Chapter 21 – A song with no words

Coma. The word seemed to echo through the room. It sank into each and every one of them, implanting itself in their brains. Darius gripped his chair tightly and Mason's head fell into his hands. Sadie let out a quiet whimper, and Kwest squeezed her tightly, feeling tears fall down his cheeks. Tommy's vision began to blur, becoming fuzzy around the edges. He reached out, feeling for the wall. Holding himself up, he fought the urge to pass out.

"How long is she going to be unconscious? Do you know?" He asked, images of movies and television shows where people were in comas for years invading his mind.

"Well, it's very hard to tell. We are still running tests, but in all reality, we just don't know. Many times it's just a few days or weeks, but there is a chance that we could be looking at a longer period. All we can do right now is monitor her to make sure everything heals properly." The doctor said, wishing he had some better news, or at least some better answers for them. This was the part of the job he never got used to. Watching loved ones break down was always hard.

"Can we see her?" Tommy heard himself saying. He needed to see her. He needed to hold her hand and tell her it was going to be alright. Looking back up at the doctor he noticed a slightly pained look in his face.

"Family only, I'm afraid." He said, looking sadly at the group before him.

"We are her family." Sadie responded standing up abruptly from her position next to Kwest. She joined Tommy, looking directly at the doctor.

"Listen, I know how you all must feel, but-"

"But, nothing." Sadie said. Tommy wasn't sure where this newfound determination had come from. Just minutes ago she had been sobbing in Kwest's arms, hardly able to hold herself up. She narrowed her eyes. "Look, Jude is my sister, and I think that means I know a little bit more about her than you do. We are her family. She needs us right now, and I will be damned if I am going to let you tell us that we cannot see her." The doctor looked back at her in surprise. He wasn't expecting that, especially from her. He stood silent for a moment, contemplating what to do. He knew the policy rules, but really, what was the harm?

"I suppose." He said, giving in. "No more than two at a time though, at least for today." Sadie nodded, giving him a small smile. It was the least he could do, she seemed so sad. In a way, she reminded him of her own daughter; bright and determined, but the light was gone from her eyes.

"Sadie, you and Kwest go." Tommy said, "I have to check on Angie." He grabbed his cell phone and walked away from the group, quickly dialing the number. He was thankful he had found a nanny for her. He didn't want her to ever have to witness anything like this. He connected, talking quietly to the person on the other line. A few minutes later he hung up the phone, walking back toward Mason. Darius had disappeared. Tommy sat down, putting his head in his hands.

"She's going to be alright, I mean nothing could really ever happen to her right?" Mason asked, breaking the silence. Everything seemed so surreal right now. Jude was like a sister to him, and right now, he didn't even know if she was ever going to wake up. "She has to be okay, she just has to." He said quietly.

Tommy wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to tell Mason that everything was going to be alright, but was it? The love of his life was lying in a hospital bed, and the doctors had no answers.

"Jude's a fighter." He said finally. "She won't give up on us." Mason nodded, trying to believe in Tommy's words. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Darius returned.

"I have some good news, well as good as can be expected at a moment like this. The leading expert in head trauma injuries such as the one that Jude has sustained is flying in from Los Angeles tonight. He will see Jude first thing tomorrow morning." Darius said, the hope evident in his voice. "If anyone can give us some answers, he will be the one to do it."

Tommy stared at Darius in shock. Wow, he must have pulled a lot of strings. Not to mention paid a lot of money. He thought. He wasn't exactly surprised, he knew that Darius cared about Jude and hated seeing her like this just as much as the rest of them did. What was surprising was how quickly he had gotten it taken care of. The connections the man had were extraordinary.

Sadie and Kwest came back out of the room, fresh tears on both of their faces. Sadie looked exhausted, the emotions really taking a toll on her. Tommy felt bad for her, and knowing he wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon, he decided to give her a chance to get some rest.

"Why don't you guys go get some rest?" He said, as he watched them fall back into the uncomfortable plastic waiting room chairs. The two looked back at him, unsure. They didn't want to leave her, but they really did need to get some sleep. Sadie looked into Tommy's eyes, searching for some sort of verification, a sign that he was sincere. Satisfied with what she saw, she nodded slightly.

"Take care of my sister." She said, standing up and hugging him softly. "Let us know if anything changes." She gathered up her purse, glancing at the door to Jude's room one last time before walking slowly to the door. Tommy heard her whisper quietly just as she walked through the doorway. "I love you Jude."

Mason and Darius had gone to see Jude while Tommy was talking to Sadie and Kwest. He waited for them to come back, thinking quietly to himself. His mind kept replaying the wreck over and over again. Every detail was just as vivid and horrifying as it had been when it happened. Tears stung his eyes as he tried to stop his mind from replaying the scene.

Not long after Sadie and Kwest left, Mason and Darius emerged from the room. Mason was pale and visibly shaken, and Darius had a faraway look in his eyes. Silence fell between the three of them, each one lost in his own thoughts. Finally Darius interrupted the quiet.

"I am going to take Mason home." He said quietly to Tommy. "Then I have to get a hold of Liam, let him know what is going on. Are you going to stay here with Jude?" Tommy nodded. There was no way he was going to leave her. "Are you going to be okay Tom?" Darius asked, concern written in his face.

"Not until Jude wakes up." Tommy said, almost inaudibly. Darius glanced at him, a sad look on his face. He nodded in understanding, patting Tommy on the back. He and Mason left the waiting room, leaving Tommy alone. Taking a breath, Tommy turned towards Jude's room. He walked slowly, opening the door quietly. His eyes fell onto Jude, lying helplessly in the hospital bed. He felt the tears well up and his heart break.

"Jude."