Allison Victoria
Crimsom
“Ah… ah cho!”
Of all the weather we could’ve had!
Huffing, my arms cross the front of my orange shirt.
It’s been almost half an hour since Ethan’s escaped from all of us-- and went to Lindsey. I’m just glad that he was seated right next to me, so kicking his foot under the table sent the signal well enough.
I just hope that Lindsey’s at least better now… and Dylan too…
My rigid arms start slumping, till the phone in my capris makes the latter vibrate.
I reach down a slick hand and put the index finger of my free hand at the corner of my lips.
I just texted Dad about all this, so who is it…
A sigh slips from me-- shoulders relaxing.
“Hey, how’s everybody there? Ethan told me all about the accident when I texted him.”
“We’re okay, I guess…”
“You?”
“I’m fine, Er.”
His reply almost immediately comes.
“You know Er sounds like you’re stuttering, right?”
Rolling my eyes, I text back,
“Says the person who suggested it.”
Imagining him holding his hands up and suppressing, he says,
“Just tell Ethan he doesn’t have to return the drumsticks I forgot at your home. I’ll use the ones from school.”
“Sure.”
My feet paddle a few steps forward-- as I’m about to put the phone.
But then the screen lights up.
“See you later, Allie.”
I almost bump into a nearby passer-by, both of us exchaging quick Sorrys with each other.
Smiling, the phone finds its way back into my pocket.
But then, my lips sink into my mouth, as I look around myself.
The hallway seems about the same-- with a mixture of marble and concrete and awareness posters with notices on the boards.
Though, the metallic-grey seats here tell another tale.
Great, I’m lost… again.
A ward comes in between before turning to the cafe, but that one has blue seats lined at the sides. Not grey ones. Another white door is at my side-- ajar. Shrugging at it, my feet feel determined to find the right way out.
That is, of course, till a voice of somebody new and familiar puts a break on them.
Checking around myself, another belligerent-- but still low voice comes from within.
“You’re asking me how she is, Richard? She looks like it’s all her fault!” I lean in and see that the same grey haired-slim woman from before saying to a bald man on the bed. The man’s-- Richard-- focus is on her, while her back is in front of me.
She’s… she’s that woman who came with that guy. Mary, I think is the name.
Mary left the cafe shortly before Ethan went. The other guy, G... Gary stayed there with Mum and Dad.
Both of them saying that she’s Lindsey’s grandmother and Gary is her, Lindsey’s, Mum’s best friend.
The man lying on the bed-- the back of it pulled up-- waves his hands.
“Why would she-- Lindsey be guilty. It isn’t like she orchestrated this!”
Mary rubs her forehead.
“You haven’t seen her. Even when the doctor gave you permission to go on your wheelchair.
You can see it clear on her face.
It’s… it’s the clearest expression I’ve ever seen from her…”
The man-- Richard-- looks down and sighs.
“I didn’t go because the hallway would’ve become too crowded--”
“You didn’t go, because it’d remind you all again of what happened twenty-five years ago. Just like I was. You’d get reminded of the little-golden girl with big blue eyes-- so full of life-- and then… then nothing. You’d get reminded of those bluebells we both can’t even look at anymore…” Her chest moves up and down-- breaths swallowing her like the air passing through a flute’s windpipe.
My brows lower and shoulders slump-- guessing at who she’s actually referring to.
Richard, on the other hand, looks like a nostalgic ghost.
I should stop using bad puns in my head, really.
“He’s dying, Richard, Jenny’s boy is dying. And so is her girl.
“The doctors keep saying if he ever wakes up. They don’t even know yet if he’ll survive all this…” She sits down on the edge of the white blanketed bed and Richard pulls himself forward-- putting a hand on her shoulder.
“I still remember that golden girl, Mary, still remember the way she laughed around him. How he’d genuinely laugh with her. How I always ignored it. Thought it was history repeating…” Mary turns to him, as I take a tiny step ahead-- still behind the door. Richard’s hand then falls to his lap.
“And I still remember that time when I thought all people of a group were alike. Bloody- insensitive traitors, I thought…
“I wish I could trade--” Mary shakes her head, while Richard releases a breath, “We both would, Mary.
“A day does not pass when I wish it was me-- instead of her.
And now I still wish that…
“I’ve lived my life, Mary. We both have. If I could trade it for somebody-- our own-- who’s only seen two decades… then I would in a heartbeat…
“Besides, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to rid of these chain-like machines.” He gestures all around the monitors-- they show stable heartbeats.
“And I don’t even my lavish hair, anymore!”
From my view, I can only see Richard rolling back to his pillow-- relieved at maybe seeing Mary’s changed expression.
A tickling sensation comes to my nose.
Oh please no...
The tickling drops dead.
Mary turns away from him-- her head looking in front and hands on her knees.
“Ah… ah achoo!” Both of them whip their heads around at the door, as I bolt out of the way. Not caring for bumping into anyway.
Even with all the running and adrenaline, my chest feels hollow like a windless flute.
Apparently, my sudden sneezing points to the right direction.
After eavesdropping on Mary and Richard-- unintentionally, may I add-- I just ran till I came about the corridor near the ICU.
Their conversation was about Lindsey’s parents-- that’s for sure.
Their talk was the first soap opera I’ve ever been interested in, to be honest.
I shrug the conversation off-- making my way to the two individuals on the walled seats. Though, I’ll probably tell Lindsey all of this when everything’s cooled down.
Speaking of those two…
Ethan seems to be looking to the direction opposite to where I am-- left, to be exact. His hand is clamped with Lindsey-- the latter sleeping on his right shoulder.
The bustling of the ward has dimmed down with each passing hour-- but it still covers up my tracks as I approach them.
Careful to not cause a jolt, I slide right in front of my cousin-- making him look up and blink at me. The slight jerk of his head questions me.
I bend down and whisper all that’s been planned into Ethan’s ear. He first makes a face at my lowering to murmur, making my roll my eyes.
Nodding eventually, Ethan looks down the hands loosened now, before gently detaching them. Standing up, he slides arm around Lindsey’s back and another under her knees. She still doesn’t wake up.
I don’t want to think about how much this situation has tired everyone…
The three of us pass through the corridors, till we finally reach the reception. After explaining to the receptionist why we have a limp body in some skinny brute’s arms, I open the doors of the hospital-- letting us all out.
Everything’s been illuminated by the orange street lights-- a thin mist showing itself around the lights. A few cars jostle into life as we pass.
Just a few feet away, Alfred stands right near his car. I wave at him and he opens its door.
Though, we’re only a few steps away when my nose tickles again-- making Ethan stop dead in his track.
Not again…
My hands cover my mouth as hard as I can as the sneeze parades around.
I whip around and see Lindsey jostling in his arms.
But then she doesn’t wake up-- making both my cousin and me sigh in relief.
Ethan starts walking again-- but with softer steps.
Hm, she really is tired…
I shake it off.
We near the car and Ethan gently places her in the backseat-- closing the door.
After explaining the directions to Alfred, Ms Bragge and my as-good-as-biological parents come out.
Sending them a wave, Ethan and I then proceed to Dad Archer’s old dingy car just a few turns ahead. Mum Nancy’s car is newer and bigger, but they came in the former in hurriedness.
At the cafe, the two of them suggested that Lindsey stay at our home for the night-- rather than Edenfield. Our home’s nearer and Ms Bragge said something about being with other people might lighten the mood.
She also said that she’ll be staying at Edenfield and that she’d call in on the school. The same my parents will do.
“You know, I’m a bit surprised at Mum and Dad’s willingness tonight,” Ethan notes-- glancing at the back.
I shrug. “I think they’re just glad we’ve made friends outside the family.”
His looks down at his shoes and comments,
“Maybe, golden girl.”
“You never know, ruby boy.”
Golden girl and ruby boy are names, more like code-names, that we both came up for each other in about primary. We don’t use it much anymore. Only sometimes.
A sigh escapes me at remembering the old days. The days when we were little.
And also the ones when all this memory hunting was actually way more fun than chores. It’s still interesting, but with what’s happened to Dylan…
Ethan, on the other hand, will have to go. His punishment includes not being able to call in for six months and two months worth of detention.
Turning around, my eyes land on the phone my cousin's taken out of his pocket. The screen is smashed with several lines and cuts at the body.
That's Dylan's phone. We picked it up, but forgot giving it to Ms Bragge...
“Lindsey and I weren’t doing anything,” Ethan says out of the blue, putting the device back in his jacket's pocket.
His and my parents are still in the middle-- busy in some discussion with Ms Bragge.
My eyes roll.
“I’m good as long you two weren’t snogging in front of an ICU or staring at each other’s sleeping bodies.”
He actually laughs at that.
“I’m not that kind of person who takes advantage of somebody’s emotional state.”
I was not expecting such a serious response, to be honest.
“So, you’re admitting you fancy her, right?”
He presses his lips into a straight line.
“Do I ever tease you about Eric? No, I don’t!”
Ethan stops walking at noticing that I’ve stopped. Hiding away the redness, I turn around and see our parents only a few steps away. The headlights for Lindsey's car have already been turned on.
My cousin sighs at my side-- leveling to where I am. His shoulders hunch and so do mine. Genuine gloom blows its winds-- making me pull a wavy strand behind my ear.
“I never knew today’d become a life and death situation,” he utters.
Dad Archer pats him on the shoulder at having reached us, and Mum Nancy slides at my side. Both of them not hearing what we just said.
The former opens the door and sets the car to life.
Mum Nancy gestures us to come in, as I whisper to my cousin,
“Happiness is only felt when it’s limited, ruby boy.”
To be honest, I never thought it'd take this long to reach here.
I mean-- *I* said Allison's POV is near in April and now it's August. XD
Anyways, this chapter was aimed to be compatively lighter than the others.
Remember what Al said in the Ingram Music Room? The part when she says she plays the flute?
Yeah, that's why most of her similies are flute-related; whereas, Lindsey's were piano-related(the instrument she plays).
Plus, writing Allison's POV was just plain fun. XD
I hope y'all liked it as much as I did!
If you did, then do drop a vote. ;D
Oh, and I saw this pic that reminded me A LOT of Lindsey:
The model's name is Mahira Khan, btw. I know Emma Watson's playing her, but the style here reminded me of Lindsey XD
Anyways, here's this week's question:
Do you really think Lindsey was asleep the entire time?
Have a fantastic week!
Love,
MS Zame ♡