AN: Thank you very much for the reviews everyone. I hope you'll like this chapter enough to review again. :)
Just to let you know, I'll be at my cottage for the next week or so. I won't be updating until I get back home. Don't think I've forgotten about this story; I promise I'll post the next chapter asap.
In case anyone noticed, I deleted my one-shot Decisions. It was an outlet for my emotions, at one point, but now I've come to new realizations. I felt like the story's symbolism contradicted my recent decisions.
I'm sorry about these long ANs; please just enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.
Monica and Chandler were practically running through the doors of the hospital. They were breathless by the time they reached the receptionist in the Emergency Room.
"Can I help you?" The woman asked from behind the counter. Her eyebrows furrowed in uncertainty as she tried to understand Monica and Chandler's frazzled appearances.
"Can you tell us where we can find Rachel Green and-," Chandler was interrupted by the receptionist.
"Rachel Green and Ross Geller? From that car accident?" The receptionist asked.
"Yes," Chandler answered with confusion.
"Their doctor is right here, actually. It'd probably be good to talk to him," The receptionist said. Monica and Chandler nodded. Their hearts were beating fast as they only became more panicked the longer they stood there. "Doctor Arnold?" The receptionist called.
A man wearing a white lab coat looked up from his work further down the counter. When he caught sight of Monica and Chandler he approached them.
"These two are here to see Rachel Green and Ross Geller," The receptionist explained, as the doctor came within hearing range.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Arnold. I'm looking after the Emergency Room tonight-," The doctor began, but he was abruptly cut off.
"What happened to Ross and Rachel?" Monica blurted out. She couldn't take it any longer; she needed to know if they were okay. She needed to know if she had said her last words to them that morning.
"Well, Rachel suffered a very bad concussion, after hitting her head. She was unconscious for a while, but she was awake when I last saw her. We'll have to keep her here for a few days to make sure she's okay. She seems fine; all I can see is the cut on her scalp. But we need to keep an eye on her since a concussion this bad can often cause seizures or other brain injuries. I'll be sending her for a CT scan so I can get a better look," Doctor Arnold explained.
"A-And Ross?" Monica asked. Even though she was relieved Rachel was alright, she was trembling uncontrollably as she thought about her brother. Chandler kept his arm around Monica, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.
"Ross obtained a concussion as well, which was less severe than Rachel's. However, he had to go through surgery to fix his right leg. Both his tibia and fibula were fractured and one of the bones actually came through the skin. We had to put a few screws in to hold his bones back in place. That combined with one or two broken ribs and the concussion mean that we'll need to keep him at least a few days, as well. Especially because he runs the risk of contracting a deep-bone infection," Doctor Arnold explained.
Monica and Chandler breathed sighs of relief. Ross and Rachel were in decent health.
"Can we see them?" Chandler asked as if he were reading Monica's mind.
"Ross just came out of surgery, but if you visit Rachel first it'll give him time to wake up," Doctor Arnold explained.
"Thank you doctor," Chandler said sincerely, as he shook the man's hand.
"They are very lucky to have only sustained those injuries. It could have been a lot worse," Doctor Arnold said, seriously.
Monica and Chandler nodded as they realized their injuries could have been much more life-threatening. What's a couple of concussions and broken bones when the worst alternative was losing their friends?
…..
Phoebe and Joey arrived, a short time after Monica and Chandler. The four friends followed the doctor's advice and visited Rachel first.
Rachel opened her eyes to see her friends in the room. Monica sat on the edge of her bed, beside her, holding her hand. Phoebe stood beside Monica. Joey and Chandler stood at the foot of her bed.
It was surreal to see them all there around her hospital bed. It brought tears to her eyes to consider what they must have endured; how hard it would have been to hear what had happened to her and Ross.
"Rach," Monica said, as she noticed Rachel open her eyes. "We were so worried," Monica stated, hoarsely. It was all she could say before her emotions overwhelmed her.
"I can't believe I did this," Rachel whispered after a brief moment. She stared out the window, away from her friends.
"What do you mean, Rach?" Joey asked, speaking on everyone's behalf.
"It was my fault. I-I took my h-hands off the wheel…" Rachel explained, but soon guilt took over and she broke down in tears.
The four friends looked at each other, not knowing how to react. Monica rubbed Rachel's arm gently, trying to soothe her as best she could.
"It's okay. You and Ross are okay," Monica whispered gently. All the friends wore varying expressions of sorrow and pain.
Joey looked at the ground, unable to watch Rachel cry without feeling tears come to his own eyes. Chandler and Phoebe both watched in anguish as Monica tried to calm Rachel.
"I-I could have killed us," Rachel admitted. That exact thought had been repeating in her mind all evening.
It suddenly became apparent that everyone had been so focused on getting to the hospital, to see if their friends were alright, they didn't consider the aftermath of such an event. A silence filled the room as everyone began reflecting.
What would happen because of this?
…..
Ross lay on his back, watching the nurses and doctors pass by the open door to his room. It felt strange to feel so alone, while he knew he was surrounded by people. Patients, nurses, doctors, families. They all had a task to fulfill, while Ross was told he needed to stay there and rest.
Ross lazily watched the pain medication drip through his IV when a movement in the hallway caught his eye. He glanced at the door to see his friends and sister hesitating in the doorway.
"Are you okay, man?" Joey asked carefully.
"You know you guys can come in," Ross responded, his voice made his comment sound more bitter than he intended.
The four friends entered the room, dispersing themselves around the bed.
"We just saw Rachel, she's taking it hard," Monica explained. Ross shifted his gaze so he didn't meet Monica's eyes.
"She took her hands off the wheel, she was goofing around," Ross said sternly. He not only spoke to his friends, but he also tried to convince himself to stay angry. His head was filled with conflicting feelings: he wanted to be mad, he really did, but it was so difficult when it came to Rachel.
"Ross, it was an accident-," Monica began but she was quickly interrupted.
"An accident? I understand Rachel was just messing around, but she can't get out of this so quickly because 'it was just an accident.' She shouldn't have acted so carelessly," Ross explained, his temper rising. His friends were shocked by his hostility.
It began to feel uncomfortable in Ross' small room. Not one person was quite sure what else to say. Both Joey and Chandler looked at the ground. Phoebe played with the many rings on her fingers; her typical upbeat mood was certainly mellowed by the recent event. Monica watched Ross as he stared at the cast on his leg.
Everyone was deep in thought. All, except Ross, were reflecting upon relatively the same question: What was becoming of Ross and Rachel?
It hurt them all to see Rachel so torn up over this. However, it hurt even more to see Ross' reaction. He was not acting like himself. He was always a stubborn person, but to be so bitter towards Rachel was not like him. He was hostile after he and Rachel broke up, but not to this degree.
It seemed like everything had changed over the past few hours. The mood throughout the group had taken a turn for the worse. Not one of them was acting like themself. Chandler hadn't cracked a joke. Phoebe had none of her regularly bizarre personality. Joey hadn't said a word about wanting food or one of the hot nurses. Monica just looked drained.
Maybe they were still adjusting to what had transpired, but maybe the group had been leveled by this hard time.
Monica watched as Ross' faced twisted with increasing pain. Joey quickly strode out the door to get some help.
A nurse followed him back in.
"Are the painkillers starting to wear off?" The nurse questioned. Ross turned his head to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed in intensifying agony.
"Uh, you think?" Ross asked, impatiently.
"I'm going to give you a higher dose so you can sleep the night," The nurse said to Ross before hanging up the IV bag she was holding. "I think you should let your friend rest," The nurse suggested to the other four.
"We'll be back tomorrow, Ross," Monica said, before kissing him on the forehead. The other three chorused in goodbyes and goodnights before they all exited the room awkwardly.
…..
On the way out of the hospital Monica stopped Doctor Arnold to talk to him. As she sat in Ross' room she remembered a question to ask the doctor.
"Will Ross and Rachel be alright to come to our wedding? It's two weeks away," Monica explained. Doctor Arnold nodded and smiled for the first time since they'd met him.
"Ross may need to wear a brace of some sort to walk in his cast, but other than that I don't see any issues," Doctor Arnold stated. "While you were visiting Ross I took Rachel for her CT scan, and everything looked pretty much normal. They should both almost be fully recovered by then."
"Thank you, doctor," Monica acknowledged. She was relieved that Chandler's best man and her maid of honor would be able to be up at the alter with them, in a two short weeks.
…..
It had been the same routine for a few days now. The four friends would spend the time they were not at work with Ross and Rachel, at the hospital.
Phoebe and Joey sat alone in the hospital cafeteria one morning. Monica and Chandler were visiting Rachel and Ross.
The two friends sat at the fake-wood table in their plastic chairs, both lost in thought. Joey was enjoying his large breakfast complete with toast, bacon, eggs, and anything else the cafeteria was serving.
Phoebe didn't want anything to eat; she just drank her coffee, which was nowhere near as good as anything from Central Perk. She sighed as she placed the Styrofoam cup on the table.
Joey stopped eating and looked at his friend.
"You okay Pheebs?" Joey asked, genuinely concerned. Phoebe hadn't been herself for days, which was understandable since none of them were really back to normal.
"I just don't think Ross and Rachel will recover from this," Phoebe admitted.
"Do you mean romantically?" Joey questioned.
"Well, yeah, and friendship-wise too," Phoebe disclosed. "The more I think about it, the more I see them growing apart." Joey stared at Phoebe with a puzzled appearance.
"You really think they won't work things out?" Joey asked.
"Think about it Joey," Phoebe said, as she herself thought about her lobsters. "This is going to be tough for them to get over."
…..
Monica sat on a chair she had pulled up beside Rachel's bed. Rachel's doctor had just left, after telling her she was free to go home the following morning. Monica and Rachel sat in silence. Both were thankful Rachel was well enough to leave, but they just couldn't find a way to start a normal conversation.
Eventually Monica's patience wore thin; she needed to break this tension.
"Rach?" Monica asked, gently.
"Yes?" Rachel said, snapping out of her reveries.
"I want you to come and stay with me," Monica stated. Rachel gave her a look of uncertainty.
"Mon, that's really kind, but-," Rachel began, but she stopped talking as Joey and Phoebe entered the room. There was a moment of awkward silence, before Joey walked over to crouch beside Rachel's bed. He had overheard Monica's offer.
"Actually Rach, I don't think that's such a bad idea. Monica can take care of you for a few days while you totally heal. You know she will take care of you better than I can," Joey explained, before uneasily chuckling. Rachel knew Joey had a point; Monica was like the mother hen of their group.
"Are you sure Joe?" Rachel asked. Joey nodded yes and gave her hand a small squeeze in encouragement.
"I'll be back in a few minutes, you guys," Monica stated. Rachel knew Monica was going see Ross, and that made her sad.
However, it wasn't Monica leaving to visit Ross that bothered her; it was the fact that this situation was beginning to remind her of when she and Ross broke up. Their friends were caught in the middle, trying to spend time with both of them without offending the other. It was not a memory Rachel enjoyed being reminded of.
Was this how it would be from now on? Would she and Ross keep their friends in the middle of their problems, again? It didn't seem fair to do that to them. Not again.
Monica uncomfortably exited the room. She proceeded down the hall to where her brother was staying. But before she reached the door she spotted one of Ross' nurses.
"Excuse me?" Monica said to get the nurse's attention.
"Yes? Is everything okay?" The nurse asked. She had a look of concern in her soft hazel eyes.
"Everything is fine. Um, I was just wondering if you knew when Ross will be free to leave," Monica said.
"The doctor will need to check him out one last time tomorrow, but after that he's free to go," The nurse explained.
"Thank you," Monica responded, before continuing into Ross' room. Chandler was already in there, he'd been there all morning.
Chandler had been hoping that by talking to Ross alone he might be able to gauge his true feelings. But all Chandler had received was more anger, more irritation. It seemed like Ross had really changed after the car accident.
Both Ross and Chandler observed Monica enter. Chandler was thankful and relieved to have another person to talk to.
After a small conversation with Ross, the room had become dead silent, and not to mention awkward. Chandler usually used jokes to cut tension, but he sensed that not even one of his top notch sarcastic comments would help in this moment.
"So, the nurse in the hall told me you're free to go home tomorrow," Monica started, nervously.
Ross' stone cold exterior transformed into that of depression. He noticed Monica seemed scared to talk to him, still. Is that the point he had reached? He was so changed by this accident that his own sister was actually tiptoeing around him?
Ross began to feel disgusted with himself. First, he was actually able to stay furious with Rachel. Rachel. Now he was making his sister see him as a bomb waiting to go off. As he thought about it, it wasn't only his sister tiptoeing around him, his other friends were too. Was he really that terrifyingly angry?
"That's, uh, good to hear," Ross responded awkwardly, his mind on other things.
"Ross, I don't want you to be alone at your apartment. You're going to need help, with your broken leg and all," Monica explained.
"Mon, I'm sure I can take care of myself," Ross muttered.
"Are you sure? I mean, Phoebe could-," Monica began to explain hastily, before Ross interjected.
"Mon… I just want to be alone. I-I need time," Ross explained, as he stared at her eyes.
Monica studied her brother, something about his expression made her stop her planning. His eyes were filled with pleading and, not to mention, pain. He was hurt, he was lost, he really did look like he needed time to be on his own – maybe he would sort out his state of mind.
"We'll check in on you, man," Chandler decided to say, breaking the silence. Ross turned to face Chandler, giving him an approving nod, wordlessly thanking him for understanding.
The car accident had taken a toll on the group - that was obvious. But maybe, just maybe, Ross and Rachel being home would make things better. Make things a bit more normal.