Chapter 7: The Breaking Point

The fight was breaking out in the car was quickly escalating, as Mr. Tanner wanted an answer and Eddy wasn't composed in any way to give something truthful and reasonable. The sweat was pouring down his face like a mighty river current and his face was scrunched up to the point where his chin almost looked deformed and weak. Mr. Tanner's face was red like a tomato, but contained the intensity of an interrogative officer. And then just as it seemed like the lid was going to pop…

"HONK!" came blaring from the car behind ours. Looking up I could see clearly that the stop light had turned from green to red and that Mr. Tanner was unintentionally holding the line up. His face red changed from an angry red to an embarrassed such and quickly drove off ahead to avoid the driver and any further embarrassment.

From that point on the car ride was silent, but the mood in the car was undeniably tense like a dense fog. No one wanted to be the one who broke this for the reasonable fear of inciting even more rage filled retribution out of either Mr. Tanner or Eddy, and so it remained uncomfortably silent like an awful prison cell. Probably ten or twelve minutes after that faceoff in the car, we arrived at the hospital. It was as depressingly morbid and gross as it had been on the first day I'd had to come here, but I was starting to become greatly desensitized to it. A similarly disabled man was wheeled in, grossly looking, especially around his eyes. They looked so greatly ignored and allowed for a fungus-like substance to collect around his eyes almost as if he'd lived like a mushroom his whole life. A week ago this would have disturbed me, and I might have even begun to run away. But today, I just shrugged it off as one of the problems of the new reality we all had been dropped into.

We made it to the same reception desk as the first visit and just like the first time it was the same lady patrolling it. I had really hoped in the time since we'd left she'd have been reassigned or something to get her out of something she clearly wasn't as skilled at in helping disgruntled and emotional people. Today she seemed just the same, chewing on some bubbled gum and typing something on her computer, supposedly anyways.

"Hello sir, nice to see you again. Please sign here and you and you're friends can be on your way." She said, this time rather neutrally. Either she'd figured we didn't want her act or Mr. Tanner had said something on the other times he'd been here. Either one seemed possible considering Mr. Tanner seemed to have a seemingly short fuse, although perhaps this situation was why. Either way we didn't have to endure the receptionist any more than anyone should and we swiftly took the elevator up to floor three where the moment of truth was about to unfold.

XXX

As we made it to room 315, Mr. Tanner looked at his watch to see what time it was. "Alright, its 2:45 now, and I have to be back at my office by 4 to prepare for a hearing in the next week so you three have about twenty minutes before we need to go so everyone can get back in time. I'll be waiting out here in the seats. If you guys are done before then let me know."

Everyone nodded except Eddy, who signaled to ask a question. "What if we need more time?" he asked. Mr. Tanner seemed to be mad, but control his anger for the sake of the two of us.

"Well too bad." He said, his mouth twitching in an attempt to hide his anger. They clearly had not endeared themselves to one another in their short time together. After that, Mr. Tanner took his seat at the waiting seats, pulling out what seemed to be work papers. Then the three of us walked to room 315 and knocked on the door. We heard some muffled whispers behind the huge, metal door that was between us and the room, but after about a minute or so of waiting the door opened and the doctor from the original day stepped out. She looked pretty much the same as the previous visit, with a doctor's suit. On the surface it looked bright and brand new with a fresh white, but looking around it revealed worn hems and cuff marks from use and days of sadness she had endured over the years likely. She had probably had it specially washed to hide the stains it probably had. Then she spoke to us.

"Hello kids. Before we go in, I want to make sure you all have the details on how your friend Ed has been doing recently." She said. Her voice was quite soothing and soft, exactly who'd you want to tell you about something such this. Everyone nodded at this.

"Well Ed has continued to be unresponsive to any attempts to communicate with him, so we have determined he has remained unconscious. So it's unlikely that anything you may say to him will not be hear or remembered when he comes back."

I noticed how she said "when he comes back" instead of "if he comes back." So many people would have said "if", increasing the anxiety of those closest and most uncomfortable with this person to introduce the idea of life and death into it all. Instead I can tell she really cares about Ed and us, wanting this to work out for all of us. I didn't want to show happiness or smile since nothing had really changed, but I did feel a slight bit so. This was not all she had to say unfortunately.

"Last time, one of you leaned onto Ed and hugged or embraced him. While I understand why, it did cause a slight decline in his vitals and his rib cage…" She stopped for a second. The details must have been a bit too graphic for her to mention to children. I was breathing heavily for a moment, knowing I was the one who had embraced Ed. I know I couldn't have known whatever had happened would, but it was still impossible not to feel bad. She then finished by saying "well, it just moved a little and that's not safe as you all can imagine."

I didn't want to imagine. My eyes watered up a little bit just thinking of the image of a sinking bone in Ed's body, caused by my hug. I looked at Eddy, who just kind of turned away from me. I wiped my eyes, although they still seemed still pretty red I imagined as Eddy still couldn't bear to look at me. It was almost as though he was avoiding any reason to be sad. He had barely flinched upon hearing all this. Was he so damaged? Or was it something else? I wanted to believe he was just struggling to take it all in, but something in my head told me otherwise. Something told me that his motives were less than genuine and just. But I couldn't say anything now as it was all just conjecture. The doctor then let us into the room, but she patted me on the back as I went in. I turned around and she said to me.

"You're alright buddy. I know you just miss your friend, don't feel bad." Her calm voice reassuring me. And I felt better as a result.

XXX

As I stepped into the room, very little about Ed had changed. He wore a hospital gown over the usual clothes that he had worn the day of his accident. The bars around his bed were a bit taller and a touch wider to make sure he didn't move in a way to aggravate his rib cage. It was the main area injured the day of the accident, along with the left side of his head. His head, outside of the marks around his eyes which may never go away, looked clean and considerably better than the first time around. The machine around his mouth was also removed, which told me that his breathing was at least improving if not better. Maybe it was just used during certain times of the day or something like that. It still wasn't the easiest sight to see a completely unresponsive Ed and with no timetable for a possible recovery, but I was at least a little more encouraged then the time before. I looked around to see a down Sarah looking down towards her brother. I walked towards her.

"Are you ok Sarah?" I asked, although the answer was really rhetorical. It was to open the floodgates.

"I just want him to get better Double D. You know how often these things work out… or really don't." she said, saddened clearly. She was unfortunately right. Many of those who entered comas never exited them, and the few who did took years, even decades, to come out of them. It was definitely a bleak situation, but the one thing I'd learned from oft absent parents was that hope should never be abandoned. It's the reason I'm here after all.

My deep thoughts were soon disturbed Eddy's actions. I looked up to see Eddy pushing down and through Ed's unibrow. I quickly pulled him back and away, even briefly holding him to the ground. I was briefly determined to keep him down as long as I could. But I realized that here and now was not the right time and place, and so I took a deep breath in and out and got up. Eddy seemed briefly shaken up, but after briefly dusting himself off, he got up and put that unaffected smirk back on his face like a costume mask. Before I could do anything else, Sarah stood up in front of Eddy.

"What in the world is wrong with you Eddy!?" She yelled at him getting in his face. "You know what the doctor said before we got in here!" She continued to get closer the more she said, but Eddy just pushed her back to give him some space.

"Geesh give me a break!" He said, wiping a hand through his head hairpiece as if to appear cool. "I was touching him gently."

"No you weren't! You were pushing down his head! You never know what damage that could cause to his recovery! YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THEN THAT!" her voice grew louder the more she said.

And then everything I feared came to be with Eddy's next words.

"Recovery? Stop being a pansy and realize that he's gone!" He said.

And at that moment, I lost it. Any sort of sensibility I had towards Eddy was gone and dead. I grabbed him by his neck and held him up in air, before bringing back down and only holding him loosely. I then turned to Sarah.

"Eddy and I are going to have a chat outside." I said to her, emotionless.

XXX

I pulled him and put him down on a chair. I allowed him to breathe for a second before beginning to unleash my fury on him. Mr. Tanner walked over at that moment, as we weren't too far away.

"Are you boys alright? Where's Sarah?" he asked, seemingly distressed.

I looked right into his eyes. "She's inside and fine. Eddy and I need to have a few words." He could tell my seriousness as he promptly walked away. Eddy hadn't moved since I put him down. I pulled his face up close to mine, so he could see the misery and pain in my eyes.

"I've known you for several years, and for many of those years you've found ways to disappoint me and discourage me. But up until now I never doubted you seriously. I believed if something happened to me or Ed that you'd be there for us. That's what friends are for obviously. But throughout this past week, you've broken me."

I stopped for a moment to get a reaction, all I got was his never ending shaking and trembling. I continued on.

"You caused an accident, although we could have found a way to figure things out if you were open and true with everyone. Instead you've run away from us all, and left Ed alone and to suffer for your mistakes. And me too, I've struggled with guilt. But what about you? Do you feel guilty?"

He didn't try to respond, so I slapped him hard across the face. It left a deep red mark. "WELL DO YOU?" I yelled at him. "I WANT AN ANSWER!"

"I-I-I don't think-k-k I coul-d-d have stopped it!" he stumbled to me. "It was a freak twitch in the operation! I couldn't help it." He was quickly regaining his composure.

"Oh I don't know Eddy, how about using a car in the first place!? I mean your idea of a flying refrigerator is just stupid and because of it our friend is fighting for his life, and he can't even talk to his. He's been robbed of his consciousness because of your greed and stupidity you brat!" I was red in the face, and there was no way anyone was going to calm me down this time. Eddy was getting angry too.

"Hey my plans and ideas aren't stupid! I had a great plan that just glitched out, Ed was just a minor casualty. It hap-"I didn't let him finish. I punched him straight in the gut and he fell hard to the ground. He was having trouble regaining his breath, and could barely stand. Even if he had gotten the point, there was no going back at this point.

"Go home Eddy! You're not welcome here anymore! And don't bother trying to talk to me ever again!" I yelled. He just stood momentarily before I yelled once more at him. "I said get out!" He looked at Mr. Tanner who was now just as agitated.

"Hope you got bus change kid." He said. Eddy then limped away, walking down the stairwell to leave the hospital.

XXX

I walked back into the hospital room and saw Sarah staring at me as I entered the doorway. I'd cooled off finally having enacted my rage upon Eddy and while upset still, was no longer in danger of another vengeful rage. I walked towards the chair was sitting on next to Ed.

"Where's Eddy?" she asked, her voice containing a hint of fear. I wondered if it was of me or the possibility of his return.

"Gone." I said point blankly. "And he's not coming back."

She then took a deep breath of relief. "Thank God. I always knew he was a bad nut, but this was unbelievable even for him." I breathed in greatly. She wasn't just saying it as many people do after a tragedy, but she had always been in Eddy's face or stood up to him, usually making the three of us pay. But it was refreshing memories a time like this. I looked down at Ed and saw him in what almost looked like a happy daze. I mean not obvious like a smile, but he seemed almost at peace in the position he was in.

"I know the doctor said he can't hear us, but you think maybe he does by just the slimmest chance?" I asked aloud. I then turned to Sarah who was right in my face.

"Well if he can then, it's good he can't see this."

And then she kissed me…

Meanwhile…

Stupid Double D! I thought to myself. I knew I shouldn't have said the recovery thing the minute I did, but Double D's reaction stunned me. I didn't even realize he had that sort of strength, to handle me as if I was nothing whatsoever.

Whatever. I assured myself. I don't need him to be on my side, Ed will always be on my side if he ever gets out. I just worried about if that dad of his was going to find a way to make me liable. I can't afford to lose money I haven't even made yet. And it was a pretty jerk move of him to just leave me out on the streets to get home. No change meant I had to walk and it was a long walk. Rain made it even worse.

I lost track of much time I spent walking before I eventually walked past the jawbreakers shop. I so wished I could go in there and actually buy one, but that's a problem when you're family's especially poor. Can this day get any worse? I thought to myself.

Just then Kevin walked out of the shop, and stared me down.

"Hey there dork." He said. "You're just the person I was looking for!" I was terrified of Kevin and just wanted to run away. But he grabbed me tightly before I could get anywhere.

"Just get on my bike and don't say a single word dork!" He said right to my face. And so I got on with Kevin forcefully, to somewhere I didn't know, shaking greatly.