Almost Everything

Chapter Six - Without You

We have been on a plane for fourteen hours by the time we land in New York. All of us had to go through customs at Newark airport, which took forty-five minutes, and then the ride to the Lenox Hill Hospital took another fifty-three minutes.

Melissa, Max, and Brad catch a connecting flight to LA. Ezra and Jackson are in the cab with me because they all decided on the plane without my input that this is a family matter, and everyone wants to respect my privacy.

Ezra and Jackson push our way through the waiting cameras. My puffy eyes are covered with oversized sunglasses and when one camera gets too close, Ezra shoves the guy aside and he threatens to sue him.

Hospital security is outside the moment they see us, they help us inside and show us to the waiting room. My mom looks at me but keeps talking to her best friend, Kerri. Lack of sleep is keeping it hard to bite my tongue.

My brother walks into the room, and he pulls me into his waiting arms. I hug him tight and don't let go. Nate kisses my temple and leads me to the set of chairs opposite of our mother. Our dad had a heart attack. He had been working late at his studio on a side project with his business partner, Paul. He was the person that called 911. Nate explains that dad is cooling. It's a treatment used to drop the body's core temperate to reduce brain damage and hopefully this will save his life.

"We are almost at the twenty-four-hour mark, and then we'll start re-warming him." Jackson's mother, Elizabeth says coming behind us.

I jump from the chair and hug her. "What does that mean?" I ask her.

Elizabeth is a top cardiologist at this hospital, she promises me that her colleagues will take care of my dad. She tells us all the details of the cooling and warming of patients with heart attacks. I worry that he will freeze to death, but she assures me that the medicine helps him forget that part.

We hug one more time and she kisses me on my cheek. I watch her with Jackson, and it makes my heart hurt. I always wanted to be a part of their family because they know how to communicate and love each other.

"Avery, you didn't need to come. He's going to be fine." My mom says turning in her chair to look at me.

"He had a heart attack. Why didn't you call me?" I ask her through my tight lips.

I can see Ezra and Nate moving toward me in slow, long strides. They know I'm a ticking time bomb and my mom brings out the worst in me.

"This isn't about you sweetheart." She laughs off. "Nothing can kill your father. I was going to wait until he woke up to call you. I knew Jackson was with you and I didn't want to bother you on your movie set."

My hands clench into fists. "My dad had a heart attack, and you didn't call me to let me know." My voice is shaking with tears. "My brother called me. Oliver called me, but not my mom. Why?" I ask her angry.

She stands because I'm making a scene in her eyes. "You're always so dramatic. Let's go get a coffee, it certainly looks like you can all use one." She jabs.

I shake my head at her, I didn't trust myself alone with her. My brother grabs me, and we walk out into the hallway.

"He's going to be okay. Dad is going to survive just to stick it to her." He smiles.

"Can we see him?" I ask.

My brother shakes his head. "Not until he wakes. It's just a waiting game at this point."

"So why are we waiting around? If we can't see him and if he's not going to get worse..." I couldn't finish my thoughts. "I'll kill her if I have to stay in that waiting room with her. I can get us a room at The Lowell?"