Another update for you lovely readers. I love reading the reviews. I know how hard it is to wait for another update which is why I am trying to update as much as I can before school on Wednesday. Anyways, I finally found time today to start writing and here's what I got done. I hope you guys enjoy. Review, follow, pm, share it if you want :)
Sabrina; yes, I do have twitter although I am not on all the time, I do check it often. It is JustJessica123.
You guys are in for a lot of drama this chapter, so hold on tight because a lot is going to happen. Hope you like it :)
Alison's POV
Aria and I walk side by side through the front doors of the hospital. The smell brings me back to the last time I was in a hospital. With my mom on her last day. My heart is going a mile a minute and I can't control my tears. I feel so responsible for CeCe's accident. I know I never told her to drive drunk or to come see me, but the fact that she was on her way to see me when she got in the crash is what makes me feel responsible.
We approach the front desk where a woman wearing scrubs is sitting and talking on the phone. I truly never understood why the secretaries also wore scrubs, I mean is it necessary? The woman looks up momentarily before holding up a finger as if to tell us to wait. Anger boils up inside me, who's to say CeCe even has that long? This woman thinks a phone call is more important? That's when I hear the conversation.
"No, there is no progress…"
"I'm sorry, but Dr. Hartwood says that we can't keep her on life support if she doesn't make progress in the next week…"
"Yes, you and your wife can come see her at any time. It's family only for your daughter for now, unless you would like to sign a paper so that her friends could come visit." My heart drops into my stomach.
A child who probably barely had a life is dying and here I was getting angry at a secretary for telling her parents about it. My tears stop as I realize that all this place ever brought to me was death… it's all it brings to anybody. The secretary looks up at me apologetically, and I assume that she has been on the phone for a while trying to tell this family what they need to know.
The secretary finally hangs up after a few more minutes and then looks up at me from behind the desk. My tears are gone and I have a chance to actually see this woman. She's older, probably 38. She isn't too old, but she has visible wrinkles. Her glasses rest on the edge of her nose and she looks like a librarian. Her blonde hair not matching her dark eyebrows and dark eyes. Her smile is probably my favorite thing about her. It's warm and welcoming.
"How may I help you ladies?" The woman asks, in the same tone she used on the phone with that girl's parents.
"I got a phone call about my friend CeCe Drake? I need to see her or know where she is or at least know she's okay…" I rush out; I know I shouldn't be so impatient. I can't wait any longer because I don't know how much longer CeCe has.
The woman nods and begins to type things into her computer. As the woman concentrates, she bites her lip. It's an obvious habit since she doesn't even realize that she's doing it. She shakes her head and looks up at me, the look on her face discourages me and I wonder if I'm too late.
"Is it spelled C-I-C-I?" The woman asks. I smile, the first smile I've had all day. The look wasn't the look of CeCe's death. It was the look of a name not appearing on the screen.
"No, it's C-E-C-E. She had it legally changed to that because she didn't like Cecilia." I reassure the woman. She nods and types a few more things into the computer.
"Ah yes, the crash victim. She's in ICU on the third floor. Go to the front desk, because you will need to speak to the doctor before seeing your friend. Good luck dear." The woman gives me a warm, sorry smile. I know it's bad now, she's in ICU and the woman wished me good luck.
I turn to Aria and my eyes are wide with fear. The only things running through my mind are thoughts of CeCe being hooked up to life support like that girl the secretary was talking about. CeCe cut up and bruised, missing some part of her body, in a cast or multiple casts. My chest begins to tighten and I feel the world begin to spin. This can't be happening… I can't lose my oldest friend, yes she's messed up really bad, but that doesn't mean I want her dead. Aria's arm wraps around my waist as she helps me walk into the elevator with her. She presses the big 3 on the side of the elevator and the doors begin to shut.
"Alison, breathe okay? She's probably in ICU because she broke her leg pretty badly or something. Just breathe and we will find out everything in a minute." Aria tries to soothe me.
It works a little, but then I realize I don't want to hear the doctor tell me anything or give me that look the doctors gave me and my dad when my mom got worse. The look of pity and sadness when they have to tell a family they are losing someone they love very soon. The look of defeat because they tried their best but they couldn't do anything to help. The look of hope that the younger family members will make it through without that one person. These looks are worse than the news itself. I can't go through it again.
"Aria, I want you to talk to the doctor… last time I was in a hospital… my mom had passed away and I don't think I am ready to go through this hospital thing again. Dad talked to the doctor last time and I don't think I can ever talk to a doctor. At least not yet, so please talk to the doctor for me." I plead. Aria gives me a hug and kisses my cheek in a friendly way.
"Of course, Alison, I totally understand." The elevator door dings as she finishes her sentence and I take a deep breath.
There is no turning back and there is no running. I need to know CeCe is okay and I'm not letting my fear of hospitals get in the way of that. I can't let my mom's death keep me from saying goodbye to my best friend or even making sure I won't have to say goodbye to her. Aria walks me to the waiting room and puts her jacket on a chair next to the one I sit in.
"I'm going to go talk to the doctor, you wait here okay?" Aria asks, she's giving me a chance to go with her. It's a chance I don't want to take. I just nod and watch her walk towards the front desk.
Aria's POV
I walk towards the front desk and feel Alison's eyes burning into the back of my head. I feel really bad for her, the last time she stepped foot in a hospital her mother died. It's like repeating history because now she's in the hospital and might lose someone else that she's known for most of her life. It may not be her mother, but it's someone she's known longer than she knew her mother. CeCe has been there for Alison through everything, now it's my turn to be there for her through this. Alison has lost so much in her life, if she loses CeCe… She's basically lost everything.
I reach the front desk and see a young woman sitting behind the desk typing and passing files to doctors and nurses. It's hectic in the ICU and can you blame it? I mean these people are hanging on to life by a thread. I wait patiently for the young woman to be finished, which doesn't take long. She looks up at me with jungle green eyes and a big white smile.
"Can I help you with something?" The woman asks, I can tell her smile is fake and the tone of her voice is too. She's probably been busy or been working a long shift.
"Yes, the woman at the desk in the lobby told me to come up to ICU and speak to a doctor about CeCe Drake?" I question if this woman has been told about it.
"Oh, the crash victim?" The woman asks. I nod, realizing the whole hospital must've been talking about CeCe since last night.
The woman nods back at me and presses a few buttons on the phone beside her before I hear her voice on the intercom of the hospital.
"Dr. Hartwood to ICU, Dr. Hartwood." Her voice rings through the whole floor and most likely the hospital. The name rings a bell… that's when I remember. The woman in the lobby was talking to the people on the phone about Dr. Hartwood and their daughter in the ICU.
I turn and see Alison bent over staring at her hands. I wish I could help her, but honestly, she won't be okay until she knows CeCe's condition and exactly what happened. A man in a white lab coat approaches the front desk beside me. He's a young man, maybe 27. He's got a bit of a beard growing and has nice short brown hair. He's gorgeous, and I'm sure if that young girl was able to see him, she'd be in love.
"Is there something wrong with a patient?" he asks the woman on the other side of the desk. She gestures to me and gives him a sad smile.
"No, this woman would like to speak to you about the crash victim, CeCe Drake." He turns to me for the first time since he got there and nods to the woman, giving her a quick thanks before walking me to the wall across from the desk.
"Are you Alison DiLaurentis?" Dr. Hartwood asks. I shake my head and he looks at me confused. I point to Alison and he looks over my shoulder following where I'm pointing.
"That's Alison. She asked me to talk to you because she's had a bad experience with hearing news from doctors. Is CeCe okay?" I ask, I am slightly worried about CeCe too. I mean yes, she wasn't nice to me at all, but I'm worried for Alison not for me.
"CeCe Drake lost a large amount of blood and broke many bones last night. She is in a coma due to massive head trauma. It's not fatal, but we will have to wait for her to wake up. If she doesn't, then she'll be put on life support and seeing as how she has no family, she listed Alison DiLaurentis as her next of kin. Alison would need to consent taking her off life support if need be. I'm sorry, but so far it's not looking like CeCe will be waking up soon." Dr. Hartwood has a sad, sorry look on his face. A look of pity for me and Alison and a look of hope that he may be able to get her to wake up.
"What happened?" I ask. I hope he'll be able to tell me everything so that I can help Alison understand why it's so bad.
"CeCe Drake was under the influence of alcohol last night. A very high amount of alcohol was in her blood stream causing her blood to be thinner which is why she lost so much blood. The police told us that she ran a red light and was involved in a multiple vehicle car accident. A total of 4 cars were involved but CeCe is the most hurt. There was a little girl in one of the cars she hit that had to go through surgery but she's fine now. Everyone is very lucky that they are alive, especially CeCe. She wasn't wearing a seat belt and was found 10 feet away from her car. The reason she suffered massive head trauma was because she was ejected through the windshield. She broke her collar bone, a few ribs and her left leg. She's lucky it wasn't worse." Dr. Hartwood tells me. My heart drops when I hear about a little girl in the car accident. How could CeCe be so selfish as to drive that drunk?
"What happens when she wakes up?" I ask, knowing that Alison will be wondering the same thing. Dr. Hartwood gives me a sad smile, as if my question has too much hope.
"If she wakes up, there's no saying if she would have memory loss or any memory. I know you don't want to hear this and I'm sure your friend Alison won't want to either, but there's a good chance that CeCe will not wake up." I turn back and see Alison staring at us. A tear falls down my cheek and I can't help but wonder how I'm going to break the news to Alison.
"Can Alison go see her?" I ask, knowing I can't see someone in that condition. Dr. Hartwood nods and gently touches my shoulder as he turns to leave.
"She's in room 304." He tells me as he presses the elevator button, needing to get back to work.
I walk back towards Alison, preparing how to tell her. Knowing the last thing he told me will break Alison's heart.
Alison's POV
I watch Aria approach me and stand up as she reaches where I have been waiting. The look on her face tells me that this news is going to be hard to tell but harder to hear. It's not the look of telling someone that the person is dead, but it's almost as bad. I sit back down and feel sadness overcome my body. I begin to cry and Aria sits in the chair next to me. I feel her hand gently rubbing circles into my back.
"How bad?" I whisper. I can't speak any louder due to my crying.
"Pretty bad… She lost a lot of blood; she broke her collar bone, a few ribs and her left leg; and she's in a coma due to a massive head trauma… I'm sorry Alison…" Aria tells me. I can hear the sadness in her voice. She knew that telling me this would hurt me, but she was nice enough not to beat around the bush.
"Did he say what happened?" I sob, holding my hands on my face. I can't believe this is happening right now. I might lose my oldest most best friend. The pain in my chest is overwhelming.
"He said she was really drunk and got into a 4 vehicle car accident when she ran a red light. The alcohol thinned her blood, which is why she lost so much. But… she wasn't wearing a seat belt Ali… she flew through the windshield and they found her 10 feet away. She's lucky to be breathing." Aria whispers as she continues to rub my back. I instantly think about the young girl the woman from the front desk was talking about. Was she involved?
"Was anyone else hurt?" I ask, my heart dropping when I look at Aria's face and see the answer.
"Everyone is alive, the most severe was a young girl who had to go into surgery but she is alright. Listen Alison… the doctors said CeCe will likely not wake up, but if she does she may have little or no memory… if she doesn't wake up… you're listed as her next of kin and you're the one who has to give consent if she needs to be taken off life support…" Aria rushes out the words. Acting as if she were ripping off a band aid. Quickly, trying to make the pain not sear with each word.
My heart breaks at that statement. I am the only person who can keep my best friend alive. I am the only one who can take her off life support and basically kill her. How does someone do that? How can someone take a person they love off the only thing that is keeping them alive? It's unexplainable. My heart is in a million pieces and I fall into Aria's embrace as sobs escape me and tears rush down my face. The only person in this world who knew just how to make everything better is now hanging onto her life by a thread. The only person that I could talk to is in a coma because of her need to come see me and apologize. Now she may never get to apologize to me. I need to see her.
"Can I see her?" I ask Aria. Aria smiles, the first good news of today.
"She's in room 304. Would you like me to come?" Aria offers. I smile the only smile I can manage right now and wipe my eyes.
"I appreciate it, but I think I'd rather go alone. Thanks for coming and everything. I'll text or call you if I need you. I love you Aria." I tell Aria. She nods and I give her a hug. I really do love her.
"I love you too Alison. Call me if her condition changes?" Aria asks. It's really nice of her to be concerned. I know her and CeCe had a rough time so far but I think when people are close to death, it makes you feel differently. I nod and head towards room 304.
I take a right and I'm there. Right in front of the door leading to my best friend's beaten, bruised and limp body. I take a deep breath and push the door open. I feel sick at the sight of CeCe's body. I take a step back and regret even coming.
What will happen to CeCe? What does she look like? Will Alison be able to cope if CeCe doesn't wake up?
Sorry about no Emily this chapter, but I Hope you guys enjoyed this. It's a little longer. Drop a review and send a message or something :) Have a great day lovelies. KISSES