The Great War

🫂 Let Her Go 🫂

The song in the title is "Let Her Go" by Passenger.

Jake's POV

Well, you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the Sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go

Staring at the bottom of your glass
Hoping one day you'll make a dream last
But dreams come slow and they go so fast

You see her when you close your eyes
Maybe one day you'll understand why
Everything you touch surely dies

But you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the Sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go

Staring at the ceiling in the dark
Same old empty feeling in your heart
'Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast

Well, you see her when you fall asleep
But never to touch and never to keep
'Cause you loved her too much and you dived too deep

Well, you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the Sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go

3rd Person POV

"I'm sorry," she says, her voice soft yet resolute.

"Her condition was critical. We did our best to stabilize her, but the injuries were too severe. We couldn't prevent the internal bleeding. She's... no more."

The word hangs in the air, heavy and unbearable. The room seems to shrink, the grief and shock suffocating. Zander lets out a guttural cry, his knees giving away as he falls to the floor. Jake just stands there, frozen, his mind refusing to process the words.

Everyone else is reeling in shock, their faces crumpling in pain. Milly is staring wide-eyed at the surgeon, in denial. Sean, looking like he has lost all his faith, had begun weeping silently. Luke looks like he might vomit, his face ashen. Even the Austin-Wickham couple, strong and composed until now, look like their whole world has collapsed in front of them.

But it's Zander who breaks the silence, his voice raw with despair as he lets out another strangled cry. "No..." he breathes out, his body shuddering. "No, no, no. This can't be happening. She can't be..."

The room is a tableau of grief, each person dealing with the devastating news in their own way. Jake is quiet, almost stoic if it weren't for the endless stream of tears silently trailing down his face. His mind is whirling with memories of Hailey, the thought of her gone... it's simply inconceivable.

Zander is sobbing harder now, his body wracked with the force of his grief. His father has his arm around his shoulder, silently offering what little comfort he can. Shannon is sitting, her face in her hands as quiet tears stream down her cheeks. Jake's mom is sitting right next to her, holding her to provide some support.

Jake is in a state of shock, his mind refusing to accept what he just heard. The room feels like it's closing in on him, the weight of the news making it hard to breathe. He's reliving every moment he spent with Hailey, every smile, every laugh, every touch. It all seems brutally unfair that they'll never get to make new memories together.

His body feels heavy, like he's moving through water, and his eyes are dry from the tears he can't seem to control.

"It can't end like this," he breathes out. "It can't... There has to be a way. She has to live." He was whispering silent prayers but no one heard him. They were too caught up in their own grief to notice the blonde boy stand, frozen with fear, his body had grown cold. He could get a heart attack.

But...

On the spur of the moment, a nurse calls the surgeon and everyone looks up with tears in their eyes. They watch as the surgeon heads back into the surgery room, a perplexed expression on her face.

A few moments pass, each one feeling like an eternity. The room is filled with a taut silence, no one daring to speak or move. Until a nurse peeks out from the surgery room, a surprised smile on her face.

"You guys are gonna wanna come over here and take a look at this," the nurse calls out, her voice filled with a note of disbelief.

Everyone exchanges bewildered glances, their faces etched with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. They all slowly stand up, approaching the surgery room as a unit.

As soon as they step in, the room is filled with exclamations of shock and joy. There she is. Hailey Austin. Laying on the hospital bed with the heart monitor displaying a gentle but safe heart rate.

Zander lets out a choked sob, his body weak with relief. "I don't believe it..." he whispers, tears streaming down his face.

Jake looks like he's just been given a lifeline himself, his eyes filled with gratitude. He steps over to Hailey's side, his hand trembling as he takes hers.

The room is a whirlwind of emotion as the reality sinks in - Hailey is alive. Everyone is teary-eyed and elated, the relief overwhelming. Zander's parents look like they're about to pass out from the shock and happiness.

Jake is gripping Hailey's hand tightly, as if afraid that she'll disappear if he lets go. The thought of almost losing her, the thought of... he can't even bring himself to think about it.

The surgeon is equally stunned, her professional demeanor giving way to disbelief. "I've never seen anything like this," she says, shaking her head. "It's not just that she survived the surgery, it's that her body seems to be... healing rapidly. Look at her vitals, heartbeat, blood pressure - it's almost as if..."

She trails off, her words hanging in the air. No one needs to say it aloud - they're all thinking the same thing. This isn't just luck or a fluke. It's something more.

As the surgeon continues to monitor Hailey's progress, everyone is in a daze. They're all staring at Hailey, alive and miraculously healing before their eyes. Michael and Shannon are grinning while happy tears roll down their faces.

Zander himself is trembling with relief, his eyes never leaving his sister. Jake is holding Hailey's hand like a lifeline, his emotions a chaotic mess of guilt and gratitude.

Luke, Milly, and Sean are just as gobsmacked, their faces a mixture of disbelief and joy. They look like they've been given the best news of their lives, and their eyes are moist with unbidden tears. Everyone is still and silent, their minds just starting to comprehend the magnitude of what's happening.

As everyone watches, holding their breath, Hailey's eyes flutter open. It's a slow, disoriented awakening, her gaze unfocused at first. And then, her eyes meet Jake's and there's recognition. A faint smile curves the corner of her lips, and her fingers curl slightly around Jake's hand.

Her eyes flutter open completely, an affectionate gleam in them despite her lack of strength. "Always the dramatic one, aren't you?" she teases Jake.

Note: Bethany isn't here because, well, no need to traumatize her. She's being babysitted by Luke's parents.