The Mean Duo ✔

16~ Xavier Russo

"C-can I come?", Bella stuttered making me wonder if hospitals trigger her.

I shrugged and walked towards my little sister's room. My heart as always stopped and ached when I saw her in those tubes. Her half alive figure barely breathing even with the aid of a machine. I didn't notice a tear slipped my eye till Bella wrapped her arm around mine and leaned on me. It was weirdly comforting

"Mr Russo, why don't we discu-", The doctor spoke as he entered but stopped mid sentence when he noticed I have company for the first time.

"I didn't know you had company I could ju-"

"No it's fine doctor you can speak to him, I'll wait outside", Bella cut him off and unattached herself from me before excusing herself out.

"I have scheduled the surgery for the last saturday of the month. You can come and deposit the money for the surgery anytime before saturday and we will proceed with it as planned. It will be an open brain surgery to try and reorientate her nerve endings to transfer signals. Though there is possibility of her waking up after the surgery...you do have to be aware that the probability of a risk and in surgery complication is way high than in any other neurological surgery.", The doctor explained with complicated words what I already knew.

"I still will go through it. A one in a million chance is still a chance and so I will take those odds. I can't let her suffer anymore than she already has", My heart clenched hard as tears brimmed my eyes once again.

"Take this file, it has everything you need to know about surgery along with the consent form. You can fill it out and bring it to me next week", The doctor patted my back and walked out.

Natalie's POV

I am not okay. Hearing about Xavier having a baby sister and then seeing her in that state brought up something I've buried deep inside me.

Emma. My baby sister and my Mom's excuse for leaving.

Images of the crash flashed through my mind making me collapse outside the door.

The screech of the tires against the carpeted road. The hazy vision of glass flying, car overturning and blood, so much blood. Screaming, shouting begging for help.

"Stop!", I grabbed my head in my hands as I coiled on the floor.

The man. Hawthorn. Gun. Threats. Mom shaking while bleeding. Emma unconscious on my lap. Emma bleeding. Blood splattering on my face. Mom unconscious.

"Stop!", Tears flowed down my eyes as I tried to shut my memory from three years ago.

"Please stop", I begged as the words which haunted me years ago echoed in my head.

"She was killed on scene I'm afraid"

"Emma", I cried hard as the pictures of my little seven year old sister bleeding on me in her last moments flashed in my mind.

"Natty I'm scared" Her words resounded and echoed in my head loudly

Years of therapy and I still am not okay. Why the fuck am I not okay! I can't go back to how it used to be. I can't break again! Save me please.

I cried and cried and cried until a female passerby noticed me.

"Ma'am! What's wrong? Are you hurt?", She crouched to my level and attempted to hold my shoulders before I pushed her back.

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME! GET AWAY FROM ME!", I screamed with tears raining down my eyes.

The door bust opened and Xavier along with the doctor rushed out. The sound of the door hitting the wall snapped me back to reality as my harsh breathing started returning to its normal pace.

"Hitch a ride please", I said to Xavier as I wiped my tears away before rushing to my car and driving away from hell.

Once home, I shut the door to my room and fell against the floor.
Years of therapy for PTSD made me convince myself I was healed yet here I am having had an attack.

I brought my knees up and threw my head against my hands.

He killed her, he killed my baby sister and took my mother away from me.

"No! That cowardly whore ran away because she didn't have the balls to face things head on!"

He killed Emma

"So!? He's in jail, isn't he?"

But not for murder. He'll be out next week. Where you going to hide this time? Under your bed? Like you did every night for the entirety of the year in which Emma died?

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!", I pulled my hair hard trying to suppress myself.

I stood up and walked over to my closet. Removing the board near the far end of it, I grabbed the chest inside and pulled it out.

Then I pulled a key from under my mattress to open a memory vault of doom.

Upon opening it, my heavy heart flattened. Pictures of Emma and I, me scowling her smiling. Her favourite teddy bear- the one I gave her. Our matching bracelets- which she made and I never wore. Everything I suppressed for the last three years surfaced in an instant.

"Are you happy Emma? Are you happy after leaving me like that? I didn't even have enough time to show you that I really loved you. Why did you leave me that easily? Do you hate me? Do you despise me for burying you in the depts of my memory? Emma I miss you so much, I miss you so so much Emma. Please...Please comeback and annoy me as much you want, I won't complain, I promise! Emma!", I cried and cried holding on to her favourite teddy before eventually falling asleep on the floor against her chest.