Tyler Lockwood
I watch as my best friend, Matt Donovan, paces, glancing every few minutes at the clock. "Dude, will you quit it?" I ask, and Matt stops pacing, looking over at me.
"You know, you could at least pretend to be concerned for your sister's health." Matt says and I scoff.
"Says the guy who made out with my baby sister." I say, and Matt shakes his head. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"You know what, Ty? I'm not getting into this with you," Matt says, shaking his head again. But then, he looks right at me, glaring. "Screw it." He mutters. "No, you know what, Tyler? She likes me, a lot, so stop being such a fucking dick." Matt says. I can't help but chuckle at that. "Quit laughing." Matt huffs. "None of this is funny. She could be in there dying right now, Tyler. And the last thing she said to you was that she'd kill you if you did anything to me. How can you seriously not care about your little sister?"
"Fuck you, man." I say, and Matt is suddenly up in my face.
"Screw you." Matt says. "She's your little sister. Instead of treating her like shit all of the time, maybe try taking care of her. That girl has tried everything to gain your love, but all you've done is push her away." His blue eyes blaze as he stares at me, and I realize he's right. As Matt notices all of the fight go out of me, he says, "Maybe you should try being sympathetic to her, Ty. She could have lost her virginity to Jeremy because they both were messing with stuff they shouldn't have been. Irisa isn't like the other girls here in Mystic Falls, you know."
I nod, biting my lip. My little sister isn't like the other girls. The fact that she likes Matt says it all better than anything else ever could. I'm relieved that she's had him around to talk to, but also a bit annoyed that I've been such a dick that my little sister is too scared to talk to me about what happened that night with Jeremy. "You said she was messed up over Jeremy." I remind him quietly.
"Not really that she's messed up, Ty. Just that the situation is kinda messed up. When you're strung out like that, you can't really comprehend what's going on at the time, much less later once the drugs leave your system. Risa doesn't really understand everything that happened, Tyler. She was scared because Jeremy broke her wrist, she thought he meant to. But I've talked to him. He cares about her, she's his best friend. She'll always be his best friend. Even if she can't be in the same room as he is now." Matt says, looking away.
"You care about her." I say, and Matt nods. "The question is, how much?" I ask him. Matt looks back at me, the look on his face confused. "Do you love her?" I ask him.
"Tyler, that's got to be the stupid thing you've ever asked me. Of course I love your sister. I've loved her since she was a little kid. Just like Vicki loves her." Matt tells me.
"But are you in love with her?" I urge him to answer me. "You made out with her, Matt. I need to know the truth."
Matt sighs. "I don't know. I like her, a lot, Tyler." Matt admits. "I always have. I just never thought she would kiss me like that. It scared the hell out of me."
"I bet." I smile.
Matt sighs again. "It's my fault, isn't it?"
"What?" I demand.
"The bleeding..." He trails off for a moment.
"What do you mean? She was beat up, Matt. That had nothing to do with you." I tell him.
"I made out with her though. Maybe I shouldn't have." Matt says, shaking his head. "She wouldn't stop kissing me, and she just started having trouble breathing all of a suddent."
"You were leaning on her weren't you?" I ask him.
Matt nods. "I'm sorry." He says, looking down at his feet.
"But I'm guessing she made you, Matt." I tell him. "After all, she's the one in control, not you."
His eyes dart back to mine, and he says, "It's scary how you knew that."
"Yeah, well. She's a Lockwood, Matt. She knows whose the boss, and she knows how to get what she wants. Frankly, if she wants you, then you have no say in the matter. Especially not after you decided to go ahead and kiss her back." I tell him.
I hear an alarm go off, and glance at Matt.
"Code blue." A nurse tells a passing doctor, grabbing his arm. "We need the crash cart."
Matt and I follow them when they rush off, and see my mom and dad standing outside the operating room.
"Her heart stopped." Dad says, and Matt rushes over to the double doors, looking inside. "You can't go in there, Matt. They won't let any of us in." Dad says, grabbing his arm.
"I'm not going in. Is she going to be okay?" Matt demands, and he looks over at me.
"I don't know." I whisper, and look inside. "What happened?" I ask dad. "What's wrong with her?"
"She has an intracerebral hemorrhage and a ruptured spleen, Tyler." Dad says.
I can see her hair is pushed back, and I watch as the doctor uses the paddles to shock her. "What is an intracerebral hemorrhage?" I ask him.
"Bleeding in the brain." Dad says, and walks over to mom. She shakes her head, shoving him away when he tries to hug her. Dad sighs, and suddenly the doctor somes out of the operating room.
"She has a pulse now." He tells us, "And we've stopped the intracerebral hemorrhage. As for her spleen, it was completely ruptured and we had to remove it. Irisa will need to stay for a couple days, maybe longer. I think it would be best if we had her on a ventilator, and medications will be given to her to decrease the swelling in her brain around the area of the hemorrhage. I'll also prescribe some pain medication. But I need to know if Irisa has history of drug abuse."
"Is that what caused the hemorrhage?" Dad asks.
"We believe it might have, as well as the fact that she was beaten severely tonight, Mr. Lockwood."
"Yes, she, um has used drugs before." Dad says. "I didn't know before tonight though."
"Right." The doctor nods. "As for her spleen, Mr. Lockwood, I believe that explains why she was having trouble breathing. Her heart was racing pretty rapid, her blood pressure was low though. Her heart did stop, though we were able to resucitate her. Since we did a splenectomy, she will need to be on antibiotics from now, until she becomes an adult, and receive the vaccine for pneumococcus and meningococcus and haemophilus influenzae type b after two weeks to prevent her from getting sick. She'll also need to wear a medical alert bracelet, because if she's ever in an accident of any kind, make sure she always has that bracelet on. People will need to know to call immediately for an ambulance."
Dad nods. "Thank you, doctor."
"She'll also need a lab done often to check complete blood count to check the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in her system. She could need blood transfusions often, Mr. Lockwood."
"Is she going to be alright?" Matt asks, and the doctor looks over at him, surprised. "Please, I need to know." Matt says.
The doctor looks over at dad, and dad nods. The doctor looks at Matt. "It's just touch and go from here, son. We're going to do everything we can for her. I suggest going home for the night. She'll be sleeping the rest of the night. We gave her a mild sedative and with the anesthesia in her system, along with the ventilator we'll put in her, she'll not be awake or in the mood to talk."
"I'm not leaving. My sister is here too." Matt says. "I'll be back to check on her first thing in the morning, though."
"Alright." The doctor says. Matt glances at me, and I nod.
"I'll catch ya later man." I tell him. "Thanks for being here for Irisa."
"If she does wake up before you leave, tell her I'll see her in the morning." Matt says, and walks down the hall.
"Why don't you and your mother go home, Tyler." Dad says. "I can tell Irisa Matt's message."
"Alright. Tell her I'll come see her after school, and I'll get all of her homework for her." I tell dad, and he nods. Mom and I head for the parking lot.
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Irisa
I wake up to the sound of beeping machines, and my eyelids feel heavy as I force them open. I see a blonde man standing in the room, his green eyes focused on me.
"Morning, sunshine." He says. "How about we take out that ventilator so you can get better, huh?" Levi. The bar at the Mystic Grill. He moves forward, and pulls out the ventilator, and then bites his wrist, his eyes darkening as he presses it to my lips as I gasp for air. "That's it, just swallow." His blood drips down my throat, and I feel my throat expand, my airways clearing as it gets easier to breath. Levi smiles. "Good." He tells me. "Now, you're going to forget this happened, darling." He looks me in the eyes, lightly touching my cheek, and then, he's gone. I sigh, closing my eyes.
I hear a soft knock on the door, and I open my eyes. Matt stands there, his eyes worriedly taking in the sight of me. "Hey, Irisa. Why don't you have your ventilator in?" He asks, walking forward. I shake my head, feeling a bit foggy.
I clear my throat, and say "I don't know."
"How are you feeling?" Matt asks, "Your dad said you hadn't woken up at all last night."
I shake my head. "I feel a little bit better." I admit, "But I feel funny, Mattie."
"Funny how?" Matt asks, sitting down on the bed next to me. "Should I go get a nurse?"
I shake my head. "I just feel like something is missing."
"Your spleen ruptured, Ris. The doctors had to remove it because it was a grade 5, and it was beyond repair. Um..." Matt takes my hand. "Ris, you died last night, but they were able to resucitate you. You also had an intracerebral hemorrhage, Ris, which they think could have been caused by the drugs..."He whispers. My eyes widen, and Matt nods. "I know, I'm sorry, Ris. I'm also sorry because it was partially my fault."
"What?" I ask, shaking my head. "No, it wasn't."
"Do you remember what happened?" Matt asks me, "Right before you started having trouble breathing?"
"We were making out, Mattie. I remember that." Matt sighs, and I ask, "Did you want me to forget?"
"No, I'm thankful you didn't. Memory loss can happen with intracerebral hemorrhages." Matt says, then explains, "Your blood pressure dropped low, but your pulse was very rapid, Ris. It didn't help that you were pulling me over you."
"You're saying that because of my blood pressure and pulse, and you leaning on me, my spleen ruptured, and I had a hemorrhage in my brain, all beacause we were making out?" I ask him, and he nods. "Oh my god."I whisper.
"I'm sorry, Ris." Matt says, and I shake my head. "I really am sorry."
"It's not your fault, Matt!" I exclaim, and throw my arms around his neck, wincing in pain as my stitches pull. "I wouldn't take back kissing you for the world." I whisper in his ear, and Matt holds me a bit tighter, though he's careful not to hurt me.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Irisa." He whispers back. "I heard Jeremy was frantic when he found out you were here. He's supposed to be coming to see you after school today."
"I don't want to see Jeremy." I pull away from Matt.
"Risa." Matt says, "Please. He's worried about you. He's lost his parents, and only has you, Elena, and Jenna left. Please don't push him away anymore. You need your best friend again."
"I only need you, Mattie." I bring his face to mine and kiss him, and feel him respond immediately, his hands resting on my lower back. His lips are warm against mine, and I try to control my heart beat, trying not to let it beat too fast. When our lips part, I open my eyes to see his blue ones staring into mine.
"Why do you like me?" He whispers, and I lightly stroke his cheek.
"Because you are the only one who has ever really been here for me, Mattie. The only one I trust. The only one I need." I repeat. "I love you, Mattie."
"You're too good for me, Irisa." Matt says. "I meant what I said last night. You're meant for somoene better than me."
"No one is better than you." I insist with a small smile. "Next time you try to dissuade me from loving you, I just might have to tackle you, Mattie."
"Is that so?" A voice comes from the door, and I look over to see my father, smiling at us. Matt removes his hands from my back, and he stands.
"Sorry, sir." Matt says, and looks back at me.
"No, it's fine, Matt." Dad says, and smiles at me. Then he sees the ventilator. "Did you take it out, Irisa? You need to be on the ventilator to help you breathe."
I again feel confused about this. "I don't know." I admit. "I feel okay, daddy." I tell him. "Just a bit funny, as I told Mattie earlier."
"That might be from the medicine they gave you, baby girl." Dad says. "Thanks for keeping her company, Matt. Were you going to school today, or were you staying here with Vicki and Irisa today?"
"I'm staying here. Tyler said he'd get my homework when he gets Irisa's." Matt tells my father. "I'm going to go check in on Vicki." He gives me a small smile, and leaves the room. When Matt is out of earshot my father smiles at me again.
"So you and Matt Donovan, hmm?" He asks, walking over to take a seat in the chair beside the bed.
"Are you mad, daddy?" I ask him, and he shakes his head.
"I'm glad you like someone who wouldn't hurt you, Irisa." Dad says, sighing. "We need to talk, though."
"About what?" I ask him.
"Did Matt tell you what happened?" I nod, realizing he means because of the drugs. "Irisa, if you haven't stopped taking the drugs, you need to." Dad says.
"I already stopped. The last time was when..." I trail off, and my father nods. "With Jeremy." I admit, and my father nods again. "I'm sorry, daddy."
"I'm disappointed that you did drugs, Irisa, but then again, it makes sense. You became a bit happier when you took them. I should have realized, Irisa."
"I wasn't addicted and I didn't take them often. I should never have taken them, I know that." I whisper, and he nods.
"I'm just so happy you're alright, Irisa." Dad hugs me, and I sigh, hugging him back. "I love you, baby girl."
"I love you too, daddy." I tell him.
"You rest, I'll have them bring you up some food, alright?" I nod, and he leaves the room, leaving me alone.
I touch the spot where the stitches are, knowing that something isn't right. The stitches suddenly feel itchy, and I try not to scratch at them as the nurse comes in to take my vitals and check the wound.
"How the heck-" She stops, and rushes out of the room, returning with the other nurse on call. "I could swear the doctor said the surgery was done last night."
"It was. I was here." The other nurse says, lifting the bandage. "Oh my god." She says, and I glance down at the stitches, surprised to see that the wound from surgery is completely healed.
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