The car shook as my nails dug into the leather of the front passenger seat, my legs bouncing harshly against my abdomen as my father drove us to the nearest hospital. A part of his face reflected in the rearview mirror, and there were visible tear stains on his pallid cheek.
I could feel my throat closing up from the tension that wrapped around us, but what made it bearable was the song playing softly from the radio, its rhythm oddly giving me a sense of comfort. The feeling was faint, but it made all the difference.
When the ambulance left with my mother, I braced myself for the worst; screaming, crying, pointing fingers, and slamming doors. But there was neither rage nor recklessness.
Only silence. Thick, daunting silence that crept on the shadows and little by little submerged us into a void of nothingness. My shock didn't let me speak. I only stood there and faced my feet, breathing but not quite existing.
I heard my father's words in the stillness."Do you understand my reasons now?" he said.
My glassy eyes showed him my answer."You should've told me everything."
He only shook his head and disappeared to the bathroom, returning with a cloth in hand. I took it from him and scrubbed the blood off the floor with a heavy heart, pouring a solution to eliminate the coppery scent while he took care of the glass shards from the picture frame; one that shielded a photograph taken on their wedding day.
"... second time it happened... Aspirin... her family..." His voice echoed in my head.
I squeezed my eyes shut as the realization dawned on me. The first time was what Kaitlyn witnessed in the grocery store the day we switched places, yet we were told that Mother's hospitalization wasn't a big deal.
My father must have wanted to deal with it on his own, but where did that get him now?
My thoughts were cut off when the car came into a screeching halt, and my body lurched forward. Head spinning, I grabbed hold of the front seats and steadied myself before I could crash, making a mental note to wear the seatbelt next time. I raised my head and had a glance of my father's reflection on the mirror.
He was already outside.
I pushed the car door open and swung my legs to the concrete ground, the familiar odor of emitted gas drifting towards my senses. I paid no heed to the burning heat of the parking lot and only waited for my father to lock the vehicle before following him from behind.
There was an ache in my stomach that I couldn't ignore as I mentally prayed for my mother's well-being. She might not have been the best parent at times, but she still went through challenges taking care of us both. I couldn't imagine living in a world without her.
I already lost a loved one this summer; there was no need for another.
The metal doors of the elevator slid open, revealing a blinding white hallway that reeked of antiseptic. I hesitated before shuffling outside, and I could hear the distinct sound of hurried footsteps from a few feet away. The fluorescent lights bounced off the walls, and everything looked clean. Too clean.
My father was already walking away before I knew it, and I fasted my pace to catch up to him. We fell in the line that led to the receptionist, and I could sense his foot tapping impatiently against the tile floor as the man in front, who seemed to be in his early twenties, slammed his fist against the desk.
"WHERE IS MY GIRLFRIEND?"
I flinched at his booming voice, just as a vocal cry of an infant resounded in the already buzzing room. A wave of frustration ran through the crowd, tired glares digging into the back of the man's head.
"She is in the maternity unit having her delivery." I heard the receptionist say, her voice calm as if she had dealt with a situation like this too many times. "She also made a request to be alone at the moment, so please, if you continue causing a fuss then I'm gonna have to call security."
"Bullshit." A snarl ripped out of him. "Wait until I get my hands on that cheating bitch--"
He swiveled in one movement and marched towards the restricted entrance, but before he could push the doors open, a tall man I didn't notice was watching from afar strode to him and forced the man's hands behind his back. His strong movements screamed authority.
The whole scene unfolded before my eyes. The officer restrained him with handcuffs, leaning towards him to whisper something. I turned my gaze away just as he got dragged out, hushed silence falling upon the once buzzing room.
We were next in line.
The girl's eyes were centered on the screen of the monitor as her fingers clicked away on the keyboard. She raised her head soon after and flashed us a strained smile. "I apologize for the disturbance, it happens most of the time."
"You must have been working here for years now." My father surprisingly spoke up, his voice unusually apologetic. The erratic beating in my chest blocked the rest of their conversation, my ears ringing as I tried to convince myself that everyone would be alright.
That my mother was in one of these hospital rooms, breathing. Alive.
"--in Room 526."
Relief coursed through my veins when I heard her words. I wiped off the tears on my cheeks, a hoarse laugh slipping past my numb lips. My vision cleared as I turned to my father with eyes filled with hope. His face mirrored my own, an unspeakable understanding passing between us.
We moved simultaneously. My surroundings seemed to blur together as we climbed the stairs two steps at the time, my eyes darting around the busy corridor the moment we reached the designated floor. My father walked along the side as I fell behind, making my movements small so the medical staff could rush past.
A door then slammed open, making several heads turn. My throat dried when the loud flat beep of the heart monitor reached my ears. A wide-eyed girl emerged from the room, and she croaked out, "Help, my father."
Heavy footsteps thundered on the floor, and the place was in uproar when I forced myself to look away. My father nodded his head to me, and we continued to walk around while the noise died down. It wasn't long before we found the room, which unbeknownst to us, was in the opposite wing.
My eyes watered when I recognized my mother through the glass window on the door, and suddenly I didn't have the strength to move. Everything happened too fast..
There was a pause before my father slowly pushed the door open. I dragged my wobbling legs inside the ward, and the familiar sound of the heart monitor echoed inside the chilly room just as the door clicked shut.
Beep... Beep...
The metal chair beside my mother's bed screeched against the floor as my father sat on it, his movements delicate as he took her hand into his and brought it upon his lips. The weakened expression on his face triggered a vision in my mind.
"I'm here," Father whispered as he held Mother's hand, who was leaning against the nearby wall with a heaving chest. His hair was disheveled as if he ran his fingers through it too many times, the wrinkles on his face more evident as his tears slowly dripped down to his damp shirt. "T-They're coming. Hold on, I promise you'll feel much better soon."
I forced myself to step closer, and my mother's condition became clear to me. The first thing I noticed was the oxygen mask strapped around her face, then her skin that looked pale and brittle as if it would crumble through contact. Her auburn hair that once had its sheen now had streaks of grey in them, her eyelids shut in an almost serene manner.
Mother looked so different yet so familiar at the same time.
A/N: Thank you so much everyone for making Kaylee's tale known and helping this book reach 7.2 k reads! It's astounding how I never thought we would reach this far, and I'm really glad that you guys have stayed with me and supported me all throughout my writing journey. My gratitude goes to all of my readers, old and new, I love you all ❤
I also wanted to share this wonderful poem written by the lovely deadroses310. I'm in tears because it really couldn't have described Kaylee and Rowan's relationship better :')
'beautiful soul
come into the light
learn to love
and free your mind
your glassy teardrops shatter
when you're with him
your troubles disappear
nothing else matters'
Also, shoutout to one of my long-time readers Novel_Worm for making this amazing banner for 3:00 am! The theme fits perfectly and I love it, thank you so much UwU
On that note, feel free to send me anything about 3:00 am hehe (you can DM me to get my email address). May it be artworks, quotes, poems, or literally anything that you can come up with. It'll really make my day :>
xx Alina