Hellooo I've been REALLY excited to write this chapter for awhile now, I hope you guys enjoy. I may not be updating for awhile, it depends on whether or not I find something to update this on. Thank you for reading!
Chapter 27
Rachel's P.O.V
I wake up in the middle of the night to my phone ringing, I rub my eyes and check my phone. It's 3 in the morning and Wesley's name shows across my screen. I haven't talked to him since Keaton showed up at my house that one night.. Almost 3 weeks ago. What could he want now?
"Hello?" I answer, biting my lip nervously.
"Rachel? I uh.. I have something to tell you." Wesley's voice speaks through the other line. His voice shakes and it sounds like he's been crying.
"Okay?" I say urging him to go on
There's a long pause, then Wesley takes a deep breath
"It's Keaton. Listen I know you two are technically separated right now but I know he's torn about it and you must feel the same." Wesley takes a moment and clears his throat. "He's in the hospital right now. He had to go into an emergency room. He's not awake and uh." He clears his throat again "Things aren't looking to good for him." He finally finishes and my heart drops.
Keaton is in the hospital. My mind stops. It seems the world has stopped its turning, stopping and waiting for my reaction. I try to speak past the lump in my throat but I can't. I clear my throat and breath out
"What hospital?"
"Red Luther Hospital." Wesley responds "Listen Rachel, you don't have to come down here I uh just didn't want you out of the know."
"I am going to do whatever I can to get over there." I say and Wesley takes a breath
"Alright."
"Okay I'll see y-"
"You know he really loved you right?" Wesley cuts my off, his words make me stop in my tracks.
"Yes." I have to clear my throat before continuing "I know that."
"I just wanted to make sure. We'll see you soon." He says and hangs up.
I don't take a moment of thought before I dial Alyssa's number and jump out of bed.
"C'mon Alyssa answer." I say to myself as I throw off my pajamas, struggling to keep the phone to my face.
"Hello?" Alyssa's tired voice answers and my shattered heart leaps.
"Alyssa! I need you to pick me up." I say into the phone as I slip on a pair of loose blue jeans.
"What? Rachel it's 3 in the morning." She responds
"It's Keaton." I say and Alyssa sighs
"What now?" She says, her voice laced with annoyance
"He's in the hospital. He um... He might not make it." I say and wipe my face, I just realized that I have been crying this whole time.
"Oh my god. I'll come over and get you." Alyssa says and I let out a breath of relief.
"Thank you so much." I say as I through on a black jacket over my gray tank top.
I hang up the phone and put on my converse. I don't give myself time to think about anything, I grab a bag and hurry to the kitchen to put snacks and waters in.
Keaton is in the hospital. I avoid picturing his beautiful head laying against the cold white hospital pillows. I suck in a breath and wipe my eyes, I have to be strong. He is going to wake up. He has to.
I sit on the kitchen floor with my bag in my hands. I allow myself to cry. To let the tears spill over my cheeks and drip onto the tiled kitchen floor. Then my phone vibrates
I'm out front.
The text message reads. I get myself off of the floor and go through my front door, locking it behind me. Alyssa's familiar car is in the driveway and I run to the passenger side, to see Kylie is sitting there. So I climb in the back and they both turn around to face me.
"Are you okay?" Alyssa asks, her eyes sympathetic.
Kylie's wide green eyes stare at me with worry.
"Yes." I lie
"What hospital is he in?" Alyssa asks, tapping at her GPS.
"Red Luther." I say the name that has been running through my mind.
"Okay it's about 45 minutes away." Alyssa announces before starting the car and pulling out of the driveway.
We drive in silence. Tears stream down my face.
"He's going to be okay." Kylie says, putting her hand over mine. I force a smile at her and stare out the window.
I can hear my own heart beating steadily as we drive, my eyes hurt from crying so much. Finally after what seems like hours we pull into the parking lot of a large hospital.
(Authors Note - I'm aware that Red Luther isn't an actual hospital, I made it up to be somewhere close to Huntington, but not exactly Huntington area. I'm not sure how emergency over doses are handled, I'm just going off of tv shows so bare with me!)
Alyssa finds a parking spot and we all pile out, to my surprise they engulf me in a huge hug.
"We're so sorry." Kylie says
"I'm sure he will be alright." Alyssa says and they pull away
"Thank you guys." I say looking at my 2 best friends and they nod
"Of course." Alyssa says.
We all walk towards the emergency ward and enter through the sliding automatic doors. The place smells of sickness, and bleach, a lot of bleach. There are many people seated in chairs, waiting for their turn to see a doctor. Some clutch their arm in pain, other cough violently. No one pays me any attention.
"We'll be waiting right here." They tell me and I nod.
I walk towards the front desk with a nurse behind it.
"What can I help you with?" She asks, her eyes meeting mine.
"Um yes. My boyfriend is here right now." I say, flinching slightly when I use the word boyfriend to describe Keaton.
"What is his name?" She asks, tapping onto her computer's keyboard
"Keaton. Keaton Stromberg." I say and her eyes meet mine again.
I gulp when I realize they're full of sympathy.
"Oh yes.. That patient.. He's no longer in emergency care.. He has a room. He is in room 214. Go up a level and make a left at the elevators." She says, her face sad.
"Thank you." I say
"No problem honey."
I walk away from her sympathetic eyes and go into the elevator, I press 2 and wait as I go up one level. Once the doors are opened I take a left and watch the room numbers as I go. 210, 211, 212, 213.
214.
I stop in front of the door and stare at it. Knowing he is behind it. I reach for the door knob
"Rachel!" I hear Wesley's familiar voice, he is at the end of the hall, a fitted white t shirt and gray sweatpants on.
I rush towards him and right into his outstretched arms, I cry into his shoulder. My body shaking as sobs rip through me. I feel his body shake as well and I know he is crying.
"Is he still asleep?" I ask, not pulling my face away from his shoulder.
"Yes. They're not sure if he is going to wake up." He responds, his voce cracking.
"I'm so sorry Wesley."
"I'm sorry too." Wesley sobs "We could have stopped him. If someone was home someone could have kept him from going to the party." His body shakes as he talks
"It's no one's fault Wesley. Don't blame yourself." I say pulling away and he nods.
I look to my right to see a room with lounging chairs and a tv. The tv plays Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer silently. Drew is sitting in one of the seats, his head placed in his hands and his body rocking back and forth. Laraine sits in a chair, her eyes red and swollen. She stares blankly at a wall as William rubs her back, his eyes puffy.
I approach Drew and place my hand on his back, he looks up at me. His eyes are blotchy and he looks like a mess.
"Rachel." He says as he stands and embraces me, Laraine and William both look up when my name is spoken.
Drew hugs me tightly then pulls away "He's going to make it. He's a strong kid." He says and I nod.
Uncertainty is clear in both of our actions. I move to Laraine, sitting in the chair next to her, her sad eyes look at me.
"I'm glad you're here. He would've wanted you here." She says and I give her a small smile
"It's going to be alright." I say and she wraps her arms around me
"Thank you for being here." She says and I nod
I give William a hug, he doesn't speak.
"Rachel." Wesley calls my name and I look to see him and Drew are both standing together in the hallway, waving me over.
I walk towards them nervously.
"We uh need to tell you what happened." Drew says as I approach them
"Alright." I answer swallowing back my fear of the unknown.
"After you and Keaton.. you know.. ended things.. He only got worse." Wesley began, his eyes glazing over. "He started smoking and drinking again. All the time. So we made him live with mom again, we thought maybe he would learn his lesson if we kicked him out." Wesley clears his throat.
"We each got a call around 1 in the morning, I got the call from Ken, Mom and Dad got one from the hospital. I called Drew." Wesley takes a breath and runs his fingers through his hair, tugging slightly.
"Ken said Keaton and him had been at a party making a deal, and Keaton took too much and just passed out. He started having seizures and eventually somebody called the ambulance. Ken tried to get him to throw up the pills, but it didn't work. They were already in his system, you know?" Wesley breaks and walks away, his fist connects with the wall and sobs rake through his body.
Drew pats his back.
"What did Keaton take?" I ask, avoiding the question I really wanted to ask. Which was why Keaton and Ken were making a deal.
"Ecstasy." Drew says and my eye brows come together
"But that's common though. Right? The doctors they- they can help him. Right?" I don't notice I am sobbing until Wesley and Drew hug me.
"You can go in and see him if you want." Wesley says as I pull away, I give him a confused look "It was too much to see him In there, like that." He explains and I nod.
"I'm going to go in." I say and they nod as I take slow steps to the door.
Once I am in front of it for the second time tonight, I take a deep breath.
I need to be strong.
I turn the knob of the door and open it, revealing a small room with a bathroom, a sink, and a bed. On the bed is Keaton. He is hooked up to many machines, one beeping a steady pace and the others are connected to random parts of his body.
My heart breaks at the sight of Keaton. My Keaton. His beautiful smile and kind aura being sucked away by the drugs and the hospital. His face is bruised and I can tell he has been letting himself go. His hair is long and shaggy, slight stubble on his chin. Their is a large bruise on the side of his face and his pouty lips are chapped.
A silent tear rolls down my cheek as I look at him. I'm almost afraid to touch him. Afraid he may break underneath my touch. I slowly walk to the bed and take a seat next to him. His hands are by his side on the bed and I grab one and hold it in my hands.
His hands are cold and it frightens me. He should be warm, he's always so warm. I touch his fingers and leave light kisses on his palm.
"I'm so sorry Keaton." I sob, my body shaking.
"I love you so much. Please come back." I say to the still Keaton hooked up to machines.
I lay down beside him on the hospital bed, cuddling into his chest like I used to. But he isn't holding me like he used to. I close my eyes and let the tears fall onto his hospital robe.
"Please come back." I whisper, feeling myself fall into a sleep.