Comeback (Sequel to 'Before the Storm')

Chapter 1: Accident

Joe's POV

The emergency room doors burst open as paramedics rushed Ally in on a stretcher. My heart pounded in my chest as I ran alongside them, my hand desperately clinging to hers.

"Female, 25, vehicle hit pedestrian," one paramedic rattled off.

"Unconscious at the scene, possible head trauma, multiple contusions, suspected internal bleeding."

A flurry of medical staff surrounded us, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of urgency.

"BP's dropping, we need to stabilize her!"
"Get her to CT, stat!"
"Sir, you need to let go now. We'll take care of her."

I felt someone gently but firmly pulling me away from Ally. My fingers slipped from hers, and I watched helplessly as they wheeled her away through swinging doors.

"Joe!" I heard Kevin's voice behind me.

I turned to see him rushing towards me, followed closely by Nick, Priyanka, and Dani.

"What happened? How is she?" Nick asked, his face etched with concern.

Before I could answer, a nurse appeared. "Are you family?"

"I'm her boyfriend," I said, "And this is her cousin" I added, gesturing to Dani.

Dani stepped forward, her voice shaking. "Please, how is Ally?"

The nurse's expression softened. "The doctors are examining her now. Can you give me some information while we wait?"

We nodded, answering questions about Ally's medical history as best we could. Priyanka wrapped an arm around Dani, who was visibly trembling.

After what felt like an eternity, a doctor emerged, his face grave. "Family of Allyssa Deleasa?"

We all stood up. "How is she?" I asked, my brothers flanking me for support.

The doctor took a deep breath. "She's stable, but her condition is serious. The CT scan shows a severe concussion and some swelling in her brain. There's also internal bleeding that we need to address surgically."

Dani let out a choked sob, Kevin immediately pulling her into his arms.

"But she'll be ok, right? She'll wake up? Sh-" I panicked, feeling Nick's hand on my shoulder.

"Mr. Jonas," the doctor interrupted gently, "Ally has slipped into a coma. At this point, we can't predict when she'll regain consciousness. It could be hours, days, or..."

He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.

"We're prepping her for surgery now to stop the internal bleeding," he continued, "After that, we'll monitor her closely and do everything we can to reduce the swelling in her brain."

"Can we see her before the surgery?" Dani asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The doctor hesitated, then nodded. "Briefly. Only two at a time."

Dani looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. "You and Joe should go," Priyanka said softly. We nodded gratefully.

The doctor led us to a pre-op area where Ally laid, surrounded by machines. She looked so small, so fragile. We approached her bedside, each taking a hand.

"Ally," I whispered, my voice breaking, "I'm here, baby. We're all here. You're going to be ok. You have to be ok. I love you so much."

Dani stroked Ally's hair gently. "Stay strong, buba. We need you to come back to us."

A nurse gently touched our shoulders. "It's time. We need to take her now."

We each pressed a soft kiss to Ally's forehead, then stepped back, watching as they wheeled her away once more.

As we returned to the waiting area, Kevin immediately enveloped Dani in a hug. Nick and Priyanka approached me, their faces etched with concern.

"Joe, what happened out there?" Nick asked gently.

I sank into a chair, the guilt overwhelming me. "It's my fault," I choked out.

"What do you mean, it's your fault?" pressed Priyanka.

"She saw... Sophie and I... She kissed me. It was a mistake. Ally ran out, and I couldn't catch her in time."

The room fell silent for a moment. Then Dani abruptly pulled away from Kevin, her eyes flashing with anger and disbelief.

"You did what?" she hissed, her voice low but intense, "Sophie? Your ex-wife, Sophie? Joe, how could you?"

I flinched at her words, the shame burning even hotter. "I know, I—"

"No," Dani cut me off, her voice trembling with emotion, "Ally is like a sister to me. She loves you so much, Joe. She's been there for you, your girls, for all of us, and you repay her by kissing Sophie?"

"I tried to push her off, I swear," I said, meeting her gaze, "I really am sorry Dani, please believe me! You know that I would never do anything to purposely hurt Ally. I love her!"

Tears rushed down my face, "FUCK!" I screamed, as I lashed out, kicking a nearby chair. The loud clatter of metal on the tile punctuated my anguished cry.

Kevin looked at me, his expression a mix of concern and disappointment. "Dani, Joe, let's calm down. We'll talk about all of this later. Right now, we need to focus on Ally."

Nick nodded in agreement. "We're all here for you.. both of you. Whatever you need."

As we settled in to wait, the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on all of us. Ally was fighting for her life, and all we could do was wait, hope, and pray that she'd come back to us.