Chapter 69: News

Third Person POV:

"Which one of you is her guardian?"

Luke briskly walked towards the doors. "I am. Is she alright?" Luke asked in a nonchalant-hurried tone that only Luke could make.

The woman smiled sadly, her pity for the family evident. "She is stable but we won't know the extent of the effects just yet. After 24 hours we will be able to confirm whether or not the damage to the brain is too severe."

"But she'll be okay? Right?" James piped up.

With the same sad, pitiful smile, the doctor said, "We don't know. She is currently in a vegetative state right now. We suspect she will continue to be in a vegetative state after the 24 hours. She may wake up in two days or two months, perhaps never. At this point in time, our only priority is that she survives the night."

"S-so she may die?" Jesse whispered fearfully.

"That is a possibility yes." The doctor who couldn't seem to stop sad-smiling nodded at him.

"Say she does survive the night, is she going to be able to talk? Is she going to be able to understand what we're saying?" Caden asked the doctor.

"Well her brain didn't have access to oxygen for an estimated 4 minutes and 30 seconds, so there is a slight possibility she won't have any after effects, but my guess is she will. She could have dizziness, headaches, be angered easily, seizures, motor problems, speech problems, trouble learning, and respiratory issues."

All of the people in there were dumbfounded with all the horrible effects she could have. Of course, that is if she woke up from her coma.

"Ca-can we see her?" Audrey sniffed and hiccuped. She was trying to be strong, she really was! She had always been strong. When it came to her family she was strong, when it came to people mocking her and Lidia she was strong, she could be strong for another hour or so, couldn't she?

"Yes, but I have to warn you, she looks like she is sleeping. You may be tempted to try and wake her up, but just know that she won't." The doctor nodded and moved out of the way.

The boys all but practically ran there, with the exception of Jesse, Audrey, and Manny. They weren't so keen on seeing her like that.

They slowed down just as they were about to enter her room. The weight of Lidia's attempted suicide, starting to truly weigh on their shoulders. The doctor said she would look like she is sleeping, but the doctor hasn't ever seen Lidia sleep before. Maybe it could be the same, or maybe that girl in there would look nothing like their Little Lidia.

Finally gathering the courage, Caden opened the door. His eyes first looked around the room, noticing the whiteness of it all. White everything. White curtains, white bedsheets, white tiled floor. Everywhere you looked it was white.

Then he saw Lidia. She was the only thing that wasn't white. In fact, she was a haunting blueish gray. Her usual light tan was nowhere to be seen. It was horrifying.

The rest of the boys piled in the room. Their thought processes were much like Caden's. And, if James remembered correctly, she hated the color white. Of course she never told anyone, but it was just something he subconsciously learned.

He learned a lot about her subconsciously. James made the mistake of not really talking to her, but he always noticed her. Noticed how she wouldn't really eat, just move stuff around her plate to make it look like she ate something. He noticed how her favorite room in the house was the crafts room. She liked to read in there for hours on end, though he noticed that she didn't realize she read in there for hours.

Ian too, was also shocked. But, he still ran to her side, and fell on his knees, looking all over her face. He didn't want to look at it, but he had to. Had to see her nostrils slightly flare when she breathed out. It was hard with the clear breathing tube inserted inside of her nose, but he could see it. Barely, but they were flaring. He had never felt so relieved.

Jesse, Audrey and Manny finally walked in. Audrey let out an audible gasp and turned around and hid her face in Jesse's chest, trying her hardest not to sob. Jesse held her close, absentmindedly rubbing circles on her back, while also trying not to break down too while staring unblinkingly at his baby sister.

Manny sighed and shook his head, looking down at the ground. He was the first one to see her. He remembered that girl, who was obviously afraid but wasn't trying to show it. He remembered her face when she first saw where she currently lives. Then, he remembered only a short while ago, picking up her and Audrey from the school. Laughing until they were crying. This, this couldn't be her. He refused to believe it.

What made it even worse, was that she looked almost exactly like her father had when he was in his casket. Looking peaceful, but not looking at all like themselves. He couldn't go through it again. None of them could.

Luke leaned on the wall to the right of Lidia. His arms crossed, deep in thought. He was replaying scenarios of what would happen when-if-she woke up. What the side effects would be, how he would handle it. The money didn't matter. He would spend every single penny of their fortune, if only it meant Lidia could go back to the way she was. Not depressed, obviously. But, certainly not like this. Nothing like this.

Zack pulled up a chair besides Lidia, holding her hand. He wouldn't let go. Wouldn't let her be alone. That's what got them here in the first place wasn't it? Her feeling alone? Never again. He would spend every waking minute being with her if it meant she wouldn't feel alone. He would read the books she reads to talk about it with her. He would watch every single show they could find with her. Hell, he would sleep in a pallet beside her bed if it meant she didn't feel alone.

They all would. They wouldn't make the same mistakes. Not again. Never again. They would rather kill themselves before making these same mistakes. The actual mistakes they made? Not sure, but they sure as hell wouldn't make them again.

After a good ten minutes of them being there, Lidia finally showed some signs of movement.

But not good ones.

Lidia started to seize, jerking in every way possible. Audrey, who had finally found the courage to turn around, screamed and returned to her previous position, this time holding onto Jesse for dear life. Jesse, in return, hid is face in her pink hair, sobbing.

Caden ran out of the room, yelling for nearby nurses to help. Four nurses walking by ran into the room. One of them ushered everyone outside in the hallway.

"No! No! I refuse to leave her alone! No! She can't be alone! Please!" Zack pleaded with the nurse, his voice cracking on every word, trying to push back into the room to Lidia. Manny, tears streaming down his face, pulled Zack away.

"Man come on! They can't do their jobs if you're in there." His firm grasp on Zack's shoulders didn't loosen until they were a good five feet away from the door.

James was anxiously pacing the hallway. Mumbling insanities under his breath. Caden on the other hand, look as if he just faced war and had to fight again. Frozen in place, staring at the door with salty tears burning his eyes pouring out and down his face. Just waiting for Lidia to walk out and yell "Prank!" It didn't happen though. He wished so much it hurt that she did. But she didn't.

Luke was much like Caden. He was frozen, but leaning against a wall. If he didn't, he would surely fall over and curl into a ball, begging that this would all be over. All of this mess. All of this chaos. He could handle chaos, hell he was a mafia leader for Heaven's sake! But this, he couldn't handle this.

Ian had crumbled on the floor, leaning on the wall opposite of the door. Sobbing uncontrollably, he hid his face in his knees and wrapped his arms around his shaking legs. There was no way he would be sleeping tonight. Not with the images of Lidia that would surely haunt him.

More nurses ran into Lidia's room, including the pity doctor. They were in there for around 10 minutes. Doing what? Lidia's family didn't know.

Luckily for them the sad-smile doctor walked out, her same stupid pity on her face. "So it looks like Lidia went into cardiac arrest," everyone collectively held their breath, "fortunately we were able to save her. Unfortunately, this lowers the chance of her surviving the night. And if she does survive the night-"

"When. When she survives the night." James interrupted her.

She smiled again. "The possibility of after effects are guaranteed. Again, we don't know what they'll be, but we know she'll have them. Nurses will be checking in on her frequently, so don't worry about that." She looked at everyone in the eyes, well she tried. Ian was still hiding in his knees, trying to escape the hell called reality.

She said some more words, then left.

Poor Lidia can't catch a break 😭 what author would make their characters go through this???? Anyways, I hope you liked it, don't forget to vote, comment and obviously like:)