IRIS

chapter twenty-six

AN: Just to clear things up, the last chapter was set a few days after the accident. This chapter starts us back on the regular timeline, meaning this is the same day of the school fight.

Hawk sat in the hospital waiting room, his leg bouncing up and down and his chin resting in his hands. He sat alone in the waiting room, waiting for someone else to show up.

Hawk's face was bloody and bruised when he looked up at Robby Keene. The boy looked over the railing and down to Miguel, who laid unconscious on the steps.

Hawk looked between Miguel and Iris, deciding to go over to Iris first. The boy crouched down besides the girl's head, tears filling his eyes as he looked down at the bloodied girl.

"Iris, baby wake up. Wake up." Hawk refrained from shaking the girl, his hands hovering above her afraid to touch her.

The world seemed to move in slow motion as a security guard pushed Hawk out of the way, the man leaning down to press two fingers to the girl's neck.

Hawk looked up to Tory, who stared down at Miguel. The boy quickly stood up and walked up a few steps to stand in front of the girl.

"You. This is your fault." Tory looked up, her eyes filling with tears as she looked around the lobby. "Iris is down there, because of you!" Tory looked over, now noticing the unconscious girl.

"I-I didn't..."

"Yes, you did!" Doug ran up and grabbed Hawk's arms, refraining him from getting any closer to the already frightened girl.

Hawk's hand began to shake as he took a deep breath, looking down the white hallway. He wasn't sure if he was glad to see Iris' grandmother run into the waiting room, Miguel's mom and grandmother with her. Hawk was surprised to see Sensei Lawrence run in after them, his face as pale as a ghost. 

"Miguel Diaz and Iris Montague?" Miguel's mom was the first to arrive at the front desk as she leaned down to ask about the two children. 

"I'll page their doctors." The three women nodded before stepping away from the desk. Hawk stood up from the chair, unsure if he should talk to Iris' grandmother. The woman turned to face the boy before he could make up his mind, her face instantly softening at the sight of the boy. His eyes were red, his cheeks were stained with tears and he was visibly shaking. 

"Oh, Eli dear." Mrs. Montague held her arms out to the boy who quickly walked over to the woman, falling into her arms. Sobs wracked the boy's body as he apologized to the older woman.

"I-I'm so-so, sorry. I should've protected her." Hawk laid his head on the woman's shoulder as she rubbed his back. 

"Eli, you couldn't have done anything." The woman pulled away from the boy, holding his face in her hands. "Better you be out here then in one of those beds." Hawk gulped as he looked down at the woman, nodding slowly. 

"Miguel Diaz?" The older woman spun around when she heard the young boy's name. The doctor walked up to Carmen and her mother, Mrs. Montague slowly walking up to the two women. "You've seen your fair share of these. So, you know the next 24 hours are critical." 

"But he's gonna pull through, right?" The doctor turned to Sensei Lawrence, offering him a sad smile. 

"We're doing everything we can. Excuse me." The doctor excused herself as she went to go check on another patient, leaving the five in silence. Carmen turned to cry into her mother's shoulder as another doctor rounded the corner.