Chapter Eleven

A Chapter by Emmy

Ryan's mother is in the hospital. She gonna make it?

"Your mom's in the hospital."

We were in Mr. Calvin's car on the way to the hospital. Alex had left, so it was Derek, Stella, and I with him. I couldn't even speak; I was too shocked. The suburbs turned into the urbs similar to the one I knew. It couldn't help but remind me of New York City. The lights weren't as bright, but that was okay. Soon the bright white lights were shining in my face. We had arrived at the hospital.

When we enter the hospital and got the room number, I bolted. It was like something had taken control of me. I stopped to look around a four-way intersection. I found the right hall and ran down it. I skidded to a stop when I saw my father in one of the rooms. He looked up at me, tears in his eyes. She couldn't be... was she?

I came in slowly. My mother opened her eyes faintly. She looked to my dad, then at me. I came up next to Dad to see her. I don't know what made me the saddest: that she was here, or that she said quietly, "Rachel..." She looked to my father. "Hank..."

She smiled as she closed her eyes. No... Her breathing began to slow, and her head hung limply. No. I heard her murmur a goodbye as the heart meter went crazy. It beeped for a moment, and it stopped. A bright, straight line took up the screen. No! Stella, Derek, and Mr. Calvin finally found the room. "Was it... a car crash?" I asked quietly.

My dad put his arm around my shoulder. "Yeah," he said. "Some drunk a*****e hit her." I looked to him. "He was arrested though."

The doctor came into the room and saw the heart moniter. He seemed shocked for a moment and looked to my father and I. "She's..." he started.

I held up my hand, tears in my eyes. "We know," I whispered.

It was hard to fall asleep that night. It was too late to drive home, so we all crashed in the hospital. Everyone was scattered about the couple rooms we were admitted to use. I realized that I couldn't sleep and went for a walk around the hospital. Most employees had gone home, but not all of them.

I stood in the lobby with all of the flowers. I looked at them, closed away from the world. By morning, I hoped they would bloom to see the sun. I wished I could bloom too. "Ryan?" I heard behind me.

I turned to find Stella had followed me here. I felt weak, but I let the tears come out. I put my face into my hands. This was just too much for one person to handle. There's the situation, school, Mom... All I could see through my hands was darkness. I felt Stella wrap her arms around me. "It's okay to cry you know," she said.

I moved my hands from my face. I used my arms and wrapped them around her. This is what I needed, a nice hug. Everyone needs a good hug now and again. It's always warm and inviting to be in a hug. "Ryan," she whispered, "I..."

I gripped her shoulders gently, and we separated. I held her within arm's length. "What is it?" I asked.

Stella turned away sheepishly. I noticed her blush right before. "Nothing," she said sadly.

After a long silence, we decided to go back to sleep. Stella told me that sleep calms the mind more than anything. I didn't want to leave the next morning, but I knew we had to.

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