chapter thirty-nine: the aftermath

"She had tricked him. She had made him leave his old self behind and come into her world, and then before he was really at home in it but too late to go back, she had left him stranded there–like an astronaut wandering about on the moon. Alone."

~Bridge to Terabithia

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Two hours passed without a word from the doctor about Kelsey.

Becca had dozed off, and Ethan was left in the dim waiting room, feeling dazed. His body was exhausted as the clock passed five a.m.

The movie premiere seemed like years ago.

He'd almost been awake for a full day and night.

It was strange how the hospital had quickly become his life, in a way. Like he was suddenly living in a bubble that revolved around doctors, nurses, patients, and the smell that all hospitals contained.

When the door of the lobby opened, he jerked at the noise and sat up expectantly.

A tired-looking woman walked behind the front desk dressed in casual business clothes and offered a polite smile. "Good morning."

Ethan deflated back into his seat. The receptionist. Still no doctor.

Becca snored loudly in the seat next to him.

He got up and stretched, rubbing his eyes lazily. Maybe the cafeteria would have some fresh coffee by now.

He placed his hands in his pockets and yawned as he walked down the hallway aimlessly.

He passed by Kelsey's room and lingered for a moment, watching the closed door.

Fear drummed through his veins. What was going on in there? Were they busy keeping Kelsey alive? Were they scrambling to make her lungs work? Or was there only a few nurses in there, trying to keep Kelsey comfortable before she—

The door opened and a nurse came out, glaring down at a clipboard.

"Excuse me," Ethan said, surprised at how scratchy and hoarse his voice sounded. "How is she?"

The nurse looked up and started. A worried bend formed in her brow before she opened her mouth. "Uh...I..." She licked her lips before taking in a breath. "I'm sorry."

Ethan's body went weak. "No... no, that can't be true."

His head spun. He couldn't breathe. This wasn't supposed to be how it ended.

"She passed a few minutes ago after her kidneys failed. She went peacefully." The nurse patted his shoulder sympathetically.

Ethan stared dumbly at her for a few moments before blinking. "Her kidneys? I thought the problem was her lungs."

The nurse cocked her head to the side. "Are you Mrs. Albany's grandson?"

Ethan shook his head. "No, I'm here for—for Kelsey Harris?"

The nurse's mouth formed a small "o" and she put her hand to her chest. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sir! No, Ms. Harris got moved to the Accident and Emergency Department two hours ago!"

"So she's still alive?" Ethan choked.

The nurse nodded. "Yes, yes! I'm so sorry!"

Ethan took off down the hall and asked the receptionist where Kelsey was.

It took the elevator far too long to take him to the second story of the building and his heart pounded violently.

She was alive.

She'd made it through the night.

But that could mean anything.

He walked briskly past several nurses wheeling carts into rooms and elderly patients hobbling around on walkers.

He caught sight of the doctor about to turn the corner and stopped him. "How is she?"

The doctor turned and raised his eyebrows. "Ah, Mr. Glenn!"

"Please just tell me something," Ethan pleaded wearily.

"She made it." The doctor put a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "She's still weak, and she has several broken ribs and a gash in her left arm. But we got her lungs functioning again. It's truly a miracle."

Ethan stepped back and ran a hand through his hair, giving a breathless laugh. "Really? Are you serious?"

"Of course. It'll still take some recovery here at the hospital, but she's okay."

The doctor's words reverberated in Ethan's mind. She's okay.

"Can I—can I see her?" he asked.

At that, the doctor hesitated. "She needs to rest, but you may go inside."

He stepped aside to let Ethan through.

Ethan entered the hospital room cautiously, his heart beating a thousand times per minute. His hands shook with exhaustion and relief.

He rounded the corner and saw her lying in the hospital bed.

Her olive skin tone was darker against the stark-white sheets framing her face. Her eyes were closed and her black hair was strewn about the overly-stuffed pillows.

A steady beeping from the heart monitor was the only sound in the room besides Ethan's labored breathing.

As he got closer, he saw a dark bruise marring her right cheek and extending all the way up to her temple. Several cuts covered her nose, neck, and arms.

An oxygen tube rested under her nose made an occasional exhaling noise.

Her left arm was heavily wrapped in gauze as it rested placidly across her stomach.

"Kelsey, " he whispered, grasping the railing of the bed with one hand. With the other, he shakily brushed his fingertips against Kelsey's forehead.

Tears filled his eyes and he gripped the railing tighter. "I'm so, so sorry."

Kelsey stirred slightly and her eyes opened a crack. It took her a moment to find Ethan, but when she did, a faint smile touched her pale lips.

Ethan smiled back through his tears, gently taking her hand, and feeling a tingle travel up his arm. "You're okay, Kelsey," he murmured. "It's going to be okay. I'm so sorry."

Kelsey gave his hand the softest squeeze before closing her eyes again.

Ethan leaned forward and kissed her cheek gently before straightening.

A nurse came in and offered a curt greeting. "We're going to run some more tests and draw blood sampled."

Ethan took that as a cue to leave, so he hurried downstairs again to find Becca shouting at the receptionist.

"Oh honey, do you even know who I am?!" Becca was saying. "I could get you fired before you even realized that the ugly green top you're wearing went out of style the year you started wearing bell-bottoms!"

"I've told you that our patients can't receive food-related gifts three times now, and I still can't change our policy," the receptionist argued.

"But Kelsey would love a fruit basket, and fruit isn't really even a food-food!"

"Becca," Ethan interrupted.

Becca made sure to sneak in another glare before making her way over to him. "What? Have you heard something? Is she okay? What happened?"

"Slow down," Ethan said. He couldn't keep the smile off his face when he said, "She made it. She's recovering."

"Really?!" Becca squealed, grabbing his shoulders and giving them a shake. "Are you serious?! If you're joking—"

"Becca, I would never joke about that," Ethan laughed.

"I have to go see her!"

"Wait," Ethan warned, holding out his hand to stop her. "She could barely open her eyes and the nurses are still running in and out. Maybe we should both go home and get some rest now that we know she's okay."

"Says you!" Becca pouted. "You're the one who's gotten to see her already!"

Ethan shrugged. "Alright, fine. Just don't be too loud, okay?"

"Alright, mom."

"I just need some sleep, but I'll be back later," Ethan said.

Becca nodded and bit her lip. "I'm glad we're all okay."

Ethan grinned. "Yeah. Me too."

He watched as she flounced down the hallway in her outrageously neon dress and shook his head.

He walked out of the hospital and squinted into the bright morning sun, feeling like he was exiting another world.

He inhaled the scent of fresh air and gasoline before realizing that he'd gotten to the hospital from the limo and was left without a ride. Had that just been last night?

With a sigh, he walked across the street to a large gas station, where he bought a pair of pants and a shirt to replace his wrinkled tuxedo.

He managed to eat a few bites at the In-N-Out connected to the gift shop before he fell asleep at the table.

His dreams were restless, and he kept having panic attacks when he thought of Kelsey. He had to remind his subconscious that she was okay. She was recovering.

A couple of hours later, he was tapped on the shoulder and he jerked awake.

He blinked dazedly up at an older woman who was towering over him with a hand on her hip. "Lunch crowd's coming, you've been here long enough."

"Oh, I—sorry about that," Ethan murmured, clamoring to his feet and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

It took him until he was ambling down the sidewalk for his brain to catch up with his body.

The October air was cool, which was rare for L.A. that time of year.

For the first time in the last twenty-four hours, Ethan felt like he could breathe again.

Now that Kelsey was on the mend, he could think about his future.

But what if Kelsey didn't forgive him? What future would he have then? And he couldn't blame her if she didn't after the way he acted at the premiere.

But still, no matter what happened with Kelsey, she'd been a light in his life.

He hadn't realized how many things he'd done wrong until now.

He could start with his acting.

His passion lay in the smiles of his audience, the people he worked with, and the rush he got from being on stage.

He was sick of his life that was filled with greenscreens, scouting agents, and long hours acting with stage dummies.

He'd known that for years, but had always been scared to let someone down.

It took Kelsey to make him realize that Micah would've wanted him to be happy, not an actor. And now maybe...just maybe, if Kelsey was willing to start again, he could make a better future for the both of them.

He looked up at the blue sky that was dotted with a few wispy clouds.

It was time for things to change.

And he hoped they were for the better.

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~Kelsey survived! What do you think?

~Did you think she wouldn't? =P

~Do you think things will end well with Ethan and Kelsey?

~General thoughts?

Thank you guys SO much for reading! I'm so excited for you to see how things turn out! {Don't forget to comment, vote, and share!}