Unpredictable

Chapter 22: Talking

Two Days Later, October 22nd

"She looks so bad," I heard Evie's voice. Why couldn't I see her? Everything was dark, why couldn't I see or hear Evie? For that matter, why couldn't I move?

"Sophie's a fighter, babe," Ty's voice resonated, echoing throughout...wherever I was. Where was I? The last thing I remembered...Ethan had been in that car. I'd been trying to save him from what was, apparently, a drunken death wish. My heart rate increased.

Where is Ethan? Is Ethan okay?

"Her heart rate is increasing," gasped Evie, worry filling her voice. "Get the nurse." There was the sound of rapid footsteps clicking on a tiled floor, and then more people were entering my room. I noticed, finally, the giveaway smell of disinfectant.

Get the nurse?

I must be in a hospital, I concluded. But then, where was Ethan? And then the voices faded out again.

Three Days Later, October 23rd

"Evie, you should probably go home," Dylan's voice said quietly. My heart ached, not only because of the emptiness it held, but because I couldn't see him, and I wanted to. I couldn't touch him, hold his hand, and dear Lord, I wanted to.

But instead I lay still on my uncomfortable hospital bed. I had now realized that there was some kind of breathing apparatus attached to my face. I couldn't feel any part of my body below my waist, and I couldn't move anything. It seemed, to me, like the reparations my body was undergoing had begun in my brain.

I could only hope they'd fix everything.

"No way! My sister is - is comatose, for fuck's sake, there's no way I'd leave her like this!"

"I didn't want to say anything, Eves, but I'm under strict orders," sighed Dylan. "The nurses have said it isn't healthy, and they're nurses. Your dads agree, and Ty's on our side, too. You've been here for three days. It's not your fault, Evie." There was a pregnant pause. "God, if it's anyone's fault, it's mine."

"What? No, it's Ethan's, Dylan, don't say that."

"And who left him unsupervised? Who knew he was unstable? Me, I did. And now Sophie might fucking die, and it's just...it's bad." Dylan sighed. "Just go home and shower, Evie. Please."

"Yeah," put in Ty. "And change your clothes. I love you, babe, but you smell like hospital."

I knew without looking that Evie was giving her boyfriend a half-hearted dirty glare from her seat.

Two sets of footsteps grew fainter and fainter, and then there was a soft thump, like Dylan had just collapsed on one of the hospital chairs.

"Sophie, please get better," he whispered. "I've been at home with Aurora for the past three days, rehearsing what I might fucking say, and I'm sorry, I know, language...don't worry, I didn't use much around her...Fuck, you'd yell at me if you could hear me."

I can hear you, Dylan, and it's okay.

"Edward and Doug are watching her, but don't worry, they were here the first and second days," continued Dylan. "It's been crazy, actually. Ricky met Georgia, you know, and they've just about got her moved out of the group home there. And Maxton really connected, like older-brother style, with Nathan. He's talked with his parents, and it sounds like Nathan's moving out, too."

That's great, Dylan.

"Look, I know you don't like it when I swear in front of Aurora," sighed Dylan. "I know we talked about you, but we didn't really get to talk about me, much. And I know you said it didn't matter, but Soph, it does. If this is going to be a good, working relationship, and I want it to be like that, then we need to talk about me." Dylan took a harsh, rattling breath that gave away the fact that he was holding in tears. "Fuck, I'm taking the coward's way out, aren't I, talking to someone who can't even fucking hear me...I'll tell you again," he decided. "I promise, Sophie, I'll tell you again."

He took my hand, and his touch sent tingles up and down my arm. It pained me that I couldn't squeeze his hand back.

"I used to be the bad boy," admitted Dylan. "The player. That's probably why Tanya wanted to date me so much, wanted to prove she was the one who'd finally conquered me. But that was all Aurora. And I hated my parents, I wanted everyone else to feel the same way I did, abandoned, lonely, neglected. So I swore, a lot, and I wasn't the nicest person." A heavy sigh. "You can't hear me. I was a fucking bully, right up until Aurora was born. And then I looked at that beautiful face, all red and in my arms, and I realized that I wanted to be better for Aurora."

Another sigh as Dylan slowly swung my limp hand back and forth. "And then I met you, Sophie, and you...you'd given up on the world, you know? You didn't think you were worth anything, and then you met Aurora and you somehow managed to get her to sleep within minutes, when it always took me hours, and suddenly I wanted to be better for you, too. And you know the first time I realized something was really wrong, after you went into that coma? We were in the waiting room, and I don't remember what I said, but it had a swear word, and Aurora was there, because everybody I always used as a babysitter was also there." His voice was getting shakier and shakier by the minute, and I knew the tears he had tried so hard to suppress were going to come out, one way or another.

"And nobody said 'Language,' like you always do. Nobody cared that I'd just used a swear word in front of my daughter. You gotta wake up, Soph. Please." Dylan was crying now. "Sophie, please, I'll do anything. Just wake up, for me, okay? Everything seems wrong without you there - Evie isn't using makeup, she's been wearing the same clothes for three days, Ethan's still here, being forced to see his shrink, that little fucker got off with just a broken arm and a broken ankle, and a mild concussion..."

So that answers my Ethan question.

"Doug's been ordering takeout, Soph, he never orders takeout, I don't remember the last time he did, but he hasn't been able to touch the kitchen, and we all know Edward can't cook to save his life..."

Why is everybody so upset about me?

"Sophie, you lit up everybody's world when you arrived," sobbed Dylan. "And now it's darker since you left, and Soph, you need to come back. Please, I know you're a fighter, I know you're in there, Sophie, please."

*************

A/N: Kind of a filler chapter...but we're back to Sophie's POV, who missed our girl? And yes, the visual descriptions will be somewhat lacking, since she can't, you know, SEE, but she gets to hear from everyone else (literally)...but they don't actually know that she can hear them...well, not for sure, anyway...

ALSO, I apologize for any incorrectness regarding Sophie's treatment. Please feel free to POLITELY correct me, but if it's just hate then don't bother.