Chapter 5: You Never Forgot
"Why on earth would he do something like that?" Hadley says as she freaks out and paces across the floor.
"Calm down. Sit down. Just breathe," Ellie says as she guides Hadley to the couch.
Hadley looks up at Ellie. She sees peace and love. She looks at her eyes. They're brown. Dark brown. So brown, you can barely see her pupils. But, before you see color, you see tears. Caring. Worry. Concern.
"He'll be okay," says Ellie, holding back her sobs.
"We have to visit him now," Hadley says getting up and rushing around her house.
"The car's outside. You can just ride with me if you want."
"Okokokok. Just because he stopped loving me, doesn't mean I stopped loving him," Hadley says to herself.
Ellie acts like she didn't hear the statement and they rush out the door. In the car, Hadley begins to cry again.
"Stop crying," Ellie says to Hadley with her eyes on the road, "we have to stay strong for James so he'll stay strong for us."
"Man, I don't know. He almost could've died," says Hadley worryingly.
They pull up to the hospital and grabs Hadley before she rushed out of the car. "Being realistic, he could still die. He is in the intensive care unit and they only allow immediate family in. Let me do all the talking and don't say anything. Do you understand?"
Hadley's eyes widen. "He could still die? Okay, I got it."
They walk into the elevator.
"I'm scared," Hadley says.
"Me, too," Ellie replies as the elevator doors close.
"Why did he crash on purpose?" asks Hadley.
Ellie remains silent for a moment. "He would've rather died than choose between me and you."
"He risked dying for us?"
A tear runs down Ellie's cheek, but she quickly wipes it away as they arrive at the ICU floor. They arrive at the desk and the nurse asks who they have come to see.
"James Maslow, ma'am," Ellie says.
"You must be immediate family to enter."
"I volunteered here over the summer. I know every doctor in this building. We're family, ma'am. Please let us see him. We are so sick with worry."
The nurse doesn't hesitate to let them in. "He's in room 221."
219, 220, 221. They enter the room and see James lying there on the hospital bed. Still as a rock. Ellie can't hold back her tears anymore and lets them all out.
"If he's not breathing, I will choke those nurses until they die," Hadley whispers.
Ellie smiles a soft smile. "He's breathing," she walks over to his monitor, "he's breathing really well. His heart rate is phenomenal, too."
"Good." Hadley walks over and holds James' hand and whispers, "I take back everything I said. Everything."
Ellie stands there staring at James. She looks up at Hadley. "What could he have possibly done to hurt you after all that he has given you?" Ellie asks quietly, but angrily.
"He was so mad at me. He blew up in my face and stormed away. I made him seem like a cheater."
Ellie sits on the bed next to James and cradles his head and strokes his hair as she cries. She lays er head on his chest. She looks at Hadley.
"He told me he loved me. When we were little, he told me when we were older, he was gonna marry me," she says with a giggle caught in her tears. "He loves you, but he still loves me."
"Oh. Well…excuse me. I have to visit the bathroom." Hadley stutters.
She gets up, wipes her tears, and rushes to the bathroom. Ellie remains lying next to James.
"You know, I never, ever stopped loving you since we were that little," she whispers in his ear, "but it seems you haven't either."