Another update for you lovely readers. Reviews are basically the reason I keep going. I don't have any plan of ending this story soon, but I have a lot of ideas. Hopefully I can manage to keep it going as long as possible. Only if you guys would keep reading. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter. Review Review Review.
Alison's POV
My stomach was in knots. Seeing CeCe so vulnerable, so… lifeless, it pained me. I couldn't have prepared to see her like this. CeCe's face swollen, bruised and cut up, making it obvious that she did go through the windshield. The heart monitor next to her beeped slowly. It was the only thing signalling that she wasn't as lifeless as she looked. Tubes were coming out of her mouth and her body. Oxygen, medicine, and fluids all were being pumped through them. Seeing someone I loved and cared for like this wasn't something I was ready for. It reminded me of my mom during her last few days. Hooked up to many machines that were trying to keep her alive, but we knew she was done her fight. These machines only made the suffering last longer. I knew all too well that in the end, you are going to die with or without the machines. Maybe you'll live a little, but never would you be healthy or the same.
I walked over to the chair beside CeCe's bed. I grabbed her hand in mine, happy that this hand didn't have any tubes running out of it. I heard that people in comas could still hear you, but they couldn't do anything about it.
People in comas reminded me of the movie Just Like Heaven. I had it on DVD, it was mine and CeCe's favorite at one point in time. In the movie, a man moves into an apartment, only to find that a woman already owns it. Spoiler alert, she isn't actually living there. The woman is in a coma, but her spirit is still alive and that's who the man meets. It's better than I could ever explain it, but it's what people in comas made me think of. I always wondered if they were actually walking around somewhere, unaware that they are not exactly seen or heard by anyone.
A machine next to CeCe starts beeping suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. My heart begins to race and my eyes are wide. Am I losing her already? Before I've even gotten a chance to forgive her and say goodbye? I press the red call button for a nurse. A middle aged woman with brown greying hair rushes in immediately.
"I don't know what happened, it just started beeping." I rush out, worriedly. I backed away so the nurse could work, but she just smiles sweetly.
"It's just signalling that she has one hour of fluid left." The woman points on the screen of the IV machine and I see small numbers counting down. A blush creeps into my cheeks. I feel embarrassed.
"Oh… sorry…" I mutter, sitting back down in my chair.
"It's okay, most people do the same thing especially when it happens in the ICU. If you need anything, my name is Janice." The woman tells me before walking back out of the room.
I am still staring at CeCe's body when Janice comes back in with a new bag of fluids. My thoughts were with the little girl that had surgery. I really wanted to see her. Make sure that she was okay. Janice was just about to leave when I stood up.
"Janice?" I call out. Janice stops walking and turns to me with the same sweet smile.
"Yes?" Janice questions when I don't continue.
"The little girl… the one involved in the crash… can I see her? I just want to see for myself that she's okay."
After a while of thinking, Janice finally answers.
"Only for a few minutes, it's supposed to be family only when visitor hours are up." I smile. I want to see the family and tell them how sorry I am on CeCe's behalf.
Janice guides me to the young girl's room. Finally, we approach room 321 on the other side of the floor. Janice knocks slightly on the door and a very tired looking woman opens the door. I could tell she probably had no sleep since the car accident. I curiously look over Janice's shoulder and see a girl lying in the bed who is probably 7. I couldn't see from where I was standing where she had the surgery.
"Is it time for her meds?" The mother asks, rubbing her eyes slowly.
"No, this young woman wanted to come see Amelia. Make sure that she was alright." Janice tells the mother. The mother looks me up and down, clearly not knowing who I am.
"Who is she?" The mother shifts onto her other leg.
"I'm Alison DiLaurentis. My friend CeCe Drake was also involved in the crash… she was the drunk driver. I wanted to make sure your daughter was okay and see for myself." I answered. Wanting to finally speak. The woman's eyes fill with sadness and anger. I don't blame her. She probably almost lost her daughter because of CeCe.
"Your friend shouldn't have been behind a wheel. She almost killed my daughter. She could've killed a lot of people. Why isn't she here checking on the damage?" The woman whisper yells. Tears well up in her eyes and one drops. My eyes mimic hers because I'm all too aware of why CeCe can't be here to check on the young girl and why she may never be able to.
"She's in a coma. She flew out the windshield and they found her ten feet away… I'm sorry for bothering you… I'll leave." I mutter guiltily. I feel bad for even bothering this poor family. The woman's hand gently rests on my arm and I turn back.
"Wait… come in. I don't want to talk about this in the hallway. Janice, can she please stay for a little while? I would like to speak with her for a while." Janice nods and walks back towards the front desk.
I walk in through the door that looks exactly like CeCe's. I can't believe this woman wanted to speak to me. What could she want to stay? She gestures towards two chairs in the corner. I take the one closest to the door and wait for her to speak. She doesn't. She just stares at Amelia.
"I'm sorry about your daughter. I heard she had to have surgery." I try to start the conversation. The woman blinks hard; I know she's trying not to cry.
"Did you hear why?" Amelia's mother asks. I shake my head, knowing I'm about to find out.
"She was unconscious when the paramedics got there. I thought maybe she was still sleeping, like she was when we were driving. Your friend's car had spun, trying to avoid another car. I swerved, trying to avoid hers, but I hit the other car. Or rather, it hit me. Driver's side, back seat. Amelia was sitting there. She hit her head, but I didn't know. Her brain was apparently bleeding. She's lucky to even be alive. She isn't awake yet, but she's alive and they said we were lucky to get to the hospital when we did or it could be worse." Amelia's mother can't stop her sobs. I place my hand on top of hers as a sign of empathy. A sign that I understand and a sign of comfort. I look at Amelia and I notice a part of her head is shaved and bandaged.
"I'm so sorry, does her father know?" I ask, trying to get the woman to talk about someone else. This just makes her cry again. My heart breaks, knowing this woman obviously has suffered a lot of loss.
"He died a few months ago. He was driving drunk, like your friend CeCe. He crashed into another car, head on collision. Brett died, and so did a child in the other car. They said he died instantly, but that's what they tell everyone. His last words to me were 'Kristen, I love you and I'll be home tonight.' He never did come home." Her body shakes with sobs.
I can't help but wonder how much this must've reminded her of that. I remember hearing something in the papers about a man in a head on collision involving two deaths and one injured. I didn't read anything but the headline though. I hug this woman, mainly because I have no idea what else to do.
"Mommy?" A young groggy voice says from the bed. Kristen jumps up and wipes her eyes.
I also stand up and see a little girl who looks severely confused. Amelia looks just like Kristen. Brown curly hair, bright green eyes, and small button noses. The difference is, Amelia's face is swollen and bruised and cut up, just like CeCe's. Her arms that are wrapped around her mother are also bruised and cut up, but less so then her face.
"I'm sorry about your husband and your daughter. I really hope you feel better Amelia and Kristen, you'll be alright." I tell the two lookalikes before opening the door.
"Wait… don't go yet. The doctors need to do tests on Amelia and I don't want to be alone while I wait." Kristen mumbles. I nod and close the door before returning to my seat. Kristen presses the red call button and Janice comes rushing in moments later. Kristen takes a seat next to me as nurses and doctors file in.
"How's your friend?" Kristen asks suddenly. I jump in fright. I was lost in thought and forgot I wasn't alone.
"She's…. breathing. They don't know if or when she will wake up. They don't know if she will remember anything. So for now, she's just breathing." I reply. It pains my heart thinking about CeCe. I wish things didn't end on such a bad note.
"I'm sorry… I hope she wakes up for your sake. I know how hard it must be for you to be losing a friend." Kristen comforts. If only she knew how hard this was for me.
"She's my oldest and closest friend. We met when we were really young and we've been friends ever since. CeCe was there for me when my mom died and I was there for her when her parents died. If I lost her, it'd be like losing my sister. It'd be even harder knowing that she was on her way to see me when she got in the accident. You see, we got in a huge fight and she wanted to say sorry, but she didn't act until she was drunk. She was on her way to come apologize when she ran the red light. I just wish I could hear her laugh or see her eyes one more time." I let my whole heart pour out to this woman. Mainly because she did it to me and partly because there was nobody else who could understand how I feel right now. Kristen places her hand on top of mine, like I had when she poured out her heart to me. I smile at her, knowing that I made somewhat of a friend in these circumstances.
A loud obnoxious beeping and people scurrying frantically broke us out of our moment. Everyone quickly left the room and ran down the hall. Amelia sat up quickly, shaking in fear. Kristen quickly ran to Amelia's side and looked at me.
"Code blue room 304. Code blue room 304." I heard over the intercom. My heart skipped a beat and I looked at Kristen in fear. I began to run down the hallway.
"CeCe!" I screamed as my feet slammed against the floor.
I pushed past people standing in the hallways staring at her room. I looked over a nurse's shoulder when I reached the room and saw Janice standing outside. Janice walked over and just as I was about to ask what's wrong, she walked me towards the main waiting room. Janice sat me down on a chair and sat beside me. Tears took over and I was shaking as sobs escaped my throat.
"What happened?" I manage to get out between sobs. Janice rubs my back to try and comfort me.
"We don't know yet. They got her heart beating again but they're going to do some tests. You have to wait here." Janice whispered softly in my ear before getting up and heading back towards CeCe's room.
I pull my phone out from my pocket and scroll through my contacts until I find the one I'm looking for. Aria's voice appears after many rings, telling me to leave a message after the beep. So I do.
"Aria. I need you to come to the hospital. Please. Something happened to CeCe and I'm worried." I say before hanging up. I scroll through my other contacts and find the only other person I want to see right now. Emily.
Emily's POV
My phone rings and I look at the name: Alison. I can't talk to her right now, there's too much going on and it's hard for me to just be friends when all I want is to be so much more. I let the call go to voicemail and continue washing the floor of my apartment. My phone makes a dinging noise signalling I got a text. I ignore that too, knowing it's Alison. I continue to scrub the floors, making sure I get where I spilled my tea with honey this morning. My phone begins to ring again, and I am officially annoyed. I let the mop fall on the floor and march over to my phone. Why couldn't Alison just get the hint? I don't want to talk to her right now. I tap the green button on the screen to accept the call.
"Yes?" I answer. I hear sniffs on the other end of the phone. I sit down and my heart begins to race. Why is Alison crying?
"Alison?" I ask when she doesn't speak. I hear her breathing heavily and it breaks my heart hearing her so broken like this.
"Emily…" Alison whispers and I can hear her pain. My heart is in actual pain with hearing her so broken in this moment. Her sniffing and sobs continue for a little while as I get ready to go find her.
"Alison, what's wrong? Where are you?" I am beyond worried; she probably thinks I sound mad.
I slide on a pair of uggs and my winter jacket. I search around for my keys while I wait for Alison to reply. She lets out a deep breath and I know she's trying to calm herself down to talk to me.
"Car accident… St. Joseph's… Come… Please…" Alison blubbers in between sobs and deep breaths. My heart drops and my mind races through possible scenarios.
"I'm coming. Meet me in the lobby if you can." I tell her. If she meets me, I know at least she is safe and that's all that matters to me.
Everything happens in a blur and before I know it, I'm parked in the parking lot of the hospital. I take a few moments to calm down, but something deep inside me tells me that Alison may be fine physically but she was emotionally broken on the phone.
I pull my key out of the ignition and open the car door. I step into a puddle of slush and groan. Just my luck, my feet are completely soaked now. I slam my door shut a little harder than necessary but it works in calming me down.
The distance between my car and the lobby is short, but it feels like miles more than it actually is. I finally reach the automatic sliding doors and I feel much better knowing that I'm closer to Alison. I look around the lobby for Alison, my eyes stopping on everyone in there. Little kids running around, parents trying to catch them. Sick people in hospital dresses attached to machinery. A young nurse sitting with a blonde girl who is sobbing. My eyes keep scanning before it clicks in my brain and I look back to the sobbing blonde. It's Alison. Relief washes over me and I basically run towards her. Alison's eyes lock on mine and she stands up with a smile and swallows me into a hug. I hold her for a moment, happy that she is okay and safe. I breathe in and catch a whiff of Alison's shampoo. A hint of mango and just an overall tropical smell.
It takes me a moment before I realize if she's okay, someone else was hurt. My heart drops again and I think to Aria. I hadn't heard from her all day, and if she was hurt, Alison would call me and be crying. I back up from Aria and my questioning gaze meets her sad one.
"Aria..?" I whisper. Alison looks at me confused, as if my question made no sense.
"Aria's fine, except for not answering my calls…" Alison answers; suddenly I'm the confused one. If Aria is fine, then who got in a car accident? Asking myself in my head isn't going to help anything.
"Then who got in a car accident?" I ask. My mind trying to figure out who it could be, I come up blank.
"CeCe." The word makes me flinch, as if she would show up and begin to hit me again. As much as I hate CeCe, I love Alison and CeCe is her oldest friend. I feel for Alison and hope CeCe will be okay for her sake. Alison turns to the nurse and thanks her for bringing her down to the lobby. The nurse leaves and Alison and I decide to walk around the hospital for a bit.
Alison finally finishes telling me about the car accident, the young girl, the mother, the father, the phone call, the texts, and CeCe's heart failing. By the end of her sentence, she no longer is crying. It's like she's all cried out. I feel bad for her so I give her a hug. Nothing else matters right now except for Alison.
"I just feel like it's all my fault." Alison mutters. I grab her arms and step back. I don't mean to be angry, but how could Alison blame herself for this?
"Alison… don't you ever say that. This is not your fault. Did you shove the alcohol down her throat? Did you put her in that car? Did you tell her to not wear a seatbelt? Did you make her run a red light? No, you didn't do any of that so it isn't your fault Alison. Just because she was coming to apologize to you, that doesn't mean it's your fault. You were mad at her because of her doing. It was her fault you were mad and that she even had to apologize in the first place. Don't ever blame yourself babe." I say it without realizing. I hadn't called Alison babe in over 2 weeks. It just slipped out of my mouth but it felt so right to say it. If Alison noticed, she didn't mention it.
"You're right, but I want her to know that she's forgiven. At least that way if she dies, she can die without guilt or feeling bad." Once Alison says this, my heart breaks. She forgives the woman that ruined our relationship and tried to beat the living shit out of me because Alison found out the truth? That hurts and cuts deep, because how could you forgive someone that hurts the person you supposedly love like that?
Alison notices that it hurt me because she instantly tries to make things better by reaching for my hand. I pull it away, not because I'm hurt, but because it won't help our friends only thing.
"How can you forgive her? She ruined our relationship and tried to beat me to death because you found out she was lying. How on Earth could you forgive that Alison? It hurts that you could forgive someone who could've killed the person you supposedly love!" I yell at her, beginning to walk away. Alison runs up to me and grabs my arm.
"Emily stop. You know I didn't mean it like that. I just want her to feel like it's okay to die knowing everything is fine even if it isn't. I don't want to fight while my childhood friend is clinging to life right now. I just want someone to tell me it will be okay even if it won't. I want someone to hold me while I cry because I'm hurting so much right now. Emily… I want you here for me. Not mad and storming off and leaving me all alone. I want you. I want you and I love you and I'm sorry for everything. Just please stay here with me." Alison begs. I can't deny her when she's this broken. I've never seen her like this and I want to kiss it all better, but I can't.
"I'll stay." I tell her before walking towards the elevators. I don't hear her walking behind or beside me so I turn around. Alison is staring at flowers in the window of the gift shop.
"Alison?" I call out to her. Her head snaps towards me and she walks over.
"Sorry, I was looking at the flowers. They're so pretty." Alison tells me. I smile at how innocent she is at the moment. I fight the urge to kiss her on the top of the head and press the button to summon the elevator. It immediately dings and we step into it.
"Third floor" I press the button as soon as she says it. I know what floor intensive care is. I've been there before, almost everyone in this city has. Alison leans against me and we enjoy the moment for as long as it lasts. I feel Alison's head move upwards and I look down at her and smile.
"Can I ask you something?" She asks. I nod and look up to see we are just passing the second floor.
"Do you love me anymore? If not, I'll stop with the flowers and stuff. It's probably annoying if you don't think of me that way…" Alison trails off and looks down. I can't lie to her. Not when she's broken like this, but I can't tell her the truth either. Just as the elevator slows down, I make a decision for my answer.
"Alison, I…"
Such a long Alison POV. :) Longest chapter of the whole story and it took me forever to make it at least a little perfect. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the little bit of Emison I had for you. SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER! Do you guys want Kristen to stick around as a friend for Alison? Leave a review or PM me with ideas :) Love you all Kissessssssssssssssss