I am so, so sorry for the long wait in between chapters. I've got too many stories and honestly don't have many ideas for this chapter. But here it is anyway. And it's after this chapter or maybe the next one that things are really starting to happen and things I've got loads of ideas for will turn up. So don't worry. I will not give up on this story.
Lex POV
"Hello." I could barely believe it myself- but I must have been too exhausted because sitting in those plastic chairs in that hospital hallway leaning my back against mum and my legs over a few of the chairs in the other direction I must have blacked out for a moment. And flinched awake when Abram Carmichael came up to us and held a form with some paper cups towards us.
I wasn't so sure what the time had been, but either some time very late at night or very early in the morning when Leah had come knocking on the door to mum's and dad's bedroom where I was too and told us Jonah had been taken into the hospital with an ambulance right before, and she needed to get to the hospital.
After that it had just felt like everything was going so very fast, but at the same time so very slow. We had dressed and gotten into the car as fast as we possibly could. Someone had called Abram and Edna and they had come with the first plane possible and we had been waiting while Leah disappeared into the hospital room with Jonah and there was their parents and just ran by us and were taken in too. And now here was Abram holding the cups to us.
"How is he?"
I was just on my way to ask myself, but didn't have the time before dad had asked and Abram got tired of waiting and handed one cup to us each. "Hot chocolate, tea, coffee." He handed them and then threw the form for the cups in the trash before he sat down on the opposite side of the hallway from us and sighed.
"Jonah get these attacks every once in a while you know. When we need him to use that spray and stuff… But he's never had one this bad and Leah told us he started coughing blood. So I understand you were all very chocked and afraid and all of that. We were too. Jonah's awake now. He won't die today. But in the future his body will have a harder time fighting these attacks. They will last longer, come more often and be stronger. But…" He smiled slightly. "You know Jonah. He's beat the odds his whole life and he will continue doing so. Here. You can com say good morning." Abram gestured for us to come after him and we walked into a room where Jonah laid on one bed, and Leah on the other with her head on her mum's lap. They all looked tired and worn-out, and Jonah was wearing an oxygen masked but I could see him smiling like always behind it and he pulled it off to say something to us.
"Hi guys." His voice sounded weaker and more forced than what I had ever heard before. "Sorry I scared you like that." He breathed in as deep as he possibly could almost in between every word. "The… The doctor says that going like this I probably won't make it to see February this year… Only because of that I'll make sure I make it to March."
I looked to Leah when I could see her moving, she sat up and felt me looking at her so she looked back and her eyes met mine. All of me had hoped that whatever it was that Jonah had heard from the doctor he had heard it wrong. But seeing the look in her eyes it was undeniable. I thought doctors weren't supposed to say things like that. But she looked exactly like her whole world had just fallen into pieces- which it pretty much had anyway.
"I am… so, so sorry." Mum was the first one to find the right words, but Jonah just waved it off- which was just… Jonah. And mum ignored his gesture. "If there's anything we can do." Jonah turned his hand and showed her to come closer while using the other one to put the mask over his mouth and nose again. And then pulled it off again to say something so quietly only mum could hear it and she nodded.
And I still didn't even know what to feel or what to think. I had only felt like this once before, but I needed to forget about that time because this time wasn't about Maddie or me… and who it was really about ad who they were. It just added to the fact that bad things only happen to good people
Leah POV
"Leah. Jonah's asking me to go home to ours and take you with us." I had suspected Jonah would say something like that. "And he orders that we should go home now. What do you say?" Carole looked to mum and dad who both nodded. "And what do you say Leah?" Mum slightly pushed towards my back, in a way I knew meant that she didn't want me to stay here at the hospital. And I was too worn out to fight it, so I nodded to Carole, grabbed the hoodie I had taken off- the one Mr. Schue had given us for sectionals. And then walked behind Carole, Burt and Lex through the hospital and out into the cold January- morning air.
"Actually." I started talking when I and Lex sat down on either side of the back seat of Carole's car and I heard Ariel whine from behind us. We couldn't have left her alone- so we had barely remembered to bring her when we sped towards the hospital to check what was up with Jonah. And still… I could probably never have guessed it would be this bad!
"What were you saying honey?"
"Actually I think I'd rather go home than to yours." I could see Carole glance at me for a second in the rearview mirror but she didn't say anything. "I know Jonah told you he didn't want me to be alone in all of this but I actually feel that I need to be alone for now. I can come and get the things and everything tomorrow… later today I mean but right now I just need to be alone." Carole just nodded and through the next crossroad she steered into my block and pulled over in front of number nineteen. "Just let me go and take Ari." No one said anything- I think we were all too tired to even hear what the other or even what we said ourselves. Because I just got Ariel, let her do what she needed while I got the key that hung on a hook right inside the door in the garden shed. And then walked inside and while the morning sun was reaching its light over Lima hills. I fell into my bed with all clothes on, and then… then I just laid there.
Five minutes ago I had had trouble fighting the tears away because I didn't want to start crying in front of Burt, Carole and Lex. Two minutes ago I had barely been able to push myself onto my feet standing up from the car seat. One minute ago I had been certain that I would collapse in the hallway of fatigue before I reached my bed. But now I just laid there, and the sleep wouldn't come for another long while. And while Ariel laid snoozing towards my chest and stomach. It was like all of my senses had forgotten how to feel, and I couldn't cry, couldn't sleep. Or anything else that I had had trouble fighting during the whole night until now.
At last I drifted into some sort of worried sleep. Woke up twenty minutes later, fell asleep and woke up. Fell asleep and woke up. And so it actually continued for the whole weekend. I only left my bed to go to the bathroom, have a glass of water or to let Ariel out. Otherwise I just laid there- heck, I hadn't even showered or changed my clothes since the night between Friday and Saturday. And I probably smelled both of one and of three things worse than ever before. Mum, dad and Jonah didn't come home anything. But I had a few text messages and calls that Jonah was doing a bit better, but still not much had changed. And when I at last heard footsteps through the hallway on Sunday afternoon. I thought it was either mum or dad finally coming home to tell me something about what on earth was going on- and hopefully that the doctor had been wrong from the start and Jonah wouldn't die so soon.
"Get up"
When someone burst into my room and I heard Lex's voice break the silence I flinched. What was she doing here? And I just barely had the time to turn to her before she must have realized I laid on top of the covers and if she ripped that away I would either fall into the wall or down onto the floor. And instead she called for Ariel so she jumped up and started jumping around Lex's feet.
"What are you doing?" I moaned, and actually sounded whinier than what I would have planned. "Gt off."
"Jonah's order. Get up." She said demanding. "Oh… and take a shower the first thing you do because you smell…" When I sat up she was holding a hand over her mouth and nose. And I knew how extremely stubborn Lex was so I didn't even try to protest. And I knew I needed a shower- even I could feel it! "Get in the shower, I'll get some clothes for you. You need the shower now!" She opened my closet and I didn't even mind protesting anything. "Here" she handed me the slouchy fleece sweatshirt with print from the fault in our stars, a pair of jeans and a box that I had all underwear in. I picked out some, and then Lex sat down on my desk chair and waited for me to come back while I headed to the showers and for one moment I finally thought about something else than how his voice had sounded when Dr. Dylan had told us what would happen- even though Dr. Dylan was a children's doctor and Jonah was an adult because… Dr. Dylan just knew Jonah and us better than any other doctor.
While I came out of the showers dressed again and with my hair dripping wet (Not that I cared about it though. It would get to dry by itself) Lex still refused to tell me anything else then that she worked under Jonah's order (It wouldn't surprise me if he would pay her to come and just drag me out of bed) but she grabbed Ari's leash. And so took my hand so I couldn't run in another direction while she mostly pulled me out of the house and through the blocks to her house. And she didn't tell me until we were walking through the hallway and I could hear Burt and Carole fixing with something I the kitchen.
"Well, Jonah kind of had a feeling of what you were doing when you didn't come here with us and never came and picked up your things so he called and told us to come and pull you out of bed and get you somewhere. And he had three rules- one, have fun. Two, don't worry about him and three. You're not staying at your house alone anything else and will go back there when Jonah and your parents come home. So do you remember the ice cream bouffe we were planning?" I nodded. "Well… to have some fun we took it into our own hands." She walked before me and opened the door to the kitchen, Burt, Carole and the whole table and kitchen bench covered in bowls with different things to have with ice cream and all the ice cream flavors I had seen in my whole life. "So… let's give it a try at least." She walked over to the bench. "Eat however much and whatever you want." She handed me a bowl with a spoon. "I know it's hard. But… let's give it a try!"
I finally took the bowl and glanced over everything that was put over the bench and the table. It was everything from Cheetos to and crisps, to frozen mango and banana, to sour patch kids and Reese's pieces. And coconut, chocolate nuts and so many ice cream flavors this would all be the dream for any ice cream loving little kid.
I glanced over the bench again, and so put the bowl down and shoved the spoon down in a pack of chocolate ice cream. Jonah was right- in everything that he had said since before I was born. He could be grumpy and sad, but it wouldn't make a difference. Or he could be happy and just live the life like there wasn't care in the world to have as much fun as possible. Maybe we should all learn from that.
"So… I was gonna tell you before…" Lex started talking while Burt and Carole went to get themselves a portion of ice cream as well and I and her moved towards the living room door. "In the end of this week in glee… we are kind of going to Johnsdale prison." Both Burt and Carole turned quickly towards Lex. "Oops. Sorry, slipped my mind." She grimaced slightly. "There is this song I was going to ask Mr. Schue if I can do there for Brian… I'm probably mad and crazy if I do it but hey… against all odds I'm not afraid of either Brian or Wyatt. And if there's any time I can stand up to them… it's this time surrounded by all of my friends and Mr. Schue… Against all odds I'm kind of looking forward to it if I get to do it."
So. Jonah have probably not got long left. Leah went sort of apathetic. Then they had an ice cream party and now the glee club are going to the prison where Lex's dad and uncle live. And everyone seem to beat and go against all odds. What song does Lex want to do? Well, you'll have to wait and see. But I hope it won't be as long this time.
Random fact
The parts in the hospital where Lex wakes up and they hear that Jonah might not have too much time left are parts that I have planned for long. I always knew it would be Lex waking up so that's why Jonah and Leah would stay at the Hudmel's for a little while. Because Leah or someone else waking up there just wouldn't make sense. I hope that you liked the part.
