." Ross said to me.
"Go where?" I asked.
"To visit Natalie."
"No, we don't need to do that."
"Isn't that what you want..?" He asked.
"Not if it hurts everyone around me. No. I've caused everyone enough pain."
"Ellington you're being stupid, come on!" He urged.
"Ross, I'm being realistic." I snapped.
"No, because we all want to visit her too. And we will. If you want to join us you can, but if you just want to sit here and not know, then be my guest." He snapped back.
I decided to go.