Corruption | Ethan Landry

[05] let's play a game

The friends waited outside the hospital room nervously. The moment the ambulance had arrived, Ethan had ridden in the back with Ella to the hospital while Mindy called the others and they all taxied over. Ethan had been pacing around the room earlier, going out of his mind with worry. The boy had nearly gotten into a fight with the nurses and doctors when they refused to let him through to see Ella, and the hospital had had to call security on him. Chad had only just barely gotten there in time to calm the boy down, and now he was sitting with his head in his hands, hunched over on a seat.

Sam and Tara arrived after Chad, and Annika arrived last. As the group huddled around the waiting area worriedly, Mindy quietly told them everything that had happened—or what she knew of the story, at least.

As Mindy repeated the events of what had happened, Ethan sat silently in one corner, unmoving. He'd been sitting and staring at the same spot on the floor for the past forty minutes, ever since the doctors had taken Ella inside the Emergency Room and told the rest of the group to wait outside.

"I can't believe this happened," Tara said, tears in her eyes. "To Ella, too. The way she was attacked—god, I hope she's alright."

The group sat around in silence for a little longer, until it was broken by the sound of the ER doors swinging open as a doctor walked out.

"Hello," the woman greeting them said tiredly. "I'm sorry for the wait, but you'll be happy to know your friend is in a stable condition now."

The group got up immediately, breaking out in murmurs of relief; Ethan looked up for the first time since sitting down in the waiting room seat and hastily made his way over to the doctor. "Is she alright? Can we see her?" He said desperately.

"We've contacted her family already, to notify them of what happened." The Doctor said first. "Do you know if they'll be arriving to see her?"

"Unlikely," Sam bit her lip. "They're from out of state, so I doubt they'll be here tonight. But can we see her first? Please?"

The doctor hesitated, but nodded. "One at a time first, please."

Ethan went in first. The others didn't dare argue with him, after he shot the whole group one look making it clear he'd kill anyone who tried to stop him.

He entered the room, where Ella lay, and bitterness, worry, and rage mixed through his body at the sight of her laying unmoving and unconscious in the hospital bed. "Elle," he croaked, as he collapsed into the chair by her side. "Elle, I'm so sorry. God, I'm so so sorry."

He wasn't sure how long he sat by her, mourning her injuries, until a hand rested gently on his shoulder. "Hey, Ethan. Sorry, but do you need anything? We can go grab you some water, if you want. I know you'll probably be waiting here awhile."

Ethan looked up, seeing Annika stand over her. He blinked slowly, taking a second to comprehend that she and the others were also now in the room. "What are you guys doing here?" He said, his throat slightly raw. 

"A nice nurse lady let us in when she heard about what happened," Chad explained sheepishly. "So we all sorta came inside to visit Elle."

"Has she woken up yet?" Tara asked, who was further in the back and only just entering the room. 

"Not yet," Sam said, closing her eyes with a sigh. "I knew we should've gotten out of this town while we could, damn it."

"Should we try waking her up?" Tara suggested weakly. "I want her to get her rest, but..."

"We need to know what happened," Mindy finished for her.

Ethan's lips were drawn flat together, but he nodded tightly. As much as he also wanted Ella to get her rest, what he needed more was for her to wake up so that he could see her beautiful brown eyes again. So that he could see she was conscious, that she was alive.