Seven | Part Three of Goodbye, Emmi

Drained

Shay and I sat in the waiting room, talking on the phone to the kids, who were at Casey and Kayli's, trying to explain what's going on. Frankly, we weren't exactly sure what was going on either.

"Oh, Brocky, I have to go, the doctor is here." I hung up, not getting a chance to tell Brock and the other kids I love them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Butler?" The man stood up and shook our hands, his face was pale, and held a firm look of exhaustion.

"Are the MRI results back?" Shay impatiently asked.

"Yes, why don't you come over here for a minute."

He sat us down in a private room and took out the MRI scans.

"This is what your daughter's brain looks like." He said, handing us a photo.

"I don't understand..." I said.

"Yes, well, this is the brain of a little girl your daughter's exact age." He handed another photo.

My eyes fell to two photos. One was not like the other. One was extremely different.

"You see the different shades right here?" He pointed to the photo of the other girl's brain. "These colors signal the amount of activity in that section of the brain, right here is the cerebrum, here is the cerebellum-"

I didn't let him finish.

"What does this mean?" I interrupted.

He took a deep breath and folded his hands together. "Your daughter's MRI shows a large amount of inactivity in the brain. This tells us that Quinn has a brain not functioning." He paused for a split second. "This means that Quinn is a state of comatose."

His words fell of his tongue like knives being thrown. I stared blankly at him, not looking at Shay, or at the photos, or at anything except him. I didn't move, I didn't blink, it felt as though my heart didn't even beat.

I tilted my head down, and immediately was met with an outpouring of tears. Shay pulled me into his chest, and I felt a tear from his face splash onto my hand. All thoughts vanished from my mind, all blood stopped dead in my veins, the only thing I felt was raw emotion. Emotion I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. The kind of feelings where your entire being is put to the test, giving you one glimpse into the darkest time imaginable. That was all I felt.

"I'm so sorry." The doctor placed his hand on my shoulder and knelt down next to me. "I mean that with all my heart."

I cried without ceasing until my tears were thick. I looked up at Shay's tear stained face, trying harder than ever to give me his "everything will be alright" look. But he couldn't. Everything wasn't going to be alright.

The doctor lifted his hand from my shoulder and left the room, giving Shay and I privacy.

We both sat in the uncomfortable chairs, wanting so badly to cry. But we had nothing left to cry. Every ounce of water drained from our eyes.

Shay ran his fingers through his beard and paused before breaking the silence that inhabited the room. "I will do everything to keep her safe."

I opened the door to one more tear as it slid down my face. "I know." I said behind a choked voice.

"Let's go see her." He stood up and grabbed my hand, kissing it before he opened the door, exposing the waiting room once again.

The waiting room was filled with children, adults, elderly, teenagers. All waiting to hear what could be their saving grace, or their shattering news. All biting their nails, imagining every scenario that could be for their loved one. It could be cancer. It could be a stroke. It could be a broken bone. It could be anything, yet the waiting room wasn't filled with cries of fear and aching of what might become of their loved one. The room was filled with silence. Utter silence.

But if thoughts could be heard, the room would be screaming.