The First Time

Chapter 19- Its Okay To Let Go

I explained to my parents what the phone call was about and hurried for the hospital. I was crying the whole way up there, I'm not the one too normally cry. All I did was pray and have hope that things didn't turn for the worst. I held my breath and walked into the elevator, I was anxious but also very nervous. I'm not sure I could stay calm if they were to deliver me bad news. I slow jogged all the way down to her room. Room 503. My bedroom and second home for the past 2 months. I walked in to see her parents sitting beside her bed. They didn't say anything. They just looked at me. I looked at the bed and saw Brooke. Lying still.

"Is everything alright?" I gasped out from rushing in the room.

"We wanted you to sit with her. We have been doing some looks at her charts, whenever you are in the room her monitors run better. I know it's strange, but the more you're in here, the better she does." Mrs. Thomas blurted out.

"How has she been doing today?"

"That's the thing. She's been doing not so well. It's good you got here now, her heartbeat dropped majorly after you left this morning." The doctor added.

"Oh my. I'm gonna stay here all weekend." I couldn't believe it. Maybe it's true. She does know I've been here with her.

"Okay, we're hoping she wakes up from this coma soon. If not, we might have to pull the plug. It's just not fair to keep her like this." The doctor started making her way out of the room.

"No please don't! She's going to get better. I know she is!" I started sobbing lightly and took a seat next to Brooke. Taking her hand in mine.

"We are going to let you two have some time. We'll be downstairs getting coffee if you need us." Her mom smiled at me and shut the door behind her.

All I was feeling was regret. If I had just gone with them that day, maybe, she wouldn't be suffering like this, right here, right now. I held Brooke's hand tight in mine. I couldn't stop staring at her. Normally, when people are inactive and in bed for this long, they are pale, flushed, small, and not pleasant to look at due to lack of sunlight, activity, and even love. Not Brooke. She wasn't as small as you'd expect someone who has been in a coma for 2 months to be. She also wasn't as as flushed in color, Brooke still had a light tan to her skin. Maybe, just maybe, all this love everyone has been giving her is what is keeping her going. I pushed Brooke's hair behind her ears, and leaned in planting a small kiss on her forehead.

"Brooke, please don't suffer. I want you to be happy. Please, just please, do what you need to do. If you need to let go, let go. I can't stand to see you like this. I love you Brooke." I fell into her chest crying. While falling into her I felt her heartbeat. Even though she's in a coma and isn't able to move, the heartbeat made me feel like she was there. It's the only movement she could do.

I sobbed on her for a few minutes and then I felt my hand being gripped tight. I leaned up and noticed she had begun breathing out of her mouth, rather than her nose. I pushed her hair back one more time and once my hand touched her face her eyes started flinching.

"Brooke?" I whispered over her. Her eyes, slowly blinked, and fully opened all the way and she had a small smile shown on her face. I had to lean back. Is this real? Is she really waking up?

"Troy?" A small voice, Brooke's voice, escaped her lips.

"Oh my god." I cried out while I leaned down and hugged her. I have given her tons of hugs over the past 2 months, but this one was my favorite, because she was able to hug back.

"Troy, I love you." She whispered into my neck.

"I love you too Brooke." I whispered back.

"Hey Troy?"

"Yes Brooke?" I said, us still in an embrace.

"You can let go." She laughed. I had forgotten that she was just waking up and she probably wasn't up to hugging at the moment.

"Oh haha, but seriously, I've missed you. So much."

"I've always been here."

"I know, me too. It's just talking to you, and you actually talking back. I missed that, a lot."

"You were here everyday. Weren't you?"

"Just about." I smiled down towards the ground. I felt her hand grab the side of my face, forcing me to look up at her.

"Thank you for that." We met halfway and kissed. It was the first kiss in a long time. It was a very much needed kiss. It was special. It was shared.

"I should probably go get the doctor." I started to get out of the bed.

"What happened to me?" She asked. I turned and sat back down.

"You were in a very bad accident, Brooke. About.... 2 months ago."

"Really?" Her fragile voice tried to speak loud.

"Yeah."

"It felt like a dream. All our friends and family were there, and you. Mostly you. It was almost like a big vacation."

"You didn't suffer then. Did you?"

"I remember a strange crash kinda. But after that, dream. Everyone was happy, we were having fun... Hey Troy?"

"Yes?"

"Did you talk to me? Like try to communicate with me?"

"A lot."

"I knew it. I knew your voice sounded too real." She smiled at me. I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Im gonna go get the doctor, maybe your recovery will be fast, oh and guess what!"

"What?"

"Maybe you'll be ready for prom next month." I winked at her.

"I hope so! I'm gonna fight through this recovery." She smiled.

"I know you will." I smiled back and walked out to get the doctor.