Chapter 2
The world must be ending, right? All of the oxygen in the world had suddenly disappeared because suddenly it was hard to breath and he felt light-headed. Seriously, why was it so hard to breath? And why was his face wet?
"Kendall!" Logan's voice suddenly broke the deafening silence around him and air made its way violently into his lungs. He was shaking, so hard he could barely see. His mind was going into over time but the clearest image was his mother's smile.
No, no she couldn't dead. He was just talking to her a few hours ago. She was fine.
"Kendall?" Mrs. Mitchell's voice was distant. The noises around him were distorted. His head felt it was going to explode. The shaking seemed was getting worse.
"Kendall, please talk to me?" Logan begged. Kendall managed to look up at the brunette. Logan's heart broke at how lost Kendall looked. "Kendall I have no clue what you feel right now and I am so sorry but you need to get to Katie" It then struck Logan the officers hadn't mentioned what had happened to Katie.
"Katie?" her name seemed to snap Kendall out of his trance. "Katie!" He looked at the officers desperately. He had barely registered the news of his mother he knew deep in his mind that he couldn't handle something happening to her.
"Your sister survived the crash but" Kendall had almost let out a breath of relief. But what? "She suffered serious injuries in the accident"
"How serious?" Mr. Mitchel questioned.
"We don't know. I know this is a lot to take in but we are going to need you to come to the hospital with us. We need somebody to I.D. your mother's body"
"Can't that wait?" Logan questioned.
"Or could I or my wife do it instead? He's only 18!" Mr. Mitchell requested.
"It's Kendall's decision" Officer Davis conceded. "Kendall?"
All Kendall knew is he wanted to get to Katie. And he wasn't sure if he could handle seeing his mom right now. He knew she would want him to be with Katie.
"I want to see my sister" Kendall said, knowing he was making the right decision "Could the Mitchell's...do the other thing?" He couldn't bring himself to say it. The officer nodded.
"Would you like us to take you to the hospital?" The officer offered.
"Can I take him?" Logan asked.
"Yea I'd rather go with Logan" Kendall nodded. The officers nodded.
"We will meet you at the hospital and again we are very sorry for your loss" Both officers nodded in respect and went to their car.
"Come on boys we'll go in our car" Mr. Mitchell lead his wife to his car. Logan squeezed Kendall's shoulder to get his attention.
"Kendall, you ready?" He nodded silently and allowed himself to be lead to the car. Nobody spoke on the way to the hospital. It was all Logan could do to hold Kendall's hand on the journey will while blonde stared silently out of the window.
Why? Why Kendall? And why Jennifer? Logan just couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Kendall and Katie were basically orphaned. Why do bad things happen to good people? And poor Katie is seriously injured. If Logan was having a hard time processing this he couldn't even begin to imagine what Kendall was going through. The thought made Logan squeeze Kendall's hand. It was somewhat reassuring when Kendall squeezed it back.
.
When they got to the hospital a doctor led the Mitchell's away.
"I'm going to go get the doctor treating Katie, you boys can wait here okay?" Officer Davis walked away leaving Logan and Kendall alone for the first time since the car. Kendall hadn't said anything since leaving his house.
"Kendall?" The younger boy looked up. Not many people knew Logan was older. Kendall always said it was a good thing, Logan would always look young even when he, Kendall looked older than he really was. "I know its a stupid question but are you okay?"
"You're right" Kendall nodded "That is a stupid question" Logan nodded and stopped the conversation there. He didn't expect it when Kendall spoke again. "I'm sorry"
"What? Kendall don't be. You're right it was a stupid question"
"I know but still, I shouldn't have snapped at you" Logan closed the two feet between them and embraced his boyfriend in a hug which was returned, much to Logan's relief.
"I'm going to be here okay! I'll be with you for all of this okay?" Kendall nodded into Logan's shoulder and he didn't seem to want to break the hug and Logan wasn't breaking it anytime soon. And they didn't until a cough caused them to look up.
"Kendall, this is Dr. Wright, he's been looking after Katie" Officer Davis introduced an older African-American woman in her 30's maybe. She gave both boys a sad smile.
"How's Katie?" Kendall asked quickly.
"Your sister is a strong girl. She hit her head in the accident so we've kept her sedated but there is no injuries to her brain, no bleeding or swelling from any of the scans we did, just a severe concussion. She does have a broken ankle and some superficial bruising and scars" Kendall nodded taking in all the information.
"So can I see her?" Kendall asked quickly.
"Sure, follow me" The doctor led them to another part of the hospital and on to a ward. Before entering Katie's room she stopped again. "When you see her she will be connected to some machinery, it's just monitoring her heart rate and such, nothing major okay" Kendall nodded in understanding.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Logan offered. Kendall had taken his hand after they broke their hug and he was still holding on to it now, his grip tightening to a point where Logan questioned the circulation of blood in his hands but he didn't let go.
"Thank you" Dr. Wright opened the door and allowed the two boys to enter.
Kendall really didn't see know what to think as he entered the room. He had no idea what to do, where to look. Katie was always kind of small for her age but in the bed now she looked tiny. I think white bandage covered the top of her head, Kendall assumed happened when she hit her head in the accident. Her broken ankle was elevated off the bed on a pillow and her arms and cheeks there were visible cuts and scraps and bruises marred her pale skin. Without realising it, Kendall moved to the chair beside her bed, only now letting go of Logan's hand only to take Katie's gently in his own.
Logan had stayed near the doorway and allowed Kendall to have his moment with her. Officer Davis tapped him on the shoulder and motioned him from the room. After a quick glance back to Kendall he stepped into the corridor.
"Logan right?" he nodded "We need to contact Kendall's next of kin, would you know who that would be? There is no name on our records" Dr. Wright asked.
"There's no one. Kendall and Katie and Mrs. Knight, it was just the three of them. His Dad died a couple of years ago"
"No aunts or uncles or grandparents?" She pushed.
"His mom was adopted as a child, she never knew her parents she has a half sister but I don't now her name. I don't think she and her had ever met. His dad was an only child" Logan wracked his brains for a name, maybe Kendall had mentioned it once.
"And his father's parents?"
"They haven't been around for years. They don't get along very well" Logan said firmly "The last thing they both need is that man here, trust me!"
"That is not a decision you can make, Logan" Officer Davis replied. "Do you know how to contact him?"
"Look even if I wanted to I can't help you. He cut Kendall and Katie and Mrs. Knight out of his life almost 3 years ago. They haven't heard from him since. Believe me, he is not a good man and he is the last person that Katie and Kendall need now"
"Okay, we won't call him...for now" Dr. Wright conceded "But when he's ready I will need to ask Kendall this. He's going to need help with this"
"He has help. He has me and my parents" Logan replied adamantly.
"Okay, like I said when he's ready we will ask Kendall what he wants to do" Logan noticed his parents coming down the corridor. His mother looked like she had been crying, his father looked no better. The sudden realisation that Kendall had no parents made Logan appreciate his parents all the more that when they got close enough he went straight to his mothers arms. She understood immediately.
.
Kendall honestly hadn't realised Logan wasn't in the room. He was too busy watching every breath that Katie took, watching the slow and even rise and fall of her chest. He swore he could feel a small pulse in her hand as he held it. The constant beeping from her heart monitor was beginning to irritate him. He didn't know when the accident had happened so he didn't know how long Katie had been out or when she would wake up. The doctor didn't say.
Now that he came to think about it he didn't know how the accident had even happened. And what was he suppose to tell Katie about their mom? She was 13 and both of her parents were dead. He looked up when he heard someone enter the room. Logan walked straight to him and put his arms around Kendall's shoulders. Kendall relaxed into his chest.
"She's going to be fine Kendall"
"I know" He slouched into his chair "I just don't know how to tell her about mom"
"I don't know either but just let her know that she has you, okay?" Kendall may have nodded but he knew it wouldn't be that simple. He remembered the night their mom had told them about their father dying. The confusion, the not knowing what to do, the hurt. Not that he didn't feel that now, he did. Honestly it felt like his heart was trying to beat out of his chest which also felt like it was turning to acid but this time he didn't get to go and cry in his room or have his mother put her arms around him and promise him everything would be fine. Now it was just Katie and him and she needed him to be strong and look like he was in control because he was the adult now and he had to make sure she was okay. He just didn't know how he was going to do it yet.
.
It was going on 8 when the nurse entered to check on Katie, along with Dr. Wright.
"Is everything okay?" Kendall asked worriedly. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?"
"Everything looks normal. Her vitals are good" Dr. Wright looked up at the blond teen in front of her. She knew he couldn't be more than 17 or 18. Her heart hurt from him. She had been told by the officers his father was dead and his boyfriend had said it was just Kendall, his sister and his mother. She cleared her throat from the emotion building and looked back down at her charts.
"Well if everything is fine then why is she still unconscious?" She could see that he was terrified something was wrong with his sister.
"Like I said earlier we weren't sure how bad Katie's injuries were so we sedated her while we did her scans. Once we discovered there was nothing of major concern we stopped the sedation and now we are allowing her to wake up in her own time. She is suffering from a severe concussion and she was in a car accident her body has gone through a lot today, right now she needs all the rest she can get okay?"
"Yeah and thank you for everything" Kendall said. He was about to retake his seat when the Doctor spoke again.
"I think I should let you know that Child Protective Services are going to want to speak with you"
"What? Why, I don't understand?"
"Because you and Katie have lost both of your parents they are going to make sure you are both okay financially and otherwise. They also asked me to ask for a next of kin"
"There isn't any" Kendall said automatically "My mom has a half-sister but they've never met, I don't even know her name"
"Grandparents?" she asked. She noticed Kendall shift uncomfortably and Logan rest a supportive hand on his arm.
"I told you already, bringing that man here isn't to help" Logan injected. Kendall shot him a quick look and the hand on his arm gave a helpful squeeze and he sighed.
"Logan its fine" Kendall pinched the bridge of his nose "I can't believe I'm doing this...Sergeant Donald Knight Snr., my dad's dad. He lives in Florida, I don't know his number"
"Thank you. I will pass that onto CPS" Kendall nodded and retook his seat, his head dropping back into his hands.
"God I hope I don't regret this" Logan stood at the foot of Katie's bed watching him, he could feel his eyes on the top of his head. "What Logan? I can feel you watching me"
"I'm just worried about you. I can't help but remember what happened the last time that man was here"
"I'm fine and don't worry about him. He'll probably hang up on them as soon as they say my name anyway" He retook Katie's hand hoping that would be the end of it.
"Well I'm sorry but its my job to worry about you" He walked the side of Kendall's chair and crouched to eye level. He gently pulled Kendall's chin to look at him. "The last time you saw him, I got a phone call from your m..mom to say you were in the hospital. I'm just afraid that if he comes here he might hurt you again" Kendall sighed and raided his hand to his chin to remove Logan's hand and take it in his own. He kissed it once.
"That's not going to happen again. I was 15 it was hardly an even fight" he joked lightly."Logan, I just told her because it's not worth fighting with them about this. They would have found him sooner or later. At least if he turns up now I won't be off guard, okay?"
Logan sighed and nodded. It was Kendall's choice. A moan from the bed made them both looked up. Katie's eyes fluttered before finally opening.
"Katie?" Kendall rose from his chair to lean over her. Her eyes scanned the room quickly before they rested on Kendall.
"Hospital?" her voice was small and scared.
"Yeah sis, its going to be fine okay. I am right here!" He promised. Logan tapped his shoulder.
"I'll go and get the doctor"
"Kendall?" Kendall's eyes went back to his sister. He pushed a stray hair from her face.
"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere" Her lipped quivered and she looked down at her sheets. Kendall lifted her chin, exactly how Logan had did to his "Do you remember what happened?"
She nodded and small clear tears began flowing down her face.
"I tried to wake mom up, I tried b...but my h...head hurt so bad and she,she wouldn't wake up" Kendall quickly bundled Katie in his arms. Her small body clung to him. "I tried Kendall...I swear"
"I know Katie, I know" He fought back the tears that threatened to drown him.
"She's gone, isn't she?" her voice was so small. Kendall's none answer was enough before she again fell into tears. This time Kendall couldn't hold them all in. He wiped away his stray tears and took a deep breath. He had to be strong for her now.
.
Thank you to those who reviewed. I am aware this is not an amazing but its a filler chapter I suppose. Sorry for the delay too.
