So…yeah…I know I'm absolutely horrible, and I am sooo sooo sooooooo sorry for making you wait over a year. Thank you for putting up with me. The story's coming to a close. I think there might be one more chapter and then an epilogue. I'll try to get them up soon.
Chapter 14: Better All the Time
Within a few days, Sam could be moved to a more open room, with fewer machines. He was no longer on any sort of life support, aside from the IV providing him with nutrients until he woke up, which the doctors claimed could be any day.
Brian and Laura had both already found their parents, two days after the blackout. JD had heard that morning that his family had still been in Philly, but managed to survive the storm, and were on their way to the hospital. Laura smiled at the memory of seeing her mother for the first time in days.
"Laura?" a soft, timid voice called from the doorway. Laura spun around quickly, and nearly collapsed out of joy. Her hand flew to her mouth, keeping her from screaming in excitement. Brian looked up at the same time as Mr. and Mrs. Hall, and all three smiled. Laura's mother and sister were standing in the doorway, tears streaming down their faces. Laura's eyes welled up as well. She ran forward, throwing her arms around her mother's neck. Her younger sister hugged her too, and the mother wrapped her arms around both of her children.
Brian felt happy for Laura, but at the same time, his heart ached for his own family. "Uh…Mr. and Mrs. Hall? I…I think I'm going to go look for my mom and dad," he whispered, easing himself out of the room around the hugging, crying family. Laura reached up and brushed his shoulder comfortingly as he passed. He hesitated, turning to look at her. She watched him over her mother's shoulder, and nodded to him. He knew that she was telling him that he would find them. He smiled, and mouthed 'thank you', before turning, and running back the bustle of people in the halls of the hospital.
"Oh, Mom, I was so afraid that I'd never see you guys again. I love you both so much," Laura whispered, trying to hold in a sob. Her mother broke down even more, and her sister tightened her hold on her older sibling's legs. The young girl pulled back, staring up at Laura with a huge smile and even bigger blue eyes. Laura pulled away from her mother, and lifted her sister into her arms. "I don't know what I'd do if I never saw you again, Elly. I love you."
"I love you too, Laurie," Elly responded, kissing Laura on the cheek.
"Laura?" Brian's voice drifted through her thoughts, pulling her out of her reverie. She looked up at him with a smile. His dad stood in the doorway. "Laur, we're going to take JD over to find his family. They're at the embassy. Do you want to stay here, or come along?"
Laura glanced over at Sam for a moment, and her smile grew more affectionate and happy. She looked over her shoulder at her friend. "I'm gonna stay here. His parents went to get some food. It's been so long since Mrs. Hall ate anything; Mr. Hall forced her to go out. I'll stay here at least till they get back, who knows if he'll wake up today? I don't want him to be alone."
Brian nodded, smiling, and waved to her. She waved back, and then turned back to her boyfriend. She took his hand, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it.
She was startled when she felt a light squeeze in return. Her eyes flew to his face, and she watched as his eyes squeezed for a moment, before beginning to flutter open. Laura began to stroke the back of his hand to help him wake up. "C'mon, baby, wake up for me, okay? That's it, just open your eyes," she coached softly, watching with tears in her eyes as he looked up at her. He seemed dazed and disoriented, but awake nonetheless. "Hey. How do you feel?"
"I-" he broke down into a coughing fit. Laura reached over to get him the glass of water waiting for him, and tipped it to his lips very slowly. Once he had painfully downed a few sips, he tried again. "I feel like…I'm thawing out." His voice was very rough, and much deeper than normal.
Laura laughed softly. "Well, Sam, it's because you are. You were nearly killed because you inhaled a lungful of the supercold air. But you're still here with me, and that's all that matters. But I don't want you to talk a whole lot, this whole thing's wreaked havoc on your throat, okay? So be careful. I'm going to find your parents. I'll be right back, okay?"
"Stay," he murmured, gripping her hand. She looked down at him sympathetically, and nodded. A gasp sounded from the door, and both heads turned to see his mother standing in the doorway with his father not far behind. Both were smiling with joy. Laura stood, kissed Sam on the forehead, and stepped back to give his parents room to see their son.
"I'm going to go find a doctor." Laura left the family, giving them privacy, and found a nurse to let them know that Sam had stirred. After that, she decided to head to the embassy, and let his best friends know the good news as well. Finding them was near impossible in the huge crowd of refugees, but when she did, Brian knew by the look in Laura's eyes that he was awake.
He grinned from ear to ear, and swept her up in a great hug. "How is he?"
"Tired, pale…but alive and awake. Oh, Brian…he's getting better finally! He's going to be okay!" she breathed, her emotion choking her up. Tears slid down her cheeks, and Brian pulled her to him in a more solemn, comforting hug. He knew that she was letting go of the fear and grief, and, most of all, guilt –however misplaced it had been- that she had been carrying with her since the moment she'd woken up to find him sick and dying, so he just held her, and let her cry.
"It's all okay now, Laur. He's going to be okay." He kissed her on the temple, stroking her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Let it out."
They stood that way for about ten minutes, until her sobs and tears subsided, and she pulled back to see JD standing, bewildered and looking afraid, with his family behind him, talking quietly with Brian's father. Laura smiled reassuringly, wiping her tears away. "He's awake."
Relief took over JD's features, and he let out a breath. "Thank God. Don't scare me like that again!"
Laura laughed, enjoying the relaxation that had washed over her in the past few moments. "Sorry," she replied softly, realizing that it was the first time she hadn't been tense since she woke up from her injury. She glanced down at her leg, happy that it had stopped hurting a couple of days ago. She hated being fussed over, so she loved not having to sit in a wheelchair all the time.
"Let's go see Sam," Brian suggested, holding out his arm for Laura to take. She grinned, looping her arm through his, and grabbed JD's arm, tugging him along. The three walked arm-in-arm back to the hospital, with the families trailing behind them, smiling at the sights of their children, all happy, and all safe. It was a good day.
(I'm sorry about the cheesy last sentence…but I'm feeling kinda cheesy today. I think I'm just gonna go to the epilogue next, hopefully that'll be longer than this chapter was.)
