The blunette frantically ran out from the library, not dwelling in any other thoughts than her mother. While running, she called May who picked up almost immediately. "Hey," Dawn heard the brunette say.

Dawn was out of breath but still had the strength to talk. "May! Meet me in the parking lot right now, we need to go to Lumoise Hospital as soon as possible!" Dawn said, but before May could respond, she hung up not wanting to waste any more precious time. A tear escaped Dawn's eye before she took out a small pocket-sized photo of her mom she began to keep with recently. She clenched her eyes shut and tried to breath while clutching on to the picture.

"Dawn? What's wrong?" May asked when she saw Dawn about to cry vigorously.

More tears escaped her eyes. "It's mom. She...might not make it," May's eyes widened. "I got a call from the hospital a few minutes ago and they told me her condition is really critical right now...there's not much time," she said softly, her eyes wavering.

May didn't hesitate or wait any longer, seeing the emergence of the situation. "Let's go," she said before the two walked to May's vehicle.


Monday, September 12th; Lumoise Hospital; 5:19 p.m.

Paul was in a state of shock, to say the least. He just couldn't process the fact that his older brother Reggie, who had been in a coma for several months was finally awake. The most important individual in his life was alive. For the first time in months and what seemed like forever to Paul, adrenaline had rushed to his brain and Paul finally felt...content.

Both Drew and Paul were currently outside the ICU unit, waiting for a chance to see Reggie again. The chartreuse headed male had bumped into Paul as he had practically rushed out of the school building and when Paul told him that his older brother was awake, Drew knew he needed someone to be there with him in this type of joyous occasion.

Paul's eyes widened as a thought came to him. What if Reggie didn't remember him? He did suffer from brain damage, which could lead to a chance of memory loss. Although to be honest, memory loss was immensely fabricated in movies and books. He was just being paranoid, he hoped. He bit his lip and clenched his teeth in anticipation.

Drew looked over at him. "Whoa, what's the matter? You okay, Paul?"

His shoulders stayed stiff for a while until he relaxed. He looked at Drew before closing his eyes. "I just...can't wait to see him," he said. Drew smiled. He had never witnessed Paul being overjoyed, and even though it wasn't explicit, his subtle smile and the manner in which he was anticipating to see his older brother after such a long while caused Drew to feel really happy for his friend.

"I can't wait to see him either. I know he means a lot to you," he said in response. Drew had barely met Reggie, having only been in simple conversations back when he wasn't in a coma. It was going to be interesting seeing him again.

The two stayed silent for a while until a familiar older looking man came into view. Drew read the name. Francis. "Paul Shinji?" Paul stood up immediately, and bored his eyes into the doctor's. "You can go see Reggie now. But be mindful, okay? He only woke up a few hours, don't overwhelm him. He might not be aware of his surroundings."

Paul nodded. "Understood."

The door opened, with Paul slowly closing it from behind. He turned around and walked cautiously towards Reggie, who as usual, was laying in the bed. His eyes were closed, but somehow Paul knew that Reggie felt his presence. He sat down on the chair that was sitting next to the bed and stared at his brother.

Reggie stirred in his sleep and momentarily groaned, before his eyes opened for the third time that day. Paul's heart was racing and he wanted to acknowledge himself, but he waited for just the right moment. The older looking male looked around the room, until he noticed someone sitting on a chair.

Reggie's eyes narrowed and he seemed to be pondering over something. He kept looking at Paul, trying to fathom him, but was also very confused. Paul closed his eyes, frowning at this. However, Reggie looked at Paul's hair and his intoxicating eyes when Paul opened them. His eyes widened.

"P...Paul?"

Paul's heart soared. It soared with excitement and thrill. It was at that moment where Paul was extremely relieved and no longer had a burden upon his shoulders. He nodded, and at the same time, a tear escaped his eye. "Don't cry. I don't think I've ever seen you cry, Paul," Reggie said, cracking a small smile to his younger brother.

He didn't care if he was being emotional. "You have no idea how much I missed you; how much I've been through just to see...this day." He closed his eyes again. "You have no idea how happy I am," he said, with a small smile on his face.


5:36 p.m.

Dawn and May were eventually in front of the Johanna's ICU, where Dawn couldn't do anything but wait. Her legs were trembling and her heart was aching. Her brunette friend sat down beside her, trying to comfort Dawn. "Dawn, it'll be okay. Maybe your mom will be fine," May said. Dawn looked over to her best friend and sighed. "Come on Dawn, you should be optimistic about this! That's who you are. Just believe in your mom and everything will be fine."

Dawn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her friend was right. There was no reason to jump into conclusions just yet. Her mother's condition was critical, and she hadn't lost her. "You're right. I'm just...going to stay calm and wait for some information on my mom," she said. She took out her mom's picture again.

You'll be okay, won't you mom?

Meanwhile, May texted Leaf to be over here when she could. The brunette looked around for a water dispenser and saw one in the far corner. "I'm going to get you some water," she said as Dawn nodded before she walked over to the water dispenser.

The brunette took a cup and allowed the liquid to pour when she suddenly saw Drew sitting at the far end. Curious, she walked over when she saw him pacing around the room. The chartreuse male didn't seem to notice her until she spoke. "Drew?" He suddenly stopped pacing and looked at the brunette, with a somewhat shocked expression. "What are you doing here at the hospital? Is everything okay?"

Drew waved her off with a hand. "Oh yeah everything's fine. I'm just here for Paul."

May's brow raised in curiosity. "Paul's here too?"

Drew nodded. "Yeah, it's been really good for him. Paul's brother finally woke up from being in a coma for several months."

"Wait, Paul has a brother? And he's been in a coma? For months?"

Drew nodded slowly. "Yes, yes and yes." He then shrugged. "I guess I can't really blame you for not knowing. I mean you and Paul didn't really know each other." May wasn't bothered by that information. She was more concerned of how coincidental it was that Dawn's mom also was suffering from a coma. "So...what are you doing here?"

May gaped at Drew. "You're Dawn's friend, you should know too! Her mom's condition is just getting worse, and it's really saddening to see Dawn breaking down like this," she sighed. "I hope everything will be okay. I mean...Dawn's my best friend and I don't want anything bad to happen. She really doesn't deserve it."

Drew put a hand on her shoulder, to which she flinched to, but she quickly changed her demeanor. Drew couldn't help but to notice May would tense up or flinch when he'd try to touch her. He'd never try to do anything appropriate, which was far from his intentions. "I care about Dawn as much as you do. As soon as Paul finishes up, we'll be there for her."

May slowly smiled. "Good," she said before walking away, bumping right into Leaf. "Oh, sorry, Leaf!"

"Never mind that, how's Dawn?" The lighter brunette asked before she motioned towards Dawn, who seemed to be sitting depressingly on a chair. Both Leaf and May had never seen this side of Dawn before. Dawn was the spirited, cheerful girl that could brighten up any room. To see her in a depressed state was so foreign to them.

The two walked over to Dawn and sat down beside her. Dawn's eyes couldn't move and were constantly wavering. "Dawn, what's wrong with you? Nothing has happened and you...you're so bummed out." Leaf commented. "Whatever happened to 'no need to worry'?"

Dawn couldn't respond. She had no idea why but she had a strong feeling something terrible and drastic was going to happen. She couldn't shake off the feeling and it was constantly in her head. Ever since she had gotten the phone call from the hospital informing her about her mom, despite how hard she tried to stay positive, she just couldn't eliminate the negativity. The worst part was that this was everything she wasn't, just like May and Leaf were emphasizing.

"Dawn?"

Dawn and her friends stood up to Doctor Lewis, a doctor she had recognized who Elisa, the nurse, often worked alongside with. Dawn held hands with her friends and constantly kept repeating 'no need to worry' silently in her mind, while anticipating for any news. "Well, Dawn, I know your mother was in a coma for about two months and..." the doctor sighed, making Dawn's lips part in anticipation. "This is never easy to say." It was right then and there that Dawn had an idea of what he was going to say, but she chose not to believe it. She wanted a ray of hope.

But everything shattered into fragile pieces.

"Your mom didn't make it, Dawn. I'm very sorry."

Both May and Leaf were shell-shocked and tried to reason with the doctor, despite the idea of it being ridiculous. "What?! But...no! That can't happen!" May exclaimed. "You couldn't save her?!"

The doctor sighed. "We've put in our best efforts. Unfortunately, her respiratory system was becoming extremely shallow and her body was not responding to any of the tests. The brain damage was a significant reason for the passing away of Johanna."

Instintaneously, tears spilled onto Dawn's cheeks and she felt numb and her knees weakned as she fell to the floor, curled up into a ball and sobbing into her palms. The blunette couldn't believe it. Dawn had been strong for these past couple months with a hope that her mother might be recovering soon, but little did she know how wrong she was.

"Dawn!" May crouched down to her level. "Pl-please stop crying," she said, despite a tear spilling on her cheek. "It'll be-"

"STOP! It's not okay! I j-just lost the most important person of my life! I...I lost my m-mom!" She exclaimed. The bluenette was so confused, depressed, angry and numb. A swirl of emotions was attacking Dawn. "It will never be okay...and you don't even know what that's like, May," she said, blubbering at this point. May looked at Dawn sadly. "Because you have...everything; a great family."

May suddenly lost her will for some reason.

"And me? I have nothing now. I'm all...alone," she said.

Leaf pulled Dawn up to her feet and put both of her hands on her shoulders. "Don't be stupid! You're not alone! You have us with you, Dawn. We're always going to be here for you-"

"Don't you get it, Leaf?! I'm an only child to whom I loved my mom the most because she was the only one there for me in my family! She wasn't just my mom, she was my friend, my role model, my-my...she was everything!" She sniffed. "And now, I-I lost everything! Nothing will ever be the same," she said.

Both Leaf and May were trying to console her, but all Dawn could hear now was blood pounding in her ears. Her heart began to thud in her chest. Her vision disfigured, and she felt the room getting smaller. Her breaths began to grow rapidly and becoming increasingly shallow.

"What's wrong with Dawn?" May asked worriedly.

"Doctor!" Leaf exclaimed when she saw the blunette beginning to hyperventilate and practically gasp for air.

Doctor Lewis immediately rushed over and informed the girls to move away. "Dawn, take deep breaths. Just breathe, you'll be fine." Dawn eventually calmed her breathing, and now her heart stopped racing. Her vision cleared and it was now that she was felt air circulate in the room. She blinked, escaping away a few more tears. That was the most frightening experience of her life. "Are you okay, Dawn?"

"W-what just happened?" May asked.

The doctor responded, "Dawn just had a panic attack."


6:21 p.m.

Paul just walked out of Reggie's ICU after a meaningful conversation. Reggie's memory had been a little rusty and he was constantly coughing and stumbling on his words, which meant that he had a long way to go before he was completely recovered. For now, Paul was just satisfied that his brother was awake. Doctor Francis had informed Paul that Reggie would need to stay in for a couple of more days in order to test his cognitive behavior, physical therapy, check-ups and any sort of vitals and organs.

Drew walked over to Paul with a smile. "Well, look at you. Even though there's not really a smile on your face, I can tell that you're pretty happy."

Paul nodded, his lips straightening into a thin line. "We talked. I talked to my brother and even though his memory was foggy, I'm happy to know he's alive and will coming home eventually," he said, then added, "that was the longest conversation I ever had with Reggie."

"You were in there for quite a bit. What did you guys talk about?"

"I'm not going all over the details, but we mainly reminiscised about whatever older days we had together and what plans we have for when he comes back home." Paul replied. Drew grinned and put an arm around his shoulder, to which Paul accepted.

"Guys!" The two boys heard someone exclaim before they saw Leaf running up to them. "Hey, I know it's really strange and sudden but you guys need to drive us home right away!"

Drew removed his arm and asked, "Is everything okay? What's wrong?"

Leaf sighed. "Dawn had a panic attack a few minutes ago and we wanted to go home, but May's vehicle is running low on gas and there's not a close gas station by. We really need a ride home so please-"

"Say no more," Paul said, cutting her off as he took out his car keys.


8:11 p.m.

Dawn walked motionlessly and numbly over to where May and Leaf were leading her to. It was currently after eight in the evening and the stars were currently glistening across the night sky. The air was chilly, but it slowly began to pierce her skin. Her tears were currently clouding her vision and she didn't have the courage to look at anybody, let alone say anything at all.

Paul noticed Dawn's demeanor and immediately knew something was off. He stood there, with a hand in his pocket, assuming it was the panic attack that had compelled her to resort towards this dull demeanor. Paul sat in the driver's seat while Drew sat in the passenger seat next to him. The three girls took their seat in the rear with Dawn resting her head on Leaf's shoulder.

The plum-haired male scrunched his eyebrows in confusion noticing Dawn's depressed looking state, but quickly started the engine before the car was on the road.


When the vehicle was parked in front of May's house, the three girls thanked Paul before getting out of the car. Paul couldn't take his eyes off of Dawn. It was so unusual for him to be witnessing this side of Dawn-he didn't even know such a dark, depressed side of her even existed. He was extremely curious.

Drew was surprised when he mentioned something along the lines of 'I'll be right back' before he opened the car door and walked towards the front door, eventually stopping May. "Hey...what do you want?"

He found it strange and alien to ask, but he managed to speak. "Dawn seems...unusual. Is everything okay?"

May recalled Drew telling her that his older brother had woken up from a coma. She sighed. "You seem to care about Dawn despite not knowing much about her." Paul raised an eyebrow. "Do you know anything about Dawn? About what she's going through?"

"I'm not sure I understand."

May subtly smiled, but then frowned. "She's never been okay, Paul. I thought she would be eventually, but now I'm not so sure," the brunette started. "Dawn's mom died today from a coma. And now she's very heartbroken because her mom was everything to her. For the past couple months, she's been living with me after her mom went into a coma. I thought that she'd be okay living with her best friend, but...I guess not."

Paul couldn't respond. And even if he wanted to, he wouldn't know what to say. The cheerful, annoying, bubbly and lively blunette that he had been tutoring for a while had related to him on so many levels. He never knew that she was in the exact same situation. All this while, he had only assumed a narrow perspective of who she truly was.

"So no, everything is not okay," May sighed sadly before she opened the door and closed it behind her.


Guys, this chapter is very depressing and it was extremely hard to write. I'm not sure how you guys will respond to this chapter. But trust me, this is needed for the story and for a drastic change in Dawn's character. This is also needed to fuel Paul and Dawn's relationship.

On to the good news now, which is that I'm going to be going into summer soon, which means more updates! Yay! Also I cannot wait to see the new Infinity Wars movie that's coming out soon!

Anyways, as always thanks for reading and please review!