"Trouble in mind, i'm blue
But i won't be blue always,
'cause the sun's gonna shine
In my backdoor some day"
Alix's P.O.V.
After 2 days at the hospital, sleeping uncomfortably in a chair with my head on Harley's shoulder, I must say that both me, Julie and Harley were exhausted, in need of a shower and needed real food instead of hospital sandwiches.
My dad was still in a coma. Doctors would tell us his body was reacting well to the several tests they put him through. The coma he'd slipped into was supposed to last only a couple of days, actually most people would wake up after 6 to 7 hours and those recover fast and well, but doctors suspect my dad had entered a state of shock after surgery and so he'd take longer to wake up. If more than that, then the chances of his survival would decrease and also they would indicate a possible future state of paraplegia.
All of the events that occurred had been organized in my mind after Harley told me everything that Matt had found out about Ruby, James, Claire, her brother, Dylan and my mom. Pff, mom... That waste of a human who shot my dad because she wanted money.
To be honest, I didn't even know how she and Ruby ended up being, but I don't really care. They're not my family. Just the people who tried to take my real family away from me.
The day we got here, I couldn't sleep. Both June, Matt and Liam ended up staying with us for almost the entire night and after Claire got out of intensive care, Matt had already called the cops to come to hospital.
I was so ashamed of myself for hating Claire for so long while my sister and mother were blackmailing her and her brother. And James, James really did a number on that girl. She was so void of life. So dead on the inside. It was almost unbearable to see. I felt even more ashamed when she, after all that happened, still was the one who came up to me and apologized along with wishing the best to my dad and his recovery. I almost couldn't utter a word. I just told her I forgave her and gave her a gentle hug, afraid that she might break if I hugged her too tightly.
We told everything we knew to the cops and they took care of everything in some hours. James went to jail along with Dylan who was proven guilty of killing a kid. Claire's brother was going to be judged again, this time with the newfound evidence and my mother's house was going to be searched for anything else they might find.
Since those news, everything else was the same.
I had just waken up from my restless 2 hour sleep and decided to go drink some coffee. Julie and Harley were still sound asleep outside my dad's room, so I decided to let them sleep.
Getting my coffee, I drank it calmly, knowing I wouldn't have to rush cause visitation hours started only in 4 hours.
I looked at my wristwatch, the one Harley had given me. It seemed like it was years ago. Time goes by so quickly and it seems like it is so much more extensive than it actually is. One day you're happy and hiding a relationship from your parents without thinking of the consequences it may cause and the other, your dad is in a coma cause he took a bullet for the person im said relationship with you. I didn't even remember when it all got this serious to the point where I'd be standing in the hospital, with a ring on my finger, hopping my dad would survive being shot.
I tried not to focus on it too much and moved to the hall Harley and Julie were on.
Getting there, I sat down and as soon as I did, Harley started waking up, looking uncomfortable and like she had some neck pain as well. Honestly she had been so good with all of this since the second it happened, but we barely have talked besides all of the explanations about what had happened. She was doing her best to be strong for me and my mom and I knew it. I also knew that she was suffering with all of this too, but my mind was someplace else and I felt sorry that I didn't even think about her in the first place.
- "Alix?" She simply asked moving to sit straight and looked back at her mom who was still sound asleep. I took my coffee in one hand to take one of her hands in my now free one.
- "What time is it?" Her raspy voice sounded again in an almost whisper and for a second I remembered how much I missed it.
- "Around 5 in the morning. I couldn't sleep." I responded looking at our hands and my coffee cup after.
She breathed out slowly and looked back at her mom again. Making sure we hadn't wake her up.
I knew she had no words for me. Everything she could say she had already said and also she was struggling to deal with the distance between us this days. A distance that was there not cause we actively wanted it, but cause the circumstances made it that way. But while she had been here for me, taking care of me, I had not once asked her if she was ok. I know. My dad is the one in a coma, but we are all suffering with this and Harley is no exception.
- "How are you?" I asked calmly and could see her face contort in a weirded out expression. I knew her enough to know she would say she's fine and that she's here for me and that she should be the one asking me that and bla bla bla.
She made sure to look back at me to make sure she had heard well. But when she saw how serious I was, her expression changed.
I could see how tired she was, she got vulnerable now. Knowing her strength had failed her and, for the first time in two days, she started crying.
_______________________________________
Harley's P.O.V.
I couldn't do it. I'm not made of stone and to be honest, this was taking the best of me. For the last two days I was just constantly thinking about the fact that that bullet had been meant for me and not George. About the fact that it's the thing that might take away Alix's only family. Her dad.
I wasn't stupid, I knew that if it was me in George's place, both Alix and my mom would be as devastated as they are now. But to have to bear this responsibility of someone possibly giving their life for yours, it tears you appart.
I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe and to my amazement Alix, the person who was probably suffering the most when it came to this, now, was strong enough for me to wipe tears off my face and shush me in a caring way. Telling me several times she was there.
We stood like that for a while until footsteps were heard approaching us.
A nurse in her 30's went directly towards us. Her face conveyed a professional expression and for a second I thought the worst.
- "You're Mister Mayer's family, right?" She spoke with a professional tone. My mom woke up then, trying to pay attention to the nurse.
We all nodded expecting good news.
- "Well, I'm here to inform you that Mister Mayer's has woken up about 10 minutes ago." She said and I think all of us could finally breathe a little bit better than in the last 2 days. I instantly hugged Alix and my mom had her hand squeezing my arm like she didn't want to let go.
- "But..." There was that damned word. Once again we were silently waiting for the bad news after the silver lining.
- "Yes?" My mom blurted out of desperation.
- "He has gone back to sleep. He has woken up from comatose, but he's very weak and tired. You'll be able to visit at 11 since first thing tomorrow, we'll have to check his levels and talk to the patient to understand his condition. Appart from that, everything on the monitors seems to show great vitals and we hope everything else is under control. Have a good night." She finished, being stopped to walk away by my mom who got up to ask her questions and thank her.
Alix got up as well with me following. She hugged me and I could feel her happiness with the news even though she had not seen her dad yet.
Finally things were looking better.
_______________________________________
It was time to see George. Only one person at a time, but still... so Julie went in first, then Alix would go and then me.
We had taken the ours left to visitation hour to go shower and change our clothes. We all felt pretty uncomfortable going back to our house even though it had been cleaned in a way that made it seem like nothing had ever happened in there. Probably work of George's people.
- "I can't wait to see him. I really really can't. I hope he's fine." Alix told me walking back and forth nervously. My mom had been in there for almost half an hour now and Alix hasn't sat down or stopped yet.
- "I'm sure he can't wait to see you either Alix. You're his little girl after all."I responded with a slight smile on my face, knowing Alix would be so happy to see her dad.
The doctor had told us he was recovering well when we had got in the hospital again. No long term memory loss or major physical or psychological problems or damage. He would have to stay at the hospital for some days cause of the surgery and also walk around on a wheelchair for some months untill the bullet wound and incisions cured better.
With all of that said, I can tell you we were all pretty anxious to see him.
_______________________________________
Alix's P.O.V.
Finally it was my turn to see my dad and honestly I was looking forward to it and very optimistic. After all, Julie had left his room with a smile and emotional tears in her eyes telling me he couldn't wait to see me.
I got all of the required protection on and nervously walked inside the room.
My dad looked towards the window and away from me, not noticing I had walked in yet.
- "Dad?" I called for him softly.
His head turned to me instantly and a smile appeared on his face.
- "Alix. Get here!" He responded right away extending a hand to me.
He looked good. His torso was bandaged but appart from that nothing else about him changed. Just the slight bags under his eyes.
I moved to him faster now, taking his hand in mine. I looked him up and down for a while before talking.
- "You sure gave us quite a scare dad." I replied with a smile that couldn't help but appear in my face looking at his.
Still with a smile in his he apologized making me softly shake my head in disapproval.
- "I've been told that I've been asleep for 2 days. That's probably the best nap I've had in 40 years." He said making me laugh softly at his goofy answer. He chuckled as well but soon his face was contorted in pain and we both calmed down.
I sat down in a chair and pulled it close to the bed now. I was happy my dad was awake, but deep down I could feel he knew I deserved an explanation about all of this. My mom, Ruby, the security guards.
- "Alix..." He breathed out preparing himself to talk but I soon cut him off.
- "It's ok dad. You're weak. You can explain some other time." I responded looking down.
- "No, I don't want to explain some other time and I've told you, I slept for a while, so I have some energy stored up to spend right now." He responded with seriousness but a slight smile on his face.
I looked back at him, nodding in acceptance.
- "Alix, when you were just a baby, I found out that your mother had been cheating on me with a guy. She meant everything to me, I loved her and you wholeheartedly, but she made other choices. I ended up finding out you're not my biological child, but your mother left when she was pregnant of her second child. She abandoned us and I never heard of her again and you became the most precious thing in my life. Even though you were not my child, I felt like you where. My little girl.
As you grew up, so did your curiosity, and the wounds your mother had left me with were still pretty deep. I could not bear to have you feel 1% of all the pain, anger and sadness I felt every single day. So I did what any scared parent does. I lied.
I'd rather you think you had no mother than a monster of a mother and the thought of her coming back to get you and take you away from me was so scary that I became this control freak when it came to you. I hired security and made them keep an eye on you when I couldn't.
Then Julie came along. Julie replaced your mom in my heart, she filled the hole your mom had created, but you would never replace the feeling of growing up without a mother. And even if that hole in my chest was filled, the thought of you ever going through that scared me. It still does. The thought of you loving someone scares me to death, knowing that it could hurt you in the way it hurt me."
I took his hand in mine now. Both our eyes filled with tears we couldn't help but let escape.
- "And Harley..." he tried to continue and I really wished I could have let him, but it would break my heart if after all of this he still did not accepted our relationship.
- "Dad, please don't. I love her." I whispered almost unable to speak and feeling my chest weight again with sadness, thinking the worst.
I knew I couldn't live without my dad, but I was sure I couldn't live without Harley either.
He now used his hand that was in mine and softly grazed the ring on my finger. The ring Harley had given me.
He shook his head no, softly.
- "Do you think I took a bullet for her not knowing that? It wasn't just for Julie or for Harley, it was for you and for me. She's a good person. Someone who will treat you right. Someone who will make you happy and fight for you, someone who does that already, every single day and I know Julie did a great job raising her. And she was never your sister, I've known it for a while now. But that fear of seeing your heart breaking, it was stronger than anything. Even reason. It blinded me to the truth. I just wanted a family, and I was so stubborn that I didn't even realize that I already had the best one. So she'll be your wife, it doesn't matter. She will always be treated like my daughter cause she's my family, our family."