The Brightest Star

45. Leo

Leo's POV

"So she's in a coma now?" I asked, my voice just louder than a whisper.

My father linked his fingers together on the kitchen table. "Yes. They aren't too hopeful she'll wake up this time, but I'm trying to hold onto the hope she will. Issy has always been so strong-willed, and I-" he stopped, and his hands disappeared from the table, but I didn't raise my eyes to look where they were going. "Anyway, I was going to tell you sooner, but I wanted to give you a little time with everything that happened. But that is why Mrs. Lean is here now. She will be coming over to take care of your mother on weekends and a few days during the week while I'm working."

My body felt like it was in a never-ending fall at this point. "Does that mean you'll have to work more?"

"No, it doesn't. I guess insurance will cover that now since my mother has gotten worse." He paused before quickly adding, "But that doesn't mean she won't get better down the road. Plus, this gives you the chance to go out with your friends instead of being cooped up in the house with her. You could go to the library again too. I know you used to walk there damn near every day."

I just nodded, not having the energy to talk about this anymore, before standing up and walking to my room. My back rested against the door as it clicked closed. I took a deep breath while my eyes scanned the room.

I didn't even know how I felt anymore. The weight of everything took up too much energy for the emotions to even form. I just felt hollow. I know I should be sad hearing the news my mom might not wake up again, but it's like I already cried it out the first two days after the attack, and now I just kinda float through the day.

It's been two weeks since Charlie's attack. King had spent nearly every hour by Kiki's side, which was where he should be. The stabbing didn't hit any of her main organs or veins, but she needed a blood transfusion and of course stitches. She was doing a lot better, and King sent me texts nearly every night with an update. Most days, I didn't reply. Not at all because I didn't care. I just didn't want to move more than half the time to respond, but it was nice to know how she was doing.

I sat in my room most of the time, looking at the wall. My schoolwork piled up more and more every day on the desk. If I wasn't in my room, I would sit in the chair by my mom's side. Sometimes I didn't remember walking up the stairs or if I did all the things I needed to do for her, but today was different.

I got home from school and walked into her room to find some middle age woman in there, sitting in the same chair I always sat in as she was writing something on a clipboard while looking at my mom's meds. That's when my dad came in and pulled me downstairs to explain everything.

Class wasn't much different for me. Jess tried to talk to me, but I didn't know what to say half the time or just didn't hear her as I looked out the window at the bare tree. Mainly to avoid the pity stares from everyone else. No doubt they all knew what happened at my house, but were too scared to ask anything after the way they treated me.

We did get a check from someone to fix the repairs around the house, but I didn't ask where my dad got it from. So the living room was bare for now. The carpet had been torn out a few days ago, waiting to be replaced once my dad picked out the flooring he wanted. He repainted most of the walls, but the spots that needed filling from the two bullet holes needed touching up again. One by the front down where Kiki fired her gun by mistake as she was stabbed, and the other near the ground on the opposite wall. The one that just barely missed the three of us, hitting in between where King held me behind his back and where Kiki lay on the ground when Charlie fired it.

The back door was replaced last week as well as the house phone, since my dad still didn't know that King bought me a phone. I didn't use it other than reading his texts or texting him back when I was in my room, so I didn't feel the need to tell him.