Phoenix
Here I was stuck in the waiting room of another hospital, staring at the double doors that led to where Scarlett was. I didn't think we would be going through this again. It wasn't even a thought that crossed my mind. She has been healthy and doing so well. I guess life can't be a complete fairy tale, though. It has to throw shit at you out of nowhere, but it keeps going after the wrong person—the one who doesn't deserve any of this. I wish I could take all the pain she has gone through away from her. For once, just fucking throw something at me..please..just fucking hurt me, not her.
"Phoenix," Ryder yelled out with pure panic in his voice beside Kole as they sprinted down the hall of the hospital. "What the hell happened?"
My face became pained as I shook my head. "I don't fucking know, man. She was smiling and laughing before I went to go shower, then I heard a crash from the kitchen a few minutes later," I felt sick to my stomach, reliving the moment. "When I got there, she was laying on the floor and h..her body was just shaking out of control...her eyes were in the back of her head. I held her on her side until she stopped shaking and came back to consciousness enough for me to grab my phone to call 911."
Ryder brushed his fingers through his hair. "I can't believe this is happening again. She was fine. We just talked, and she was...fine," He repeated, trying to understand. "How was she when she woke up?"
I glanced up at him. "Scared, and she wasn't making much sense. It was like she forgot how to form words for a second. They were all jumbled up, but by the time the paramedics came, she was starting to seem a little less out of it. She held onto my damn hand the minute they took her down to the ambulance all the way to the hospital. They had to pull her hand off of mine because she wouldn't let go...she was terrified, Ryder," Tears formed in my eyes. "She shouted, "Nix, please, don't let me go," before they pushed her through those doors. It took all I had not to fucking storm inside," My voice broke while I talked.
"Jesus, Nix," Kole's face was covered in concern and sympathy.
Ryder fell down on the chair next to me, looking like he saw a ghost. "Did the paramedics tell you anything when they got there? Did you tell them about her injury before?"
"Just what we thought. That it was a seizure, they said it could have something to do with the previous trauma or something else could be going on, but they were in the dark along with us," I explained. "Did you call your parents?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. They are trying to get a plane out of Vegas, but I don't know how long that will take, being last minute. Right now, Scar only has us," His eyes were washed over with worry. "We have to be there for her no matter what. She needs us," He spoke like he was telling that to himself as well.
"She has all of us," The sound of Vee's voice echoed to our right as we saw her and Sam standing there. "How is she?" Her brows knitted together, sitting on my other side.
Sam stood beside Kole. "Have you seen her yet? She's going to be alright...right?"
My jaw tightened, trying to hold back tears. Be strong for Scar, man. Get it together. "She was awake and starting to talk when we got here, but I haven't heard anything since she went back. It's just like before. We have no fucking clue what's going on in there or if something else is happening."
"What if it's not related to her injury?" Ryder spoke up with a creased forehead. "What if it's worse or something that changes her? I don't want to lose my fucking sister. I don't think I could handle it," His hand covered his face as he probably went over the what-ifs about a thousand times.
"Hey, now, don't go to that dark place. You can't let that shit consume your mind. It will only cause you more pain than you need," Kole said.
Vee tilted her head to the side, speaking softly. "He's right, and from what I've learned about Scar already is that she is a badass that won't let anything drag her down so easily. She may be small, but she has a lot of fight in her."
Sam chimed in. "Yeah, after all she's been through, she still has that big smile on her face. It seems like it would take a hell of a lot to wipe it off."
The faintest smile appeared on Ryder's face. "I have to admit...she's a lot stronger than I ever could be, and that's something I always look up to her for. Maybe I'm even a little jealous, but don't go telling her that shit," His eyes land on me as I let out a small chuckle.
"We're in the same boat, bro," I admitted before turning to Vee with narrowed eyes. "Where is Jesse?"
Sam scoffed, shaking his head. "Somewhere off getting plastered."
"What? I thought you guys were coming here once you told everyone to leave the party?" Ryder furrowed his brows.
Vee glanced at the ground, then between Ryder and me. "Well, everyone wasn't happy about having to leave when it just started, and we explained what was going on, but half the idiots didn't give a shit because some of them were already drinking."
"Others were just selfish fucks," Sam added.
"Some of the guys on the team, Vinny and Marcus, were wanting to move the party to someone else's place. No one was up for it until they hounded Jesse to let them go to our place. Him being a total dumbass, said yes and wouldn't listen to how fucked up that was. He thought he could just come by later or send flowers. So, long story short, we got into a fight, and Sam and I left his sorry ass behind."
"I thought he would realize how much of an asshole he was acting like and tell everyone to fuck off, but he still isn't here, so I was wrong. Kinda a shit move if you ask me," Sam said.
Ryder leaned back in the seat. "Since when does a party ever matter over your friends?"
"Never," I spoke up.
I know Jesse isn't that close with Scar yet, but she means more than anything to Ryder and me. You'd think that when your family is going through the wringer unexpectedly again that one of your best friends would drop what they're doing to be there for you. I know I would do it if the roles were reversed. Was he trying to make a good impression on the team? Marcus and Vinny are seniors, so I guess he could have wanted to be cool with them, but even if that was it, it's a bullshit excuse. To be honest, there isn't an excuse that would make me feel differently. At this moment, I'll always remember the ones that are here now because they're the ones that will stick with you through anything.
Kole stood there, frustrated. "What the hell is he on?"
"Something that took his damn brain cells," Vee spat out. "But don't think about that shit right now. That's the last thing we should be talking about. Scar is the only one we need to be thinking of, okay? All of us are here with her and both of you. We may not be your family back at home, but I'd like to think we're like your slightly more messed up and crazy distant relatives."
Ryder and I smiled, shaking our heads. "You obviously haven't met them if you think you're all crazier than them," I told her.
"They'll give you a run for your money, but no matter what, you guys will always be like family to us too. And I guess when shit hits the fan, you find out who the real ones are in your life," Ryder spoke with a hurt expression on his face.
Vee's shoulders fell. "I'm sorry, Ry."
I looked over at her. "It's not your fault Vee. What matters is that you're here. He made his choice, and you're not responsible for it."
Her face scrunched up in anger and sadness. I knew she was going through all the emotions, but if this proves anything, it's that she's a true friend to us regardless of if she is with Jesse or not.
"God, I wish they would fucking update us already," Ryder spoke in agitation.
It wasn't until about an hour later that a nurse came out to speak to us and ended up letting Ryder and I see Scarlett in her room.
The second we walked in the door, my eyes met hers, and I felt like I could breathe again. Her lips slowly curved up into a smile. "Hey," She spoke in a quiet voice as her face looked exhausted, and she had an IV attached to her arm.
"Scarlett," Ryder rushed to her side while I went on the other. "How are you feeling?"
"I have the worst headache of my life," She squinted her eyes. "And I feel like I just ran a marathon, but I'm okay."
I took her hand in mine, gently squeezing it. "We were so worried about you, baby."
Tears started to form in her sweet eyes. "I'm so sorry, Nixie. I don't remember what happened. I just remember waking up and seeing you, but I can't believe you had to see me like that."
I shook my head. "Shh," The palm of my hand landed on her cheek as my brows softly furrowed. "Don't apologize. You had no control over what happened. I'm just fucking thankful I was there because if I wasn't and you were alone..."
"But I wasn't alone, and I had you to protect me," Her voice made my heart pound against my chest. "Always my guardian angel."
I gave her a gentle smile before kissing her forehead. "Always."
Ryder lightly placed his fingers on Scar's arm. "You have cuts everywhere."
She nodded. "How unlucky was I, holding a wine bottle as I had a seizure? There is a bad gash on my side from one of the bigger pieces that they had to stitch up," Scar pulled over the gown to show us.
My brows lifted. "Oh my god. I knew you got cut, but I didn't think it was that bad."
Ryder sat up. "Jeez, at this point, I think you're just trying to collect all the badass scars. Your name is fitting now," He spoke jokingly.
She softly chuckled. "Yeah, you caught me. I'm always trying to find new ways to get some scars. The one on my head just wasn't enough."
"Did they tell you anything? Have you met the doctor?" I asked with concern.
"Mhm, Dr. Walker is nice, and they didn't really know what to say to me till my test results came back."
Ryder furrowed his brows. "Tests?"
Scar looked over at him with heavy eyes. "Yeah, they ran a couple tests to determine where the seizure was located and what it could mean. I'm a little scared it's going to be something bad."
"Everything is going to be alright, baby. Whatever they tell us, we can get through it. You're never alone, okay? I'm going to be by your side no matter what."
Ryder chimed in. "And you couldn't get rid of me even if you wanted to. Big brothers are meant to annoy and always be there for their little sisters."
"You got the annoying part down," She let out a soft laugh before wincing in pain from her head.
I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb. "Did they give you something for the pain?"
"Yes, and I'm hoping it kicks in soon," She said. "Ryder, did you call mom and dad?"
He nodded. "They're worried sick about you but currently driving to that small airport near our house. Apparently, it was the only airport that had a plane available, so they took it."
She leaned back against her pillow. "I feel bad for worrying them. Mom is probably a wreck."
Ryder patted her leg. "To be honest, mom is probably the one holding dad together right now."
*Knock, Knock*
An older woman with dark brown hair walked into the room with a kind face. "Hi, Scarlett. How are we doing?"
"Okay, but my head is still killing me," She said.
The woman nodded. "Let's give it another half hour, and if it's still bad, then we will up the pain meds."
Scar gave her a small smile. "Thank you."
I was nearly overflowing with anxiety and nervousness at this point, hoping that there would be nothing coming out of her mouth that will flip our world upside down.
"Now, who are you two?" Dr. Walker asked warmly.
"This is my brother Ryder and my boyfriend Phoenix," She explained with a blush to her cheeks.
The doctor shook our hands. "It's nice to meet you both. Now, I have a few things to discuss with you, Scarlett, and since you are eighteen, we don't need to wait for a parent unless you would like to."
Scar shook her head. "They won't be around for a while, so I would like to go over everything. Besides, I'm a little nervous."
Dr. Walker nodded. "Okay," She spoke in a soft voice before opening the file she walked in with.
Ryder and I both held on to one of Scarlett's hands, and we probably both thought we were doing it to comfort her, but I think it was just as much of a comfort to us as it was for her.
The woman sat in the chair, scooting closer towards us. "So, we already went over the trauma that occurred a couple months ago to your head. You previously had a seizure in the hospital after the accident that was caused by a hematoma. That is why I had ordered a few tests to be done that helped pinpoint where the seizure was located this time around and to see if it was in the same place as before."
We all sat there in complete silence as she talked, feeling overwhelmed and anxious with every second. "And the results we came to were exactly what I thought. You had what we call an Occipital Lobe Seizure which tends to happen when the patient has an injury to the back of the head where the occipital lobe is located. It's quite common to get headaches just before like you mentioned you had, or you may not even have a clue when it's about to hit you."
Scarlett spoke up. "Is that a one-time thing? What does this mean?"
She shook her head once with a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid it wasn't just a random occurrence. Scarlett, you have what's called Post-Traumatic Epilepsy."
Scar held onto my hand tighter as Ryder furrowed his brows. "Epilepsy?"
"Yes," Dr. Walker said. "It's when you are at risk for recurrent seizures due to a brain injury."
"Recurrent? This is going to be a normal thing for me now?" Scar's voice was shaky.
"I'm sorry to say that it will be, but we have plenty of things to try and keep it controlled. Some have it so severe that they have seizures multiple times a week, but others have one or two a year. It depends solely on the person and their body."
I chimed in. "But why would it start now? It's been two months, like you said."
The doctor spoke up softly. "With Post-Traumatic Epilepsy, it can occur within a year of brain trauma. The more severe the injury, the more likely someone may end up diagnosed with it, and in Scarlett's case, that's exactly what happened," She looked at Scar. "Your case was very critical, and you had to have major surgery to stop the bleeding that was happening. It was trauma that took a huge toll on your body."
Tears fell down Scarlett's cheeks. "Is there a way to cure it? Or make it, so it doesn't happen regularly? I don't want to have to keep going through it or making my family have to see me like that constantly."
"Scar," I spoke in a low voice as her eyes that were filled with fear and pain met mine.
She shook her head. "I don't want to have either of you having to deal with me like that."
"I'm going to be there doing whatever I have to for you, Scarlett. You shouldn't feel worried about us at all because Ryder and I are going to be there for you whether you want us to or not. You're stuck with us for life, Shortcake."
Ryder chimed in with a small smile. "He's right, Scar. I have been there with you since the day you were born, and I promised mom and dad that I would always be the best big brother I could be. We may be older now, but nothing will ever change the fact that you're my baby sister, and there isn't a damn thing in the world that I wouldn't do for you.
Dr. Walker spoke up after giving us a second to calm her down. "What I would like to do is start you on medication that will help minimize the chance of more seizures and any further damage to your brain. If left untreated, then you will be at a higher risk of future brain injuries due to an increased chance of seizures. It is not something to take lightly, but with the right medication, you will be able to live a normal life except for a few minor adjustments."
"Like what?" Scar wondered.
"Like drinking alcohol. You can have it once in a while, but it would not be smart to make it a habit on top of your daily meds."
"Okay," Scar said as her shoulders slumped. I could see the wheels spinning in her head, trying to take it all in.
"Surgery is an option, but one that we will only go use as a last resort, and if your meds do not work. It's quite risky and involves removing a portion of your occipital lobe," Dr. Walker explained.
"Yeah, let's hope that doesn't have to happen," Ryder's eyes widened.
The doctor began to talk again. "It will take time for you to adjust to the medication for the next couple weeks, so what I will advise is that you have someone with you when bathing, going on walks, or anywhere alone where there aren't other people around that might be able to help if there was a problem."
"A babysitter?" Scar said half-jokingly.
I rubbed her back. "Well, she's always with me anyway so that it won't be that different."
"We will be giving you your first dose at the hospital and then your prescription before you are discharged," She added.
"How long do you think she'll be here?" Ryder asked.
"At least until morning. We want to keep watch of Scarlett for the next few hours, and if all goes well, then you'll be out of here."
As soon as the doctor finished answering questions and walked back out the door, I turned to Scarlett who's face had what we all felt written all over it. Her gorgeous blue eyes found mine as she mustered up the smallest smile, swallowing slowly. "I'm scared, Nixie."
I instantly wrapped my arms around her, holding her against me. "Everything's going to be okay, Shortcake."
Ryder frowned, grasping Scar's hand. "You have nothing to be afraid of as long as you have us."
She began to softly cry into my shirt when Ryder and I shared the same look that we silently dared never to show to her...that we were scared too.
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Author's Note:
Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Just letting you know the I'm switching the update days from Tuesday and Friday to Wednesday and Saturday now. It works a little better for my schedule.
Much love,
Jenna S.❤️