Dr. Gabriella Montez walked into her office first thing at four in the morning. She placed her coat on her chair and sat down; she yawned then turned on her computer.
Troy Bolton was shirtless and stretched tiredly flexing his sore body from the night before because of basketball practice. He yawned then fell back onto the bed while wrapping a secure arm around his girlfriend's body.
Isabelle Johnson snuggled closer into her boyfriend of eleven months torso and gently kissed his shoulder. What she didn't know was that fate had different plans for her future.
Gabriella Montez strode the nearly empty hallways while checking patients and taking care of a few early birds. She stretched her arms behind her and said a friendly "good morning" to the receptionist at six in the morning.
The alarm blared obnoxiously on the side table as the couple moaned slightly disturbed by the offending noise. They both groaned simultaneously as Troy slammed his hand down on the buzzer.
"Baby, we have to get up," Isabelle said to her boyfriend.
"Five more minutes," he mumbled back digging his head deeper into the pillow.
"You say that every time," she giggled then moved away from him only to be pulled closer by Troy's arm.
"Babe, seriously," she said trying to get out of his grip. He groaned, "Fine, fine," he scratched his head after getting up then kissed Isabelle's forehead, "I'll see you downstairs."
Gabriella took a deep inhale as she smelled the hazel nut flavored coffee in her hands, but before she could take a sip, "Dr. Montez you're needed in the ER." Gabriella sighed, "Of course," and threw her untouched coffee into the sink.
Gabriella slipped on her scrubs and tied her hair in a quick ponytail before covering it with a hair cap. "What have we got?" She asked all business once she arrived at the door.
A nurse answered quickly, "Car crash, pretty fatal to the head. Some internal bleeding and a burst lung. Two broken ribs, right arm, right leg." As the nurse read her injuries no one noticed the slight wince she gave as she slipped on her gloves, this was the second most thing she hated about her job. The first was telling a family member or a husband, or a boyfriend that their loved one had died. Gabriella shook her head, scolding herself for letting her mind wander. She slipped on her gloves and looked at the woman in front of her. "Personal details? Name, age? Stuff like that."
The nurse quickly checked the clipboard, "Age: twenty four. No older than you doctor. Name: Johnson, Isabelle." Gabriella's eyes widened, "Come again?"
"Johnson, Isabelle is her name ma'am," Gabriella looked down into the woman's face again, shit.
Troy Bolton sat at the dining room table his knee bouncing up and down unable to keep still. Isabelle had gotten a call from her manager informing her she was needed a little earlier than usual at work, but would return home at the same time. After that message, Isabelle rushed to the closet grabbing her heels, a banana, and kissing Troy on the forehead before leaving. So, why was Troy so anxious? Because Isabelle was supposed to be home an hour ago.
Troy's cell phone rang, which made him jump to a standing position and answer without checking the caller I.D. "Babe?" He asked anxiously into the phone. "Uhm no," a female voice said, "My name is Rachel and I am calling for a Troy Bolton."
Troy nodded his head then realized that she couldn't see him, "Yes, this is he."
"Yes, hi, your girlfriend, Isabelle Johnson? If I am correct, is in the hospital right now," Rachel said and Troy's eyes widened, he was shocked. Without listening to another word she had to say, he flipped his phone shut and grabbed his car keys.
"Don't do it Izzy! You have to fight!" Gabrielle half yelled through gritted teeth as she tried over and over and over to restart her heart. As soon as Gabriella had heard one long beep she abandoned all tools and decided to go manually, "Izzy you have to fight! Come on! One, two, three!"
Back and forth, back and forth. That's all Troy could do over and over and over again. He rubbed his palms together and cracked his knuckles. He very occasionally sat, but always got up a second later. He sat down tapped his fingers on his knee then stood up again.
"Come on!" He whispered as he began to softly pound his leg.
"One, two, three," Gabriella continued pumping Isabelle's chest. By now she knew that Troy had arrived. She knew that once she left that room, she was going to feel the pain and the sadness, this right now was adrenaline. Isabelle Johnson was the girlfriend of her best friend whom she has loved her whole life.
"Dr. Montez! We've tried all we could! There's nothing else we can do!" One of the assistant doctors said as they pulled Gabriella away from the lifeless body. "No!" Gabriella yelled, "It's not over! She's a fighter! I know she can pull through! I know it," she whispered the last phrase as the tears rolled down her cheek.
Troy watched as the various doctors passed through the hallways holding clipboards or helping patients in need. His knee bounced up and down violently as he waited to hear the results of his beloved Izzy. He checked the wall clock and took a deep breath. Four hours. Four hours he's been here and nothing. Nothing is an empty word, filled with nothingness and loneliness. Loneliness, something he felt every time Isabelle was away. Isabelle the love of his life, the woman he was supposed to propose to the next day.
Gabriella took a deep breath as she saw Troy sitting in the chair. She gasped slightly when she saw him stand up abruptly and continue his pacing, and then he saw her. Their eyes connected and once he saw the look she had given him, he ran.
Gabriella let the tears pour out of her eyes. She did everything she could, she really did. She didn't want to be the one at fault of Troy's lost happiness. She wanted him to be happy, and without Isabelle, she knew he wasn't. And as much as it pained her to see him happy, it was worth it. Worth it to see him smiling from ear to ear, worth it to see the love radiating off their bodies, and as much as she hated it, she didn't care as long as he was happy. Because, she loved him even if he didn't know, she loved him.
Troy ran. He didn't know where he was running to, he just ran. He knew that look, it was the look she always gave when one of her patients had died. He'd seen it many times before, when he used to come to work with her when he wasn't signed. And after every surgery he would talk to her. Comfort her when she had lost a patient, celebrate when the odds were slim and she had won. So in this time of need, who was going to comfort her now? Who was going to comfort him?
Gabriella sighed, eight long hours she had been in the hospital and in those eight hours several things had happened, her friend had died, the love of her life died along-side her, and her body was tired which was not usually the case.
It was 12:45 PM and Gabriella was sitting at the lunch table staring at her food, "You know you should eat, you've still got a long day ahead of you," said one of the nurses. "Hmm, oh, thanks for your concern Bethany, I'm just not that hungry," said Gabriella as she took a quick glance to the nurse.
She looked around the empty room. She took her salad and tossed it in the trash. She wasn't hungry.
It had been three months. Three months and she had lost both of her best friends. Isabelle's service was a week after she passed. Troy was such a mess. It looked as if he hadn't slept properly in weeks. After the service his father had to stay with him just to make sure that he didn't start showering with oil.
Gabriella wasn't eating. No one could really see it though. She was very smart as to how she hid her eating disorder. She would work herself tirelessly eating maybe an apple and telling herself she was full. She had lost around twenty pounds in the last three months. She was deteriorating, and no one seemed to notice.
It had been three weeks since he last saw Gabriella. Since he saw most of his friends really, but that was because whenever they turned up at his doorstep he would tell them to leave. Gabriella hadn't gone to see him.
He held his phone in his hand as he sat in the park. He rubbed his tired eyes and stretched his arms. He was supposed to be meeting Gabriella here. He checked the time again. She was ten minutes late, very unlike Gabriella.
He rested his elbows on his knees and ran his hand through his hair. He was doing better. He was coping at least. Sure every time he looked at his apartment he saw her, but he was coping.
But he couldn't say the same for his best friend. He'd heard (when he felt like talking to his friends) that Gabriella wasn't seeing anyone. She was working herself to a pulp. He worried about her.
Another five minutes had passed. He scrolled through his contacts and called her. Ring… ring… ring… Hey! This is Gabriella's phone! Sorry I missed your call, but please leave a message and I'll try and get back to you ASAP! Beeeeeep!
It stopped on the third ring, which meant that she purposefully hung up on him. Troy groaned. He stood up from the bench and walked over to his car. He drove to her apartment, anxious to see her. He missed his best friend.
Troy walked up the familiar steps and rung apartment #4. He tapped his foot impatiently, but suddenly, his phone started to buzz. It was Gabriella.
"Hello?" He said eagerly.
"Troy!" Said a panicked Mrs. Montez. "Gabriella's in the hospital."
Troy's heart stopped. His phone was already dug deep in his pocket and his key in the ignition.
It was literally déjà vu, just this time, he didn't want it to end the same way. He saw Ms. Montez sitting in one of the waiting chairs. Patient tears rolling down her cheeks. Troy rushed by her side, "Consuelo."
Ms. Montez looked up, "Troy!" She hugged him as her water gates broke. "Shh, shh. It's going to be all right." Troy cooed to her, silently wishing his words were right. They waited together in the uncomfortable waiting chairs making small talk to distract each other at times.
After about two hours, Dr. Chen came out, Gabriella's colleague. "Connie, Troy." Both of them looked up.
"Is my baby okay?" Ms. Montez quickly asked. Dr. Chen took her to the side, "Connie, were you aware that Gabriella hasn't been eating."
Troy's heart broke. Even though he knew it was wrong to ease drop, he couldn't help it.
"You may go in to see her, but just," Dr. Chen paused, "just, mentally prepare yourself, she's lost a lot of weight, and she looks almost entirely different."
Ms. Montez again had silent tears running down her face as she waved Troy over to her. "It's all right, I got you," he said as he put his arm around her.
Ms. Montez nodded, "I guess you heard?" Troy nodded his head painfully, "Do you want to go in to see her? I can stay out here if you'd like? Maybe I can get us some coffees or something?" He offered gently, knowing how important her daughter was to her.
"You know how I like my coffee, please Troy."
Troy nodded, "Call me if you need anything." Ms. Montez simply nodded.
It was now 7:13 pm. Troy had been in the hospital for five hours, and not once had he been in Gabriella's room. He rubbed his palm on his jeans; he really wanted to see Gabriella.
Ms. Montez finally stepped out of Gabriella's room and smiled at Troy, "She wants to see you."
Troy nodded, telling himself to calm down before he entered her room. He sprang up and kissed Ms. Montez on the forehead then headed towards Gabriella's room.
He stepped in, and he really didn't know what to think. It was literally like skin on bone.
"Hi," she whispered. "Ella," he whispered back. He rushed towards her and took her hand in his.
Tears sprang both their eyes, "Don't do that, please. Ever again." She chuckled as much as she could, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was being so incredibly selfish." Tears started pooling down her face as she couldn't bear to look him in the eyes.
Troy transferred to her bed and sat by her side. He gently caressed her face, "Shh, what matters is that you're here, and you're never going to do something like that ever again."
Gabriella silently nodded, still not meeting his gaze. "Brie," he cooed gently, "Brielle, please look at me." She looked up to him, but he saw no glimmer of life in her eyes.
"Oh god," he murmured to himself and kissed her forehead. Gabriella whimpered and buried her face into his neck.
"I didn't know what to do. It was like everything was becoming so much, that this became my way of coping," she whispered gently, grasping a fistful of his shirt in her hands.
"I was losing both of you, and it just hurt so much. I felt like, like, like I couldn't breathe. Everything just felt so heavy and… and, I don't know."
Gabriella sighed in frustration, gently pounding her palm against Troy's chest. "Shh, baby. Everything's going to be fine. You're not losing anyone."