“No!” I shouted, running forward.
Jumping up onto the dresser I grabbed onto Destiny’s legs lifting her up and easing the tension enough so she could breathe but I honestly didn’t know if she was or wasn’t.
Panicking, I tried to reach up and untie the sheet however I couldn’t while holding her at the same time.
“Hang on Destiny,” I cried, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my phone with a shaking hand.
My eyes too blurry to see, I tapped on the first name I saw and waited.
“Come on, pick up, please pick up.” I whispered, which finally after an eternity they did.
“Hello?” a groggy voice asked and my heart sank realizing I had just caused the least helpful person on the planet, however I didn’t have time to be choosy, Destiny was already unconscious and slipping, since I had to lean out over the dresser to hold her.
“Luke!” I cried, “You have to come to Destiny’s room right now!”
“What, why?” he yawned.
“Just hurry!”
I pleaded, nearly losing my footing.
“Okay, okay, I’m coming is everything okay?” he asked.
“No!” I cried, “Please hurry!”
“Alright, I’m walking down now but I….. no it’s okay sweetheart I’ll be right back….. I don’t have a key to her room Ash.”
“Shit!” I cursed, “Wait! Go to Niall’s room, his connects with mine and mine connects with Destiny!”
“Niall is not going to let me in Ashton,” Luke mumbled.
“Just try tell him it’s an emergency!”
“What’s going on, you sound…. Scared.”
“Luke just hu…..”
Slipping off the dresser, I dropped my phone to the floor. Panicking, I hopped back up, hurriedly lifting Destiny again, my arms shaking.
“Shit,” I muttered, “I’m sorry, it’s gonna be okay Destiny, you’re gonna be fine.”
Swaying on top of the dresser, I silently pleaded for Luke to hurry up and for Niall to let him in, however after a moment my hopes were dashed upon the rocks.
“I’m not letting you in my room you freak, get out!”
“Please Niall there’s something wrong!”
“Yeah there is, something wrong with your face….”
“Niall it’s an emergency I think!”
“You think? Yeah okay, no, bye.”
“Luke!” I shouted.
“See!” Luke exclaimed, “He needs me.”
“Well then go to his do….”
“Niall please!” I cried.
“Move Niall!” Luke snapped.
“Hey you can’t just come in he….”
There was a loud bang as the door separating mine and Niall’s room swung open.
“Ashton?” Luke called out.
“In here! Hurry!” I gasped, losing my grip on Destiny.
Suddenly the door swung open and Luke appeared, his eyes widening, he let out a shriek.
“Help me!” I pleaded.
Running over to me I climbed onto the dresser, nearly knocking me off.
“What is going on in here?” Niall grumbled, “You idiots are going to ge….. Holy shit!”
“Don’t just stand there help us!” Luke cried, carefully walking over to me and reaching up to untie the not in the mattress.
“What happened?” Niall shouted, “Is she dead?”
“I don’t know!” I sobbed, starting to fall.
His eyes widening, Niall ran over and placing his hands on my chest, pushed me up, grunting as he held me up so I could get a better grip on Destiny.
“How many times did she knot this!” Luke cried, “I can’t get it my hands are shaking too much!”
“Find scissors!” Niall shouted.
“Where?” Luke sobbed.
“I don’t know!” I cried, “Just hurry!”
“Fuck!” Luke cursed, which was quickly followed by a grunt and a loud ripping sound.
“Holy shit,” Niall breathed.
Suddenly the sheet fell away and Destiny slumped forward, nearly dropping her I hopped down from the dresser and with Niall’s help sunk to the ground with her.
Crying so hard it was hard to see I brushed her hair back from her face, looking away when I saw the red line circling her neck.
“Is she breathing?” Niall asked.
“I don’t know!” I whimpered, “I-I’m scared to check.”
Taking a deep breath, Niall brushed her hair out of the way and tentatively placed two fingers to the hallow of her jaw, his face growing graver as he waited.
“Luke call 911,” he finally cried, “Shit.”
“Is she….she isn’t…..” I whispered.
“I don’t know,” Niall admitted, “I don’t really feel anything but that doesn’t mean anything she could be….ah shit, I don’t know.”
“Uh, shit okay nine right and then is it….”
“Jesus!” Niall snapped, ripping the phone from his hands and punching in 911.
Cradling Destiny in between my legs, kissing her head every so often and whispering things I knew she couldn’t hear, I waited, hoping she would be okay.
After what seemed like an eternity the emergency people finally got there, ripping her from me, striping her to some bed on wheels thing and taking her away.
“Come on,” Niall muttered, “We’ll meet her there.”
Feeling completely empty I hurriedly slid on my shoes and followed Niall down the hall and to the elevator while Luke went to wake up Michael, something I couldn’t do.
We were in the parking lot, when they came running up behind us, Charlotte in tow.
“What is going on?” Michael demanded.
“Destiny,” I mumbled, “She….”
“She what?” Michael snapped.
“She, uh, she tried to….. uh, she tried to hang herself.” Michael muttered.
“What?” Michael shouted looking sick, “No, why damn it where is she?”
“The hospital, where we’re trying to go,” Niall sighed, “Does anyone actually know how to drive.”
“I do!”
Startled I turned around and found Jess running towards us.
Niall tossed her the keys to the car and we all piled in, Jess and Michael in the front and Luke, Niall Charlie and I in the back, Charlie sitting on Luke’s lap.
The drive there was completely silent however when we arrived and made it inside the brightly lit building it was the exact opposite.
“Where is my Sister?” Michael demanded walking up to the front desk.
“Lo siento, yo no hablo Inglés.” She replied, looking confused.
“Fuck!” Michael shouted, “English! Englais, uh….. fuck um…… me, my, I. Am. Looking, uh, searching, for, my sister, ma family, my uh, little…uh poco, my poco her…hermana!”
“Usted está en busca de su hermana pequeña?” she said slowly.
“No, uh, I don’t know. What the fuck does that mean?” he cried, “Where?”
Biting his lip he brought his hand up to his forehead and looked around, “Is, my.” He said pointing to himself, “Little, sister.” Putting his hand down to indicate little, he looked at her pleadingly.
“Usted está en busca de su hermana pequeña?” the woman repeated.
“No, yes, I don’t know!” he shouted and then to my surprise started to cry, “Is there someone here that speaks English? You know par les vous Englias! Please!”
Feeling horrible for being a witness to the heart wrenching sight that was Michael Clifford falling apart I looked down at the floor, however looked up as Jess shuffled forward and wrapped her arms around him.
“Listen lady,” she spat, “English! Do you get that? We speak English! Find someone that speaks ENGLISH!”
A look of terror crossing her face the woman rose to her feet and disappeared around a corner.
“Shhh, Mikey,” Jess said gently, her own eyes welling with tears, “It’s gonna be okay.”
“You…. You don’t know that!” he sobbed.
A tear rolling down her cheek, Jess pulled his head into the crook of her neck, rocking them back and forth slowly as he gripped tightly at Jonas Brother’s t-shirt she had worn as pajamas.
Suddenly the woman reappeared around the corner, dragging behind her a man so stereotypically Latin and handsome I wanted to stroke his face.
“Hello,” he greeted, “Maria said you spoke English?”
“Yes!” Niall cried, stepping forward, “Fucking hell, we’re looking for his sister!”
“Ah, yes” the man said, “Name?”
“Destiny Stacey.” Luke answered.
“Ah, ok, yeah,” the guy said slowly, “I’m going to show you to a waiting room.”
“Is she okay?” Michael sniffed straightening up, his hand which hung limply at his side, held by Jess.
“Uh, right this way.” The man said in answer.
Michael made a choking sound in the back of his throat, before following after the man as he led us down several hallways passing all kinds of people before stopping in a crowded waiting room.
“Someone should be with you shortly,” he sighed, before walking away.
Seeing as there were no chairs, we shuffled over to stand in a corner to wait.
And wait we did.
For two and a half hours, surrounded by screaming babies, a puking woman, a heavily pleading man, an insane dude who kept screaming at himself, a girl with a fork sticking out of her arm and a man with half his leg missing, until finally the doors swung open and a female doctor walked in.
“Stacey?” she asked, in a heavy accent, “Destiny Stacey.”
“Here!” Michael called out, running over to her with the rest of us trailing behind him, “How is she, is she okay, can I see her?”
“She’s alive,” the doctor answered, “However she’ll have to be careful with her neck for a while, and watched heavily, her voice might also be a bit weird, and she may have trouble breathing and eating, but she’ll be alright.”
“Thank you,” Michael sighed in relief.
“Would you like to see her?” the doctor asked.
“Yes!” Michael, Luke and I cried in unison.
“Well,” she said slowly, “We can only allow two back at a time, so I’m afraid the rest of you will have to stay.”
“Oh, I’ll stay,” Luke said quietly, “You two go.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, secretly thrilled.
“Yeah,” Michael answered for him, “Ashton, you should come.”