I want to thank you all for the reviews and follows on this story. It was supposed to stay a one-shot, but the eager feedback changed my mind. I really hope you guys like it.
People look at you funny when you're in a hospital with no shirt on and dried blood on your hands, but I didn't care nor acknowledge their curious looks.
"Austin, maybe you should sit down," Mr. Dawson said.
I looked at him on my way past him, caught in a cycle of pacing in the waiting room we had ended up in. "I can't," I grumbled. I was amazed he could sit there so calmly when he was obviously worried. He was pale and kept fidgeting in his seat every few minutes.
"You're just making it worse," he said.
"How am I making it worse? Ally's in surgeries and X-rays to stop the bleeding and see if there's internal bleeding in her brain. Excuse me if I can't stay still," I snapped. As soon as I had said it, I regretted it. "I'm sorry," I said with a sigh. I scrubbed a hand over my face.
"No, I understand. It's stressful for both of us."
I swallowed and nodded before pulling out my phone and looking at my texts. Trish and Dez had said they were on their way half an hour ago. Where were they? I pocketed my phone and looked toward the door. "I'll be back. Going to wash my hands," I mumbled and moved toward the door.
The hospital seemed too quiet, like most hospitals did, but at the moment, the atmosphere felt ominous. Simply being there felt like it could drive someone into a coma. Luckily, the warm water from a bathroom sink jolted me awake again. I stood there for a few long minutes, scrubbing until all the blood was gone. Then I looked at my reflection.
The first thing I noticed was the redness around my eyes. I didn't even remember crying, but it was evidence that I had - at some point - cried in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Seeing Ally with an oxygen mask pressed over her face and strict EMS workers trying to stop the blood was just unbearable. I had to give Mr. Dawson credit for keeping it together when I couldn't. I guessed that he knew if we both broke down, that was the end of sanity.
"Austin!"
Startled, I stopped in the doorway of the bathroom. It was Dez and Trish followed by my parents.
"What took you guys so long? And why did you bring my parents?" I asked, frowning.
"We needed a ride," Trish explained. "And we guessed we'd all be staying the night." It was still the early afternoon, and the sun was up. But it was clear we all assumed Ally wouldn't be coming home anytime soon.
I raised an eyebrow and then saw the sleeping bag and pillows that my dad, Dez, and Trish were all carrying. My mom had a few new toothbrushes still in their packages and toothpaste bundled up in one of my t-shirts like a weird burrito.
I gave them all a weak smile. "Thanks. You guys aren't staying?" I asked my parents, noticing the number of sleeping bags.
My dad shook his head. "No, we have work in the morning." He handed me the sleeping bag and pillow before Mom placed her bundle on top of it all.
"Everything's going to be fine," she said.
I nodded, not really believing it. I let them each hug me before they left.
"Where's Mr. Dawson?" Trish asked.
"In the waiting room," I answered and turned to lead them down the hall.
"Have the doctors said anything?"
"No. They're still in surgery or doing tests or something."
Mr. Dawson looked up at us when we entered the waiting room a few minutes later. He set aside the magazine he had obviously been glancing at to pass the time since there was no one else in the room to talk to even if he wanted to. "Hi, Trish, Dez."
They returned the greeting and started talking to him while I dumped the items in my arms onto the floor. I tugged on my shirt before unrolling the sleeping bag, making sure it was positioned so that I could see the door from where I would be laying later. I tossed Dez and Trish their toothbrushes and sat down on the sleeping bag.
I sighed. Every time a doctor passed the door, fear seized my heart.
