(I just realized I never posted a disclaimer so here it is, I wish I did but alas I do not own anything)
Chapter 3 Live and Let Live
Once Mary arrived at the Glen Oak County Hospital, she knew something was wrong. Her family sat in the waiting room and they looked more sullen then she had ever seen them. Mary walked over to the group. "Hey" she said quietly. The family simultaneously looked up. Some of them smiled, some of them didn't have the heart to smile, but Mary knew they were happy to see her. She glanced at the faces of the family she had neglected to visit or even call. She remembered on the plane wondering if her family was even still alive.
Mary sat down next to Lucy who was twiddling her thumbs. Leave it to Lucy; she'll do anything to keep herself occupied. Suddenly a doctor walked out of a nearby room and Mary's mom shot up out of her seat and walked over to him. They were having a conversation but were too far away for Mary to hear what they were saying. She saw her mom nod and sadly walk back to the family. Mary's heart skipped a beat. Was there something wrong? Did Simon not make it? All these question were really getting to Mary so she looked up at her mom. "Is everything okay" Kevin asked beating her to it. "Yeah" Annie answered absently. "He isn't awake, but he's stabilized and they think we should go home and get some rest."
"Someone should stay here" Eric piped up. "Incase something happens." "You're right." Annie bit her lip. "I'll stay" Mary heard Lucy offer. "No" Eric shook his head. "You need to sleep, I'll stay" he said sitting back down in the waiting room chair. So that was it. Everyone went back to the house and not a word was spoken. Nobody cried and nobody mumbled to themselves or to how unfair god was being, even though Mary wanted to. They all went home and fell into a restless night sleep
The same dream occurred over and over again. It seemed so like-like that it scared her. The whole family was at the hospital, like they had been earlier that day. Only this time Lucy hears a loud painful scream. She runs into the hospital room where Simon had resided, and that was when the dream got weird. She was running to him, so she could help him but everytime she ran he got further and further away until he slipped out of view and into the darkness.
Lucy awoke with a start. Why was she doing this to herself? She had to stop thinking like this. Simon would be fine and when he was fine, she would be too. She looked over at Kevin next to her and snuggled against his chest for protection, she almost fell asleep too, until she heard the phone ring. Lucy jumped out of bed before it woke everybody else up and answered the phone. "Hello" she said breathlessly from running so fast
"Lucy?" it was Lucy's dad. This made her heart skip a beat, why was he calling? "What is it dad" Lucy said trying to sound casual but it ended up sounding like she was choking. "Something wrong- wake the family up get down here immediately" he said urgent and quickly. Off the end of the phone Lucy heard a desperate cry of a doctor for Eric to see him. "I have to go" he said and with that he hung up. No explanation, no but everything's going to be okay speech, nothing. She played the call over and over again in her head Something's wrong those are two words that you just do not want to hear. What could they mean?
Lucy ran over to the bed and shook Kevin awake. "What?" Kevin asked slightly snippity from being woken up. "Something's wrong we need to go to the hospital" Lucy said already running to the ladder that leads down to the garage. Lucy burst into the house, which woke up Ben who was sleeping on the couch. "Lucy what is it" he mumbled still half asleep. "Wake up, we need to get to the hospital!" she demanded. This woke Ben right up he jumped out of the couch like it was made of springs and ran with her upstairs to wake everyone else.
The ride to the hospital was filled with a sudden awkward tension. No words were spoken because everyone was too busy worrying. They arrived at the hospital after a drive that seemed to take forever. Lucy was the first one out of the car and was already running toward the hospital entrance. She rounded three corners and got a glare from two nurses before she found her dad. He was standing with his back against the wall and just staring into space. This scared Lucy. "Dad is everything okay?" she asked he broke his forward gaze to look at her and shook his head sadly. "They can't stabilize him" he said bluntly
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked her voice trembling slightly. "He won't react to the medication that they're giving him." Eric said followed by a deep breath. "They said if he doesn't take the medicine they doubt he'll last a week." This apparently was too much for Eric because he started to weep. As he started sobbing in a way that Lucy had never seen before, the rest of the family rounded the corner. After they were filled in with the devastating news, the room was eerily quiet. Lucy enveloped the silence; it gave her time to think.
"Why us" everybody looked over at her. She wasn't even aware that she had said it out loud until everyone was looking at her. Ben nodded in agreement. "Some families didn't even get injured." He shrugged. "Is this God's will?" she asked silently to her father, her dream of ministry sudden becoming a lie to her. She meant no disrespect but she didn't feel it was anyone's place to choose who lives and who dies. Stop it. Lucy told herself. You can't blame your faith for something incontrollable like an earthquake.
The doctor came out and walked over to the Camden's. Eric stood up. "Is everything okay?" he asked. Surprisingly, the doctor nodded. "He should wake up at any moment now" the doctor said. Eric sighed in relief. Simon was okay. He was going to be okay. He and the rest of the family slowly migrated to his room where he was starting to wake up. "Simon?" Eric asked as Simon woke up. There was no response at his end. "Son, are you okay" he said walking to the end of his bed. Simon looked up with a face contorted with confusion. "Who are you?" he asked impatiently.
AN: Sorry for the delay. School work and yadda, yadda, yadda, I'll try not to take so long with the nezt chapter.