Chapter Nine: This Isn't My Goodbye

The doctors and nurses pile in one right after the other zipping in and out with different equipment in hand everytime. The doctor looks down James' throat to see that he has aspirated a piece of his cheeseburger.

"I'm calling Ellie," Kendall says as he makes his way out of the room.

"Don't call her. She'll make matters worse," replies Hadley.

"As if you're any better, Hadley. Now shut up and get out of the people's way." Kendall grabs his phone and can barely tap in the numbers due to the fact that he is shaking so badly.

Hadley walks up to one of the observing doctors and grabs him by his lab coat. "Tell me he will be okay or I will KILL you."

"Ma'am, I am going to have to ask you to leave the floor at this time," he replies sternly.

"LEAVE THE FLOOR? If he dies, I blame you. All of you," she says in a deathly voice.

"Miss, I am trying to make this easier on you. You can either leave the floor or leave the hospital." As he says this, Hadley cringes to the sounds of James' hoarse coughs. She leaves the floor and shakingly awaits downstairs. Outside, she can hear the sound of high heels running up the sidewalk, followed by heavier sounding sneakers trailing behind. Ellie and Logan burst through the revolving door and enter the lobby and see Hadley sitting there.

"What's going on, now?" asks Ellie as she wipes the hair out of her face.

Hadley remains quietly sobbing. Ellie and Logan exchange looks and run to the elevator. They reach the floor and are greeted by Kendall yelling as he jumps in front of them.

"You can't go in the room!"

"Why not, Kendall? What the hell is going on?" asks Ellie impatiently.

"Is he not breathing?" Logan asks sadly.

"He respire—aspir—he has a piece of a damn cheeseburger in his lung," Kendall replies, "and here we thought he was getting better."

Ellie scans around the floor. "Why is Hadley downstairs? Just wondering."

"She got kicked out," Kendall replies with a small chuckle.

Twenty minutes later Logan goes down to the lobby to give Hadley status on how James is doing.

"I want to see him," Hadley demands.

"We aren't allowed in the room."

"Is he okay? What are they doing to him? I just wanna see him. He could die."

"I don't think he's gonna die, Hadley. And I wouldn't wanna see him if I were you," Logan says looking down at his feet and playing with his jacket sleeve.

"What do you mean? Of course I want to see him! I love him!" she says furiously.

Logan backs up, but defends himself. "Hadley, we ALL know you love him. You have been crying all damn day! Kendall fucking threw up when we caught a glimpse of what they were doing to James. He has a fucking tube shoved down his throat! You don't want to see him!" he yells as a tear trickles out of the corner of his eye. He gasps in a breath of air and walks towards the elevator shaking his head.

"I have to get up there somehow," Hadley thinks to herself. She looks to the door to see Shelby and Karlee walking in.

"That's it. I'll walk in with them," she says in her head.

"Shelby! Karlee! Wait up!"