Triple Digits

Corey Strickland

Corey breezed into the hospital room, a tray of coffees in his hand, each one made to the specifications of the people who awaited him in the room. The weather today was nice, at least, so the walk across the hospital grounds and into the coffee shop there had been bearable.
Maddison looked up from her phone, giving him an easy smile as she accepted her drink.
At the end of the bed, Helix was painting Claire's toenails in the lime-green she loved so much, touching them up as he did once a week. Corey placed Helix's drink down on the miniature table beside him.
Averie had flown in from Redwood after receiving a phone call from Dunfield about both Corey and Claire being in the hospital, and stayed. He handed her coffee to her.
Claire had survived Corey's car T-boning the Peregrine she was in straight into the water of the bay over a month ago, sustaining two broken ribs, a re-fractured wrist and hand, and a pretty major gash across her right eyebrow that doctors thought would leave a scar.
She'd been in a medically-induced coma since then, having taken on a significant amount of water into her lungs, too.
But today, today, she would be released from her coma.
They'd stopped the drugs a couple hours ago, everyone waiting for her to wake up naturally. A nurse checked in to see how she was going every hour or so.
Taking a seat at Claire's head, where he'd been the last month, he leaned forward and brushed a kiss to the top of her head. Her skin was pale, but healthy thanks to the IV that fed fluids straight into her veins, keeping her hydrated. She was fed via a tube. The heart rate monitor showed that everything was in perfect rhythm, her beat strong.
The shock of it all came rushing back in when he breathed in her scent.
His plan had been made quickly the night before the race. Quite frankly, it was a miracle it worked.
Maddison, using her expert knowledge of engines, had made it so Eclipse's car would fail not long into the race, slowing him down and allowing for the police Corey knew would be present to arrest him. Eclipse had tried to run, but quickly been apprehended and dragged off in handcuffs. His trial was set to happen next week.
Then, after bringing Maddison back, he had returned to the Docks, stolen a car, and chosen the perfect spot to hide and wait.
The killer had tampered with Claire's engine to explode, and while Corey had no idea of how to undo such a bomb, he did know the one counter to fire- Water.
And racing at the Docks, they had been surrounded by it.
He'd had to time racing forward perfectly so his car slammed into Claire's at just the right moment, sending her spinning out of control and into the water, submerging the engine of the Peregrine before it went up in a ball of flames.
Corey had been knocked unconscious alongside Claire, but according to witnesses, Dunfield had dragged the both of them out of their respective vehicles and called for an ambulance. He'd awoken later that night, anxious to know if Claire had lived, since there was always a chance the crash killed her anyway, and had cried when hearing that she was in a medically-induced coma thanks to her injuries and weakened state.
Once he'd recovered and been released, he had come here every day, sleeping here most nights unless Dunfield sent him home.
He had been at work today when the hospital had phoned to let him know that they were letting Claire wake up. Thankfully, Dunfield had allowed him to leave for the day to come here and wait for her.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Maddy whispered fearfully from the end of the bed. Helix paused, the nail polish brush hovering over Claire's little toe. An equally scared expression was on his face. Averie leaned forward, squeezing her little sister's hand, murmuring, "Claire is stubborn, and strong. She's survived this far, hasn't she?"
Corey pressed another kiss to Claire's cheek, leaning his forehead gently against hers and whispering her name. He missed her.
Every day without her had made his heart ache. He wanted to hear her laugh again, or see her smile. Anything but having her lie there, motionless except for her breathing.
"Come back, Claire," he whispered in her ear, "Let us make sure you're okay."
Across the room, Maddison let out a squeal of glee, shrieking, "She's awake!"
And beneath him, Claire groaned his name groggily...