I'm adding this chapter since it's a part II addition to the past one. This chapter can be skipped, but it's recommended you read it! :)
Chapter Thirty-Five: "I Totally Jinxed Myself."
Part II (Landon's POV)
WHEN WE ARRIVED at the hospital, my emotions were running wild when she was immediately wheeled into surgery.
I mean, obviously I should have suspected it could have been her appendix when she complained of stomach pain, but then that thought was pushed to the back of my mind when she said it was probably just her period. I should have just made her to go the emergency room or walk-in clinic anyway, just to be safe. If it was just stomach pain, then we'd have that confirmation that there shouldn't be much to worry about unless she was vomiting more than 24 hours, and at that point she hadn't been sick at all.
I wanted to drive her in when she hit 105°F and she had been vomiting for two days straight.
I should have gone with my gut.
She may die from this, all because of me. I didn't see the signs, I let her have her way, and I chose her over her health.
Now she's in surgery, fighting for her life when there's God knows how many different types of bacteria floating in her body where they shouldn't be.
They still haven't found a sole purpose for the appendix, just that it stored dangerous toxins the body produces and has inserted, and that people can live without it.
I, however, think the whole damn purpose of that tiny little organ is to try and kill people who don't see it coming and don't catch it early enough. It's like the flu or cold back in the 1800s. It could kill you easily and you wouldn't even see it coming.
I don't want to see that happen with Blue.
She's such a fragile soul, and has been through so much in her life. I know there's more she's not telling me, but that's okay. I don't expect her to, since I have secrets of my own that she doesn't know, but we're taking it one step at a time. She told me why she takes her appetite suppressants, which was a pretty big deal for not only her, but me. It shows she trusts me, and that's what I want. I don't want Blue to feel like she can't trust anyone she comes across, because that's the impression I'm getting: she's blocking herself from the world because she doesn't want them to know who she is.
Something happened to her to make her like this, and I'll figure it out. If that means sharing my past then so be it, but I want to know why she's so scared to let people in. I want to know what drove her over the edge to need antidepressants and therapy. I've overheard her on the phone before and she's been in therapy for years for apparently the same thing she's going to this doctor for, and I want to know what that is.
The curiosity is killing me, but what's killing me more is the fact she's been in surgery for three and a half hours already and she's not come out yet.
"She's going to be okay, man." Liam tells me, nudging my shoulder with his. He came about an hour after I left in the ambulance with Brooklyn. He said he was going to call mom and dad and tell them what was going on, and grab some dinner for us, since the hospital cafeteria food is shit.
"Someone should have come out already with an update." I snap. "Why haven't they?"
"Dude, she burst her appendix." He deadpans. "That shit takes time. Chill out." He never was a very affectionate person or one for being supportive in bad times. He was better and wasn't as bad when our sister died, but it's like since then he's always been a dick and had a hard face and that 'I-don't-care-about-anyone-or-anything' look. But he's gotten really protective of our family and is nice when he wants to be.
Sadly, that wasn't often, but I couldn't care less. It's worse enough having him as my twin and having him have the same face as me.
"Sometimes I wonder how we're even related. "I grumble.
"Me too. I mean, I have the hotter face, body, and clearly I have the brains, unlike a love-struct goof like yourself who goes all soft whenever he gets a crush."
"We're identical twins, you idiot. Second, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I'm not love-struct or crushing."
"Pfft, whatever man." He scoffs. "Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I don't know you. Remember, we have that twin thing going. I can read your thoughts, and they're all about her."
"No they're not." I argue. "You're twin senses are acting up."
"You're whipped." Liam chuckles. However, before I can argue more, he continues. "Hey, you don't need to be ashamed of it. She's gorgeous and I know she has potential. Why don't you pull a move or something? Get her attention."
"I have," I say. "I flirt with her all the time. Why do you think I gave her a name of a dog?"
"It's annoying," he smirks.
"Exactly!" I exclaim. "And she looks fucking hot when she's all riled up. When the dimple in her right cheek shows when she smiles genuinely, or the storminess of her grey eyes when she's calm, or how dark blue they go when she's mad. Everything about her draws me in, Liam and–" I stop. Shit, I just caught myself. "Damn it!" I groan. "I am whipped."
"Told you, brother," my idiot twin grins victoriously. "I knew my twin-senses were completely fine."
"If I weren't worrying about this girl's life right now, I'd punch you." I threaten, and he chuckles.
"I know."
"Mr. McGibbon?"
I snap my head to the right and see a tall woman coming towards us, still in her surgical clothes. I recognize her as one of Blue's doctors.
"Yeah, that's me." I gulp, standing up. "How is she? Is she okay? Alive? Why haven't I heard anything since we arrived?" I rush and jumble my questions out like one of those auctioneers on Storage Wars.
"She's out of surgery." The woman replies, and I visibly feel my shoulders drop as I sigh heavily. "It was a tough procedure, Mr. McGibbon. It was confirmed that her appendix had ruptured and leaked into her body."
"So she's alive?" I question worriedly.
If Blue died. . .
God, I can't even bring myself to think such thoughts. She's tough; I know she is.
"She is alive, yes." The doctor says, and I feel a huge boulder lifted from my shoulders. The one thing that mattered truly, and it's confirmed.
The woman of my dreams and my crush is alive. She made it.
"Oh thank God!" I gasp in relief. "Thank you! Thank you so much."
She gives me a warm smile. "She's still under, but should wake up in the next while. I understand that she's been immigrated into the country and has no relations close, but is there someone we could call? A guardian or even her parents?"
I shrug. "Her parents are in New York, but my mom knows. She'll be arriving soon."
"Is there a possibility that you have her parents contact information? Given she's under eighteen and underwent a major surgery, her parents need to be informed."
"Our mom is her guardian now." Liam speaks up. "Why can't she sign it?"
"Does your mother have papers legally showing that she has custody?" The doctor asks.
"No, not yet, but–"
"Then I'll need their information." She says with a frown. "I'm sorry, boys. The information on file is invalid, and even a phone call is sufficient."
"I'll see what my mom can do." I grumble. "Thank you."
She walks away after directing us to Brooklyn's room in the ICU.
I stare at her unconscious figure, her eyelids closed peacefully and no sad emotions on her face. She doesn't look hurt or in pain; in fact she doesn't have any emotion on her beautiful face. Her face is still very pale, and I worry more now than when she was in surgery because I know that either the first twenty four or forty eight hours after surgery are the most critical for infection, and given that her appendix actually ruptured, makes this worse.
I just really want to kiss her better and tell her everything is going to be okay because I'm there with her to help her. Even with her issues at school.
Guilt washes over me as I think of how hell her last couple weeks have been. I can secretly hear her crying at night every night through my ceiling and I can't do anything about it, and believe it or not, I watched her confrontation with Atticus at lunch last week. I don't know what it was about, but apparently it strained her friendship with the others in that circle.
And then on top of that, she fell ill and is now in intensive care.
I wanted to punch that dick in the face for hurting her; for doing whatever he did that made her storm out and skip the rest of the school day. Not to mention that when she came home, she looked awful.
A beautiful face like hers isn't meant to be in pain. She deserves better.
Hopefully she'll allow me to help.