Alice walked through the busy corridors of the hospital. People bustled passed her but she didn't notice them. She had one place in her sights and nothing was standing in her way! She had just got off her flight and she needed to see her friend. On the flight to distract herself she had tried to write her story but it was coming out all wrong. With her friends accident hanging over her the only thing she was writing was angst and awfulness and anger. Ethan and Lexi seemed to be getting the worst at the minute. God how could she do that to her granddaughter. She was phoning Lexi tonight she would change it if Lexi wanted. She had wrote so much and the ideas in her head were getting worse and worse and there was nothing she could do to stop it! She had even hurt Missy! Seriously how could she do that? Especially given the circumstances she was here for! She finally reached her destination.
(X)
Alice opened the door to the room slowly and steeled herself for the sight of her friend lying on the bed. Half dead. Literally. She walked in and rubbed her eyes.
"Christ!" she whispered on a breath.
She looked so….small, so…..breakable! This wasn't her best friend! She looked nothing like her. A narrow tube was in her mouth, breathing for her. She was too pale. Her ribs which had been very badly broken were taped up underneath her gown she knew. Her ribs had pierced both her lungs and her entire chest cavity had filled with blood. Her pelvis had been completely shattered and had been pieced back together using metal pins. Her neck was in a brace. The sight of her made Alice weep softly.
"Look you gotta wake up Miss. Please. You can't leave me!" her voice shook. "Whose gonna annoy me huh? Or drive me and Shauna crazy with crazy plans and ideas. And make sure we don't fight?" she rubbed her face and ran a hand through her hair. "I left in my story Miss. You took care of everyone like you always do. I was pinned by a truck, not you!" she inhaled sharply as silent tears fell. She felt so guilty. She knew it was irrational but it felt like life had imitated her story just messed around with the people abit. Her voice shook. "Don't you dare die Miss! I will NEVER forgive you if you die and leave us!"
Missy lay still and quiet. Monitors beeped steadily. A door opened and Alice heard soft crying as someone approached. She knew immediately that it was Shauna. Alice turned and saw her. Apart from her left arm being in a cast there was literally not a scratch on her! Alice walked over and hugged her tightly. Shauna meanwhile had already broke down at the sight of Missy on the bed. Alice wiped away her tears already knowing that she had to be the strong one. Shauna could never handle stuff like this well. When her mother died she had been near on distraught for days! Alice had been too, not as bad as Shauna though!
"Missy is dying Alice!" she murmured in between sobs.
Alice inhaled sharply. "I know Shay."
"She can't die though Alice. She just…." Shauna trailed off, Alice heard her swallow another sob.
Alice also had to swallow thickly before she spoke. "Shay we are here, we have our chance to say go…" she exhaled. "Say goodbye."
They had been friends since they were 6 years old. How on earth had the time flew over so quickly. God it was so early for any of them to be dying. She was just too freaking young! Alice thought. Her sadness turning to anger. Then reverting back to sadness.
"It's my fault she is here Alice. I pressed for her to go to the spa. Told her to take time off. We hadn't spent time together in forever and I missed her. I suggested the route we took too. She even tried to save me Alice. She swerved! She knew what was gonna happen and fish tailed so her side took the impact. She even unstrapped my seat belt! I flew through he already cracked windshield and skidded across the floor. Landed on my arm." she rubbed her face stressfully.
"Shauna she probably knew that she was gonna be badly hurt. The driver generally is. She made a decision based on her options. She wouldn't have wanted both of you to die."
"I watched it happen Alice. God it keeps going round and round in circles in my head. It never stops like a never ending bad movie that you don't want to watch but can't forget either! A truck came down off the exit on the motorway the wrong way. How it got that far was beyond me but it did. Missy saw it coming and swerved. I did my flying bit. The truck then hit her side door and her arms flew to her head automatically and she ducked. Her car began to flip but it couldn't coz another truck had already hit my side door. My seat was just crushed. Gone completely. God the sound of the screaming metal haunts me. She was sandwiched between the two trucks. Her car looked like a crushed tin can. She was covered in so much blood and she looked all tangled like a pretzel. Her head was rested against her steering wheel and the car was half it's original size. She wasn't moving at all. I thought she was dead and went to her. She wouldn't answer me and I shouted and screamed and pleaded. The car was moulded around her."
Alice gasped and rubbed her face tiredly. Ran her hands through her hair yet again.
"Um, Karl. Ebs, Stevie?" Alice asked.
"Karl and the kids are trying to get here. They were on their way to Australia to see Karl's family. Missy was heading over tomorrow, she had a client to see early in the morning and was heading after that. She had a free afternoon and I begged her to spend it with me. Like I see we don't see each other too much anymore. I told her she needed some relaxation. We were talking about coming over to see you when the truck hit us."
Alice nodded and exhaled. Wiped away the tears which had gathered. She kept expecting Miss to jump up and shouted got ya. Or crack some stupid joke which wouldn't be funny. Alice knew this wasn't a set up. As soon as she knew they were crying she would put a stop to it. She wouldn't have let it go on this long. God her best friend was dying and there was nothing she could do. She felt so helpless! Again the anger returned. Missy could do it though. She had faced harder stuff on her own and survived. She could do this too.
"Look Shay the best we can do is hope she gets better. Til then we just have to make sure she knows we love her and give her the best goodbye we can. In case the worst should happen. You know she isn't expected to survive this." she added softly.
Shauna nodded quickly.
Alice wanted to scream, 'Missy! Not here! Not now!' Missy gone? It just didn't compute in her head.
"I never thought this would happen you know." Shauna told her. "She always seemed so larger than life. Like nothing could ever touch her. One step ahead of everything." Shauna murmured. "Even de….."
Suddenly one of Missy's monitors began beeping frantically. Alice stood frozen to the spot as Shauna ran to the door and yelled for doctors. Her hands covered her mouth as Missy went into grand mal seizure on the bed. She was rigid then stopped…..dead. Doctors and nurses converged around her yelling at each other in a language Alice wasn't sure she recognised. A crash cart was wheeled passed them as they were led out. Alice's eyes never left her best friend. She was lying prone, limp. They were injecting her. The door was closed behind them. The ECG machine charged with a high pitched whine. Alice couldn't hold it in no longer. She felt like her head was going to explode. Her best friend lay in there!
"Goodbye Miss." she inhaled deeply. Put her hand on the closed door. Felt cold hard wood beneath her fingers. "To the best friend I ever had." she added as a whisper dropped her head and felt her heart break. Tears fell silently down her cheeks.
(X)
They were in there for an hour. No one had came to talk to them but doctors had came and gone looking grave. Alice was sat in the waiting room, trying to stay awake. She looked down at her manuscript. She was gonna just throw the rubbish in the bin. She was never gonna write again! She yawned and tossed it on a chair away from her. Got up and paced. She needed to vent some of this restless anger inside her. Shauna had gone to ring everybody with an update. Mostly Karl who was beside himself. He wasn't an openly emotional person but Shauna had told her when she rang him to tell him Miss had been in an accident he had started crying softly on the phone. He was a big strong stoic man. A man's man for want of a better term and to hear that he had cried on the phone. God! She had offered to phone Karl but Shauna had said that she would do it. She needed to talk to him. In other words apologize another hundred times if she knew Shauna. She paced agitated. Needing to put her fist in a wall. Felt her arms twitching with want. How selfish was she? Writing her story as her friend lay dying. Her fist flew of it's own accord into a pop machine. Her knuckles shifted but she felt no pain. She walked back to her seat and at down put her head in her hands and resisted the urge to cry again. Why couldn't this all be a bad dream? Why couldn't she be at home with Danny and be certain that her best friend was safe and well.
"I'm so sorry Miss!" she said out loud. Sat still holding her head deep in thought. Thinking of happier times as kids and young adults. The three of them against the world. Always. She felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She looked up and her heart stopped.
"Miss?" she gasped. God she was fine! Healthy. Smiling!
"Finish it!" was all she said.
Alice frowned. Then was jerked back to full wakefulness by the doctor.
(X)
"Are you here for Mrs Healy?" the doctor asked softly.
Lice was on her feet in a second. "Yes doctor how is she? Have we…" she inhaled "Lost her?" choked back a sob.
"We got her back."
Alice exhaled put her hand on her chest in relief.
"And surprisingly she is awake." the doctor added.
Alice's jaw dropped. "Is she gonna be…"
The doctor shook his head "She is out of it Miss. She will slip back into unconsciousness soon. She is very ill."
Alice nodded. "Will you please get a message to Mrs O'Donnell. Tell her to get here. It's an emergency."
He nodded.
"Thank you." Alice said then hurried towards Missy's room. Walked straight in there. Saw Missy with her eyes closed oxygen masked covered her mouth. Alice had missed her chance! She sat beside her and held her hand.
"You keep on hanging in there Miss. I know that you can beat this coz you're a fighter. Toughest person I know."
"No….doubt." a voice answered. Alice looked at Missy's face and saw her eye's open. Just a crack but she could see soft brown. Her voice was slow, unsure, unsteady.
"Miss." Alice asked and her eyes filled. Sure she was delirious or dreaming again.
"Snuck away….reaper back turned." Missy tried to smile a little. "He…well…pissed!….keep trying….catch me….no…chance!" she panted to catch her breath. Inhaled deeply on the oxygen.
Alice laughed a little at her declaration. Then returned to worrying as she saw how Missy was struggling.
"You never change. Your lying here like this and still cracking jokes. Same old Miss." she exhaled. "Your in a bad way" Alice added in a whisper. She deserved to know.
Missy nodded a little. Blinked to let her know she understood. "I…guessed."
"We need you to fight. Don't stop fighting!" Alice told her.
Missy blinked tiredly. Tried to nod again but couldn't. She yawned. "Tired." she mumbled.
"You need to stay awake for Shay!" Alice said sharply.
Missy tried hard to rouse herself but was fighting a losing battle.
"Take….care….Shay." she whispered. "Feels…guilty….she needs… you!" her eyes which were barely open seemed to close a little more.
Shauna burst into the room. "Miss!" she declared.
Her eyes were barely open but she noticed her friend. Shauna walked around and grabbed her free hand.
"I'm sorry Miss. So sorry! I shouldn't have….."
Missy squeezed her hand. "For…gods sake….shut up!" she tried to say forcefully. It came out sounding more like a plea.
Alice smiled a small watery smile. Her eyes glistened. Shauna jaw had dropped and she was shocked into silence.
"No…need….guilt trip…self…..me…kick…..ass!" Missy inhaled deeply. Alice knew she didn't have much time left.
"Kiss….Eb's….Stevie…. for me. Leave….Karl…..for me." she smiled a tiny smile. They noticed it. "Tell kids….mummy….loves em." a single tear trickled down Missy's face.
"You will do it when your better Miss!" Alice assured her.
"Finish…it." Missy whispered to Alice. Then her eyes went distant and blank for a second. Alice and Shauna looked at each to her scared. Checked her monitors which had carried on beeping steadily. Missy was unconscious again.
"What did she mean Alice?" Shauna asked.
Alice shook her head. "Nothing Shay. Miss and her cryptic comments." Alice squeezed her friends hand. An affirmative. She would finish this story. And somehow find a way to give a happy ending. She would do it for her!
A/N awww this was quite a sad chapter to write. but Miss has convinced Alice to carry on with her story - what is next?
i apologise for having no update the past couple of days stressed outta my head with all the xmas shoppin. i swear if i heard the song jingle bells one more time i was gonna start taking hostages lol after the first 50 times i got sick after the next 100 i was feeling homicidal lol ok sorry about the mini rant hope u enjoyed anyways x