Chapter Five:
The world freezes around her. For a moment, all of time seems to slow down. Her eyes lock with the blue ones of the redhead before turning to the brown ones of her best friend. It can't be true. No matter how hard she wants it to be true, it can't be.
She has been waiting for this moment for two years. It can't actually be happening.
The redhead, reading her thoughts, gives her a reassuring smile, nodding his head. "It's true. He's alive, Ally. The Moons just called me. The police found him and took him the hospital over an hour ago."
Without a second thought, her feet take off running. She bolts out of the metal doors of the school and turns towards the parking lot.
She hears the sound of two pairs of heavy footsteps behind her.
"Ally, wait!" Trish calls.
She doesn't stop until she reaches her car. Frantically, she searches her book bag for her keys. Letting out a frustrated growl, she throws the bag onto the ground. Falling to her knees, sobs rack her body.
She has been waiting for this day for the past two years. To be reunited with her blonde best friend. She wants to be there when he wakes up. She wants to know if he is okay. Now, her stupid car keys are getting in her way.
"Hey, it's okay." A gentle voice soothes, its owner sitting down next to her.
Ally looks up to see Trish. "I can't find my keys, Trish! I need to get to the hospital. I need to see him, Trish. I need to be there when he wakes up! I need to – I need to see him." She says, through choked sobs.
The Latina smiles at her, holding up a key ring. "You dropped these in the hallway."
She throws her arms around the raven-haired girl and squeezes her tightly. She quickly pulls herself off from the ground, picking up her book bag as well. Taking her car keys from her best friend, she unlocks the car doors.
Trish and Dez, who had been standing by them patiently, climb into the passenger seat and back seat, respectively. She tosses her bookbag in the seat next to Dez, before getting into the driver's seat and starting the engine. Within moments, she is pulling out of the parking lot.
Her mind is on autopilot as she drives to the hospital. It is taking longer than she would've hoped to reach the long, white building in the center of the city. Midday traffic is at its peak, to her dismay.
The car ride to the hospital is filled with tense silence. She keeps her eyes on the road. Trish looks out the window, biting her lip and playing with her hands. Dez is uncharacteristically silent, his nose buried in the screen of his phone. They are all anxious to see the blonde. She felt someone squeeze her hand at a red light. Turning her head, she is met with a reassuring smile from her best friend.
Finally, she pulls into the parking lot of the hospital. She pulls into the first spot she sees, all but falling out of the car as she frantically opens her door. Trish and Dez climb out just as hurriedly as she does.
Almost forgetting to lock her car behind her, she takes off running towards the entrance of the hospital. The redhead and Latina are hot on her heels.
She bursts through the doors of the emergency room, glancing wildly for anyone who would shed some light as to where the blonde was. Doctors and nurses rush by her, in both directions. She storms towards the information desk, immediately asking the nurse stationed there for any information on her best friend. "My best friend, Austin Moon, he just came in here. Where is he?"
"He came in about a few hours ago." Dez says, stepping up to stand directly besides her.
"What's his room number? He's all of our best friend." Trish asks, from her other side, sounding urgent. All three of them look at the nurse.
"Are you family? I'm sorry, but if you aren't directly related to the patient, I cannot give you that information." The nurse smiles apologetically.
Ally nearly bursts. "What do you mean?" Ally yells. "We're his best friends! He's been missing for two years and the police just found him! We want to see Austin!"
"I'm practically his brother! I've known him since I was born! His parents called me and told us to meet them here." Dez adds.
"Please calm down. There is no need to yell." The nurse answers calmly. "I am sorry, but I am going to have to ask you to sit down and wait."
"Excuse me?" Trish rages, pushing Ally aside and nearly climbing onto the desk. "Listen here," she looks down at the name tag on the pink shirt, "Patty." She spits out the name. "You better tell us where Austin's room is or I swear to God I will m-."
Ally intervenes, pushing her best friend gently away from the nurse. "Our," she points to the three of them, "best friend has been missing for the past two years. He has just been found by the police and I am not about to sit back and wait. None us will. We're not asking for much, just his room number. Now, please, just tell us where to go."
"I am very sorry m'am, but I cannot give you that information unless you are family."
"Kids?" She whips her head around quickly, to face the emergency room doors. Austin's parents stand by the swinging doors. She instantly runs from the desk, into Mimi's arms. A million questions race through her mind.
"Have you seen him? How is he? Is he okay?"
Mimi hugs her tightly. "No, sweetheart. We haven't gotten a chance to see him yet. The doctors are still examining him. So far, everything seems to be fine."
Ally pulls away, turning to hug the blonde's father.
"How did they find him?" She hears Trish ask behind her. The Latina and redhead exchange hugs with Austin's parents.
"The police were given an anonymous tip about his location." Mike answers, wrapping his arm around his wife's waist.
"Let's sit down." Mimi speaks. She leads the group to seats. She and her husband sit opposite of Ally, Trish, and Dez.
It was then that Ally finally gets a good look at the appearance of the Moons. Mimi's eyes are red and puffy. It is evident that she been crying. Her hair, which was usually combed back and styled, is unkempt with random strands standing up. Ally realizes she has probably been running her fingers through her hair as she waited or any news from the doctors.
Mike Moon, who was usually the better composed of the too, looks worse for wear. His eyes showed no evidence of crying. However, his clothes are a mess. His dress shirt is wrinkled, missing the tie that usually accompanies it. His dress pants are wrinkled as well. A patch of dirt marrs one of the pant legs.
"What happened to him? Where was he? Do the police know who took him?" Ally questions.
She feels Trish, who was sitting on one side of her, grab her hand and give it a squeeze.
Mimi glances at her husband, the two of them exchanging a solemn look, before turning back to the brunette and her friends.
It's bad. The brunette instantly realizes. Her friends seem to understand that too. Trish squeezes her hand again. The three of them share a pained look of their own.
Part of Ally doesn't want to know what happened to her best friend. If his parents are so hesitant to tell them, it obviously isn't anything pleasant. Fear crawls inside of her as horrifying images flash in her mind. Images of things she doesn't want to think about.
But, she needs to know. She has to know what had happened to him. He had been gone for two years. It's no surprise that bad things had happened to him. She needs to know what he had gone through. He obviously had gone through something traumatic. He would need his family and her friends to rally around him. He would need her.
She couldn't help him if she didn't know all of the details.
"Let's head upstairs. Maybe the doctors are finally done." Mimi speaks up, while rising from her seat.
"What happened to him?" The brunette asks again, sounding urgent though her voice is barely above a whisper.
Ally watches as Mimi looked at Mike, who has also stood up, again. He gives her a reassuring nod.
Mrs. Moon sits back down. She places her hands in her lap. Sighing, she looks up at Ally, Trish, and Dez. Then she looks back at her husband.
Mike sits down once more, taking hold of her hand and facing the teenagers. "The people that took Austin," he swallows, "made him part of an underground fighting ring. According to the police, he was forced to fight for his life; to fight to the death."
"Oh my god." Ally gasps, her hand flying to cover her mouth. She looks at Mr. and Mrs. Moon, feeling absolutely terrible. Her gut wrenches painfully. Her heart plummets to the bottom of her chest. She feels utterly sick.
Violent images of the blonde fighting desperately flash across her mind. Him screaming in agony. Blood. Gore. Pain. She cringes.
Poor Austin. Poor Austin. Poor Austin. Poor Austin. The thought keeps circling around in her head.
She is utterly horrified. A glance at the redhead and Latina on either side of her show they are feeling the very same.
Her best friend had been gone for two years. Every day of those two years he had to fight for his life. Never knowing if he would make it to see another day.
She chokes back a sob. Who in their right mind would do something like this?
"H-have the police arrested the people responsible?" She hears Trish ask, her voice quavering. The Latina's hands are curled into fists.
Swallowing her tears, she looks back up at Mike.
"Yes." He nods solemnly. "The man responsible, as well as his suspected partners, have all been detained."
She dissolves into tears, all of her body shaking. She feels multiple pairs of arms around her, trying to comfort her.
Her thoughts travel back to that night. If she hadn't left him. If she hadn't let them stay up that late writing the song. If only she had been there. She could've helped. She finally succumbed to the guilt that had been gnawing at her heart for two years.
"I should've been there." She whispers. "I should've been with him. We came home so late that night. I should've let him stay the night. I shouldn't have let him walk home alone."
"It's not your fault." Mike says, speaking softly. "None of us could've known that this would happen. We just need to be happy that he has finally been found."
He didn't deserve to go through that. He was such a good, kind-hearted person. What if he blamed her for what happened? What if he hated her?
"Austin loves you." Mimi says, as if reading her thoughts. She walks over to the crying brunette. "He wouldn't blame you for any of this. None of us do." Tears stain her cheeks, as she hugs Ally.
Ally nods, continuing to cry softly. Eventually, her crying ceases and her breathing returns to normal. She continues to sniffle occasionally.
"We should head upstairs." Mike speaks, standing up. "Maybe the doctors have some news."
Quietly, the group of five make their way to the elevator and ride up to the fourth floor.
Mike and Mimi lead them through the hallway, to the blonde's room. Just as they reach it, a doctor walks out of the door, a clipboard in his hand.
Looking at him, Ally notes that he is middle-aged. He has dark-brown, almost black hair, and kind, brown eyes. He looks up from the clipboard, smiling sympathetically as his eyes meet those of both Moon parents. He turns to look at the teenagers, giving them a nod in greeting. "You're here. Good. I just about to come downstairs and find you."
"How is everything Dr. Edwards?" Mimi asks. From the corner of her eyes, Ally sees her take hold of her husband's hand.
"He has some bruised knuckles and a several other bruises throughout his body. Miraculously, however, he doesn't seem to have any serious physical ailments. No broken ribs or dislocated joints. He is underweight and underfed though, but that is understandable given his circumstances. A few weeks of eating and he should be alright. Besides that, he seems fine. Although, he does seem to have suffered some memory loss. The blood tests just camr back and he has a lot Bromazepam in his bloodstream. It's a type of benzodiazepine, which can induce memory loss."
Memory loss?
Austin is suffering from memory loss? Did that mean that he might not remember her? Or Trish? Or Dez? Or his parents?
Her heart pangs painfully in her chest.
"Is that an over the counter medication?" Mimi's question pulls Ally out of her thoughts.
"No." Dr. Edwards shakes his head. "Bromazepam can only be prescribed by a doctor. I believe it was added to his food. The man who took your son somehow managed to get a hold of quite a steady supply of Bromazepam. He may have had connections with someone who was able to supply him with such large dosages."
"What kind of memory loss?" Trish asks, taking a step towards the doctor.
"I am not entirely certain of the severity of it, yet. At this moment, it seems that he just has difficulty remembering names. He can recognize faces, but he cannot put a name to them. A psychologist is examining him right now. She may have a deeper understanding as to how severe the memory loss is. She should be done soon."
Mike and Mimi nod solemnly. Ally grabs Trish and Dez's hands and squeezes them. Her eyes look at the redhead and then at the Latina. She tries to blink away the tears threatening to spill.
Austin had suffered so much. Her best friend. He didn't deserve this. She wishes with all her heart that she could've done something to stop his suffering.
"So, he is awake?" Mike questions.
The doctor nods his head. "I will be back to check up on him later."
Ally sees Mimi give him a tight-lipped smile. "Thank you doctor."
The man gives them a nod and a genuine smile, before walking down the hall.
"Can we see him?" Dez asks.
"We should wait for the psychologist to finish." Mike says, wrapping his arm around Mimi.
A moment later, a young woman in a bright white lab coat steps out of the room, a clipboard tucked in the crook of her elbow. Making eye contact with the Moons, she steps up to them. She tucks a stray strand of dirty blonde hair, behind her ear. Her golden brown eyes glance at the brunette, redhead, and raven-haired girl standing besides the two adults. She gives them a genuine smile, before turning back to face Mr. and Mrs. Moon.
"Hello, you must be the Moons. I am Dr. Roberts. I would just like to express my deepest apologies. I cannot even begin to imagine what you are going through. I also want to express my best wishes. I am happy that your son has been found. I'm sure this has been a very difficult and trying ordeal for all of you."
"Nice to meet you Dr. Roberts. Thank you." Mike replies. "Is Austin okay?"
Dr. Roberts smiles at them. "Your son has suffered through a very traumatic experience. Given his circumstances, I am pleasantly surprised at his mental state. His cognitive and behavioral skills do not seem to be impaired. I will continue to monitor him, to make sure there isn't anything that may come up later. Post-traumatic stress disorder is highly variable in its appearance and symptoms. Every patient has a different experience with PTSD."
Ally feels empty inside.
"I am just letting you know so that you will not be surprised if any symptoms show up later. Our brains are remarkable structures and they try to protect us in times of despair and stress. PTSD is often a response to that. I will recommend at least weekly therapy sessions once he is released from here, just to monitor his progress and to help him cope with reconnecting with society. Besides that, as I am sure Dr. Edwards has already told you, Austin is suffering from some minor memory loss. The good news though, is that it doesn't seem to be a permanent condition. He does know his name and several other basic facts."
"Dr. Edwards said he has difficulty putting names to faces. Does that mean he won't recognize us?" Dez speaks up, his voice quavering.
"There is a possibility that he may. I showed him some of the pictures we were given by you," Dr. Roberts looks at the Moons. "I asked him if he knew who the people were and he said yes. But, when I asked him if he knew your names, he said no."
Ally glances over at Dez, seeing his face fall. Her heart drops to the bottom of her chest again.
"However, you shouldn't be alarmed. This appears only be a temporary condition, like I already said. Perhaps just reconnecting with all of you or seeing you will help him remember all of your names."
"Can we see him Dr. Roberts?" Mimi asks.
"Yes, but I wouldn't try to overwhelm him. Maybe one of two of you at a time."
Mimi nods.
"I will check up on him again tomorrow." Dr. Roberts says, smiling at all of them, before heading down the hallway.
"Mimi and I will go in first." Mike says.
"Of course." Trish replies. Dez nods his head.
The two Moons slowly walk into the room, closing the door behind them. Ally watches them until they are gone.
Austin isn't fine. He really wasn't okay; not mentally.
She suddenly finds it very hard to breathe. The bright lights illuminating the hallway are beginning to make her vision swim. She feels her heart beating in her ears, thudding harshly.
"I-I'm going to go to the bathroom." Ally quickly mumbles, before taking off down the hallway.
Her dizziness worsens as she runs into the women's room, collapsing on the floor. She crawls up into a ball, leaning her back against the wall. Her breath comes out in short, heaving pants. Dots circle her vision. Her heart pounds, thumping heavily in her throat.
She can't stop thinking about Austin and what both doctors had said. He has memory loss. He didn't know her name.
She always knew that Austin would be found. However, she never took to consider the fact that he probably wouldn't be the same. He had suffered so much. Who knew if things would ever go back to normal? Who knew if she would ever have her best friend back?
Resting her forehead against her knees, she starts to cry again.
This was all too much to take in.
She can't do it. She had waited for this moment for two years, but now that it had finally come, she couldn't handle it. She is afraid to see the blonde; to see what had happened to him.
But, she needs to. She needs to be strong.
Austin is her best friend. He needs her to be strong. Trish and Dez need her to be strong too. She is the only who continued to believe in his being located. She has to see him. She has to be there.
Standing up shakily, she whirls around to face the bathroom sink. Leaning down against it, she lets her breathing even out. She looks up to see her reflection.
"You can do this. Austin needs you."
After washing her hands and her face, she steels herself, before walking back out into the hallway.
When she reaches the blonde's room, she sees her father standing by the doorway, along with Trish and Dez.
"Dad." She says, immediately running into his arms.
"Oh Ally-cat." Her father hugs her. He holds her close to him for several minutes. He breaks away from her at the sound of the door opening.
Mike and Mimi walk out, smiles of relief lighting up their faces.
"How is he?" Ally walks up to them instantly. Trish and Dez follow closely behind.
"He's fine. He's awake and talking." Mike answers.
"Our baby boy is finally home." Mimi adds, tears filling her eyes. Mike hugs her. "You kids can go inside and see him."
"Dez, you should go first." Trish says.
Nodding and smiling anxiously, the redhead enters the room.
A little less than a half hour later and it is finally her turn to see the blonde. Both Dez and Trish had walked out of his room, looking a little shaken but relieved to see him alive and well.
Taking a deep breath, she gently turns the knob and stepped into the room.
Instantly, the strong smell of antiseptic and disinfectant hits her nose and she crinkles it. The room is so bright, it hurts her eyes. Off-white paint covers the walls, matching the cold, institutional tile floors. A large window looking out on the outside world takes up half of one of the walls. Two chairs, frayed and torn from years of wear, stand directly next to the window.
She can hear the noises coming from the various machines lining the wall behind his bed. The bed takes up most of the room. A small bedside table, with a phone and a lamp is right next to the bed. Sheets of sterile white cover him and the mattress.
Taking a hesitant step closer to the bed, her breath catches in her throat as she sees him.
Messy hair, filled with dirt and grime, covers his face. His infamous blonde strands look a mousy brown; almost unrecognizable. His face is gaunt and pale, far from the sun-kissed complexion it was before. His eyes are closed, dark circles under them. His chest falls up and down gently as he sleeps peacefully.
Her chest pangs at the thought that this is probably the first time he has really been able to sleep in such a long time.
Unrecognizable, but recognizable at the same time. Austin. Her Austin. She smiles at the same time she wants to cry, looking at his appearance. Thinking about everything that he has been forced to endure over the past two years.
She quietly walks over to one side of the bed. She gently takes her hand in his, her heart skipping a beat. His hand feels so rough and calloused. She notices the bruises surrounding his knuckles and part of his upper body that are exposed by his blanket and the hospital gown, remembering what Dr. Edwards had said. Black, blue, and yellow bruises run up along his arms.
She blinks away a tear. These hands shouldn't be this calloused. They shouldn't be this rough. They shouldn't have been used to fight; they should've been used to strum the guitar or dance across piano keys.
The thing that horrifies her most are the scars on his neck. Branching out like veins on leaves of a fern tree, the scars circle around his entire neck.
Lichtenberg marks. She remembers reading about them in biology. They were caused by lightning strikes or high voltage electrocution. Her heart nearly shatters. What was wrong with this man? Did he have no heart?
Her dam breaks and tears start to stream down her face.
Her poor Austin.
She stares at his face, her free hand gently cupping his chin.
She closes her eyes, feeling the sting of her tears. What she would do to go back to that night. To be able to stop this from happening. "I'm so sorry." She whispers.
Sudden movement in the bed besides her causes her to open her eyes. The hand she is holding grips her in response. She gasps, looking into the blonde's face.
Hazel eyes with golden specks stare back at her. Her heart skips a beat. His eyes go wide with recognition.
"Ally." He whispers.
I'm so evil.
That concludes this story. Thank you all so much for the support. I honestly would not have written this far into the story if it weren't for your support and encouragement. Although this story has come to an end, the actual story has not ended. :P
I do not know when I will post or even begin to write a sequel. But, keep a look out for that. For the time being, I will try to work on my stories on my other accounts.
Also, any comments or suggestions for editing are greatly appreciated and will not offend me. I tried to do my research when writing my chapter, but even research can have some loose ends. If anyone does have some corrections, honestly, don't keep them to yourself! I promise I will not be offended.
That being said, thank you all again.
~ The Queen of Misery