January 10th 2019.
I spend twenty or so minutes pasting around in the parking lot before I enter the hospital to visit Hayden. Visiting hours have long passed but I manage to walk slowly down the hallway, avoiding the nurses as well as I can.
When I arrive in Hayden's room, I flick the light switch and feel the room with light. Immediately directing my gaze to Hayden, who lays in her hospital bed, with eyes shut.
I take a few steps towards her, kissing her cold forehead gently, causing her eyes to shoot open.
Ever since she woke up from her coma and entered the vegetative state, all she does is blink, keeping her eyes fixed in one position. Occasionally she is able to grip my hand if I hold hers but that's about all she does these days.
She begins staring at the wall in front of her. I sigh before walking towards the window.
The room is dead silent - I don't mind silence, it helps my mind ease. I look out the window to see the dark sky contrasting against the bright stars.
I always feel an immense amount of comfort when looking up at the sky. I guess that it reminds me of my mum. I don't really believe in all that afterlife stuff but when I'm looking at the moon and the stars, I feel like my mum is watching me.
"Mmmmm" I hear a voice moan from behind me, I turn around to see Hayden attempting to sit up.
I widen my eyes in shock. I stand perfectly still for a moment, watching as she begins to move.
What the hell?
I shake my head violently before hitting the nurses button that sits beside her bed.
"Hayden" I cry, "You're awake"
Hayden widens her eyes. She looks at me as if I were a stranger before reverting her eyes down at her hands.
I stand in shock. Not knowing what to say. She's awake? She's awake and moving after her doctors told us that we will never get her back.
When the doctor enters he simply says "Miss Jones can you can hear me?" before flashing his torch in her eyes "pupils are normal"
Hayden begins shaking her head before looking to her right where a clock sat on the nightstand.
"What's wrong with her?" I ask the doctor.
"She's just woken up" he informs "just give her some time"
Hayden keeps her eyes on the clock that sat on the nightstand beside her. She reaches for it but struggles. The doctor takes the clock and gives it to her. Hayden begins touching the surface, tapping in the glass.
She looks up and furrows her brows at us.
I don't recognize her eyes.
"Tactile" the doctor starts "it's a good sign...Would you like some water?" He asks her slowly.
She nods hesitantly as the nurse beside the doctor walks over to Hayden, pouring the water into her mouth, using a cup.
"Hayden?" I say slowly.
She looks up at me cautiously.
"You're in the hospital" the doctor explains, "you've been an accident...Can you tell me your name?"
"Hay.....Hayden" she starts slowly, choking on her words.
She narrows her eyes before tears begin running down her face. Hayden looks down at her hands and attempts to rip all the tubes from her arms.
"Stop!" I cry when grabbing her hands.
Hayden looks up at me in confusion. She suddenly pushes me away with tears running down her cheeks. I resist, staying perfectly still.
"Who are you!" She violently pushes me again with a greater force. "Don't touch me!"
"We need to ask you to wait outside" the doctor looks at me as many nurses enter the room.
I nod slowly before quickly leaving the room.
Who am I?
I begin breathing heavily, struggling to catch my breath.
***
I sit on the edge of a cliff, watching as the sun rises with a nearly empty bourbon bottle in my hand.
I've been here for around five hours now. Collecting my thoughts, ignoring my violently buzzing phone.
Summer break 2019 will always be remembered as when Hayden woke up, I think.
Suddenly my phone buzzed once again. I look down to find a wall of messages from too many people. The most recent texts are from Tyler.
She's awake
She's confused
We need you here
Where the hell are you?
I shake my head violently before pressing my phone down beside me.
I just want my best friend back. I didn't expect all these complications or memory issues. She was supposed to wake up and just be Hayden.
When I make it to the bottom of the bottle, I sigh before throwing it over the cliff.
Struggling to stand up, I stumble over my feet, falling face-first against the hard rock. I roll my hand in to a fist and slam it against the rock in frustration.
Summer break replays over and over in my head. I paid off Jimmy, I got to see Lara and her kid again and Hayden woke up.
A normal life was never installed for me, was it?
It's not fair. None of it. I sound like a whiny little bitch but that's what it is. Unfair. The world was designed for those who have won the genetic lottery and naturally excel at life without any challenges or interferences.
But what about the rest of us? What about people like me? People who grew up with no money, no support, and no parents? How do we do life?
Are we destined to fail like our parents? Whined up dead before twenty-five or in prison, like my mother and sisters? Or perhaps addicted to drugs and reliant on alcohol like my father?
How is any of it fair? How are some born into a life of privilege and others destined to live a life of disadvantages and failure?
Perhaps I'm no better than the people who came before me. Maybe I'm just supposed to follow in the steps of my parents and sisters. Nothing good happens to us. It's just struggle after struggle.
Suddenly I hear footsteps from in front of me. I lift my head up to find a woman standing before me.
"C'mon let's go kiddo" her soft voice begs while pulling me up to my feet.
I lean against her, struggling to walk to her car. "How chu fine mee?" I slur.
"Remember the phone tracking app we had installed after Duncan's accident?" Aunt Laura reminds me while opening her car door, sliding me into the back seat.
"She's awake" I shut my eyes, leaning my head back against the seat.
Aunt Laura leans over me, fastening my seat belt. "So you start heavy drinking?"
"She was...dis-disorientated and confused..." I ramble.
"Let's sober you up, yeah?" She says before slamming the door shut. "We'll talk about this later"
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A/N
I love love love this chapter!! A part of me relates to Jason's anger so much in this chapter as I'm sure many of you do to.
Also, the next phase of Jason's story has began, you can probably take a guess based on the ending of this chapter what that phase is.
Please VOTE if you're enjoying this book!!
Thank you
Happy reading!