𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 － 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑔𝑖𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝

♪ 𝟹𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝙿𝙾𝚅 ♪

Leila stepped into the hospital with her breath drawn, she found it hard to breathe, her breaths coming out short and strangled as she walked the hospital halls. The world seemed blurry, the noises around her sounded distant.

The second Leila stepped up to the desk and a nurse spoke, the world went back to normal, Leila took a deep breath as she looked at the nurse before her, the sounds that had seemed so quiet before now shockingly loud.

"Hi I'm looking for Alex Mercer's and Reginald Peter's rooms, can you help me out?" Leila asked nervously as she twiddled with her fingers under the counter.

"Relation?" The nurse asked as she typed away on her computer.

Leila shuffled nervously before speaking, "Uh I'm Alex's twin sister and Reggie's-" Leila cleared her throat, pushing back the tears that threatened to fall, "Reginald's friend."

The nurse nodded, looking at her computer for a moment more before giving the girl a sad, pity-filled look, "They're in room B12 and B14."

Leila nodded forcing a smile, "Thank you."

Before the nurse could say a word, Leila rushed off to find the rooms, swallowing loudly as she walked. She didn't want to be around people right now, she couldn't. She couldn't deal with the pity looks and the sad words, she just wanted her boys back.

Leila took a deep breath as she spotted the first room, a quick peek through the glass door told her it was Alex's room, Reggie's being right next to his.

Leila found herself frozen, unable to move from her spot as tears fell down her face, a choked sob came out as she brought her hand to her mouth. "I can't do this alone." Leila whispered as she stood in the empty hospital hallway.

After a few minutes of standing there crying, Leila got a hold of her emotions enough to reach for the door handle, opening the door and walking in, the sound of the machines beeping echoing in her ears before she even looked around.

Leila turned away from the door and found tears trailing down her face as she saw her twin brother lying in the hospital bed unconscious and hooked up to machines. What hurts worse was she knew he wasn't going to get out of the hospital bed, he wasn't going to wake up and reassure her he was okay, he was gone.

Leila nearly fell to the floor, barely catching herself as she clung onto the wall and made her way over to the chair by Alex's side. The second she sat down on the chair she grabbed his lifeless hand, intertwining theirs as tears fell down her face.

As she stared at her brother's face, words began to tumble out of her mouth, "I don't know what to do without you, Alex, I've never done this. I've always had you and now I'm alone." She paused, taking a shaky breath and continuing, "I don't want to be alone."

Leila had felt alone before however never like this. She had always known Alex, or Reggie or Luke would be there for her and now... now they weren't.

"I just want you to wake up and comfort me and tease me about you being older and-" Leila was cut off by a sob forcing it's way out, she shook her head before speaking again, her voice shaky and broken, "I just want you."

The rest of her time was Alex was spent in silence, the sound of the machines he was hooked up to filling the silence that filled the hospital room.

Leila wiped her eyes, "I need to go see Reggie." She whispered to herself before focusing on her brother once more, "I love you so much, Alex. I'm just glad you're not alone." She told him as she stood pressing a kiss to his forehead, tears falling down her face onto his as she pulled away.

Leila turned away from Alex, her hand falling from his and for a second just a split second, Leila thought he had gripped her hand. She turned to look at him and found his hand unmoved, his eyes closed just as they had been since she arrived.

She shook her head, it was her imagination that's it. She told herself as she walked out the door.

Before she shut the door behind her she looked at her brother with sad tear-filled eyes, "I love you, Alex." She whispered before she shut the door and went to Reggie's, becoming all too aware of his leather jacket surrounding her in warmth upon seeing him laying there.

This time she didn't stand in the hallway however she was tempted to. She wasn't ready to go into that room, she would never be ready to go in that room but she had to.

Leila took a shaky breath as she stepped into Reggie's room, not wasting any time as she rushed over to the chair before taking in his appearance, he looked the same as Alex had really. He was pale, paler than usual, he was hooked up to machines, his eyes closed as if he was sleeping, he didn't move an inch like he usually did when he slept. He looked peaceful but strange. Leila guessed it was because he was missing his jacket, she rarely saw him without it.

"Hey, Reg." She greeted with a sad smile. "I got your jacket." She told him as she gripped his jacket. She shook her head, "I can't believe you guys are gone." Something between a laugh and a sob ripped through Leila's throat, "And by hotdogs nonetheless, that's insane."

Leila sniffed as she reached for Reggie's hand, intertwining them just as she had with Alex. "I have to tell you something. I can't believe I never did before, it took you laying in a hospital bed for me to tell you..." Leila shook her head, looking up from her lap as she uttered the words she had wanted to say to him for years, "I love you Reg. More than friends, more than honorary siblings, more than... anything I've ever felt before." Leila took a shaky breath, wiping away the tears with her free hand, the sleeve of his jacket becoming wet. "I just wish I got to tell you before... this."

Leila sighed, the feel of his jacket was no longer comforting as she started at his expressionless face, wishing she could see his smile one more time. Without a second thought, Leila slid off his jacket, folding it up before putting it by Reggie's side, "Here you should have that back." She told him.

Tears fell down Leila's eyes and a humorless laugh cut through the strange silence in the room, "God I'm a mess Reg." She whispered, "I need to go." Before I break down, Leila added silently as she stood up, glancing back at the boy she loved once, twice before she left the room.

Leila turned around to go back to Alex or the sitting room or perhaps outside where she could be alone, Leila hadn't been sure yet, when a sob cut through the air and she saw a familiar heartbroken face down the hall. Her face fell, her whisper in the quiet hall sounding like a shout, "Mrs. Patterson."

♪ 𝟷,𝟸𝟸𝟻 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 ♪