Heartburn (911)

Chapter 20

Slight improvement were still improvements right?

That's what everyone thought when each day the doctors and nurses would say the same things after her test results came in daily. 

But no improvement meant that she could slowly be getting worse again.

Even if she woke up it wouldn't mean she would be herself again. There could be permanent complications with her health, she could have brain damage or she could be completely brain dead.

Veronica Nash had been in a coma for a month and she was finally progressing, the sedation had been withdrawn completely so now it was up to her to wake up. For over a month Eddie wouldn't leave her side, he was exhausted and constantly worried, since her attempt he had lost weight because he forgot to eat.

All he did was sit by her bedside, all day and night, all week and all month. No matter who tried to convince him to go home for a few hours rest he wouldn't. Maddie had tried her hardest, but the two people who could get through to him when he was like that were not an option, Buck and Eddie weren't speaking and Ronnie was unconscious in the hospital bed.

On multiple occasions Chimney and Maddie had suggested seeing if Buck could snap him out of it and debated whether they should tell him what happened, but each time either Bobby or Eddie refused. Claiming he put them there in the first place. 

Most days Eddie stared at his phone or just daydreamed, but he never really allowed himself to sleep or even close his eyes. In fear of missing something, or losing the last time he could have with her.

So the past month of a practically catatonic Eddie had led them to where they were now. Maddie, Athena and Chimney standing outside the hospital with a certain doe-eyed boy.

Everyone involved knew that bringing him there had it's risks, but they were worried for their friend, so it was worth it. They could take whatever followed as the aftermath of their actions, but they didn't know what else to do.

Evan himself didn't know why he was there, what he was doing or what had happened that was so important, to pull him away from his pity party at home, drinking beer and watching trashy reality shows, that Ronnie had gotten him into.

So when Maddie and Chimney drove him to the hospital, he was momentarily distracted from his annoyance at being kidnapped, or in his case, buck-napped. The annoyance had been replaced by confusion and worry, who was hurt and why was he there when none of the team would talk to him. 

Before taking him to see Ronnie and Eddie, they decided to tell him beforehand to give him a few moments to process and feel what he needed to feel, let it out before seeing them again.

"Why am I here?" Buck asked, a sense of fear settling in his stomach, nobody had spoken to him since the lawsuit, almost two months ago and now he was being brought to the hospital for an 'emergency'.

"A month ago um, Ron- Ronnie, she attempted suicide. Eddie found her within seven or eight minutes, but she's been in a coma since. Over time her vitals have increased slowly and she's off sedation completely now so we're waiting for her to wake up. But they've said that from the amount of time her brain went without oxygen she could have long term brain damage or even be brain dead and they want to start discussions about unplugging her. We thought you should at least be able to see her, regardless of what happened with you, you're her best friend and she needs you, and so does Eddie, even if he's too stubborn to realize it. He hasn't left the hospital since she was brought in, he won't eat or sleep if it means leaving her. So we thought that you could try and convince him to go home for a few hours." Maddie explained but also asked at the same time.

"You mean to tell me that my sister tried to kill herself and nobody told me!?" Buck exploded, anger and hurt clouding his normally bright blue eyes. Chimney frowned slightly as Maddie looked anywhere but her brother.

The door to Ronnie's room opened as an infuriated Eddie stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed when he laid eyes on the blonde staring at him. "What the fuck is he doing here?" He asked, his tone cold and sharp, Eddie clenched his fists, fighting the urge to punch him once more.

"If it is goodbye Eddie, he needs to see her. If it's time, he deserves to say his goodbyes too. He may have made mistakes, but we all do, we're human, she is his family as much as she is ours. Let him see her, please." Maddie begged, tears welled in her eyes as emotions clogged in her throat, blocking her voice forming words, instead she gulped.

No words left the latino's mouth, but he nodded his head slightly, moving out of the door frame, he closed his eyes slightly, exhaustion dragging him down. Buck took his chance and rushed into her room, tears rolling down his cheeks as he took in her pale and drawn appearance. He squeezed her hand as he cleared his throat. "Ronnie, I'm sorry, I am so sorry for doing this to you. I'm sorry for the lawsuit, and dragging everything up, I was an idiot." He whispered to her, running his hand through her hair.

Chimney rested his hand on the blondes shoulder in a sign of comfort, as Maddie once more tried to comfort and talk to Eddie. "Eddie, you need to go home, go get some sleep. You haven't slept comfortably, or even at all in over a month. She wouldn't want you to do this to yourself." Her calming voice not having the effect it used to, especially on Buck and Ronnie, instead he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"How am I meant to sleep when everytime I close my eyes, I see her drowning, or I dream when she dies, or I see her next to that damn firetruck bleeding out, whilst I'm performing CPR on her. I can't sleep cause every time I close my eyes I watch her die." Tears rolled down his cheeks as he furiously wiped them away, Maddie smiled simpathetically before sending Evan over to his old best friend.

The blonde walked out and instantly gave the latino a hug, not caring that they were fighting, but knowing that he needed it. "I know what I did was wrong, and I fucked up big time, but I'm sorry. Please, go home even for a few hours, I will stay and ring you if anything happens, good or bad. I won't leave her side until you're back, I swear." Eddie nodded his head as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket. "No, you're not driving when you haven't slept properly in over a month. Chimney will drive you." Buck instructed, giving his keys to Chimney before going to sit beside his sister.

Forty minutes later and Edmundo Diaz lie on his bed, tossing and turning, his mouth parted slightly, drooling onto the pillow as he snored softly. The first time he had fallen asleep in over a month, surviving on coffee and energy drinks.

Carla had taken the kids out to give him a few hours of the much needed rest, whilst Ronnie had her own.