Fostered by their teacher

Chapter 11

*Trigger warning mentions of Hospital*

Lincon's POV

When we get to the hospital, everything feels really big. The doors are huge, and inside, there are so many people walking around. I hold onto Y/N's hand tightly, not wanting to let go. Mason walks beside Mrs. Lewis, and I can tell he's trying to be brave, but he looks nervous too. Y/N squeezes my hand, and I feel a little better.

We stop at the front desk, where Mrs. Lewis talks to the lady behind it. "We're here to visit Stan," she says softly. The lady types something on her computer, and I look around. The hospital smells weird, like something too clean, and the lights are really bright.

"Y/N?" I tug on her hand and look up at her. "Is Dad gonna be awake?"

Y/N looks down at me, her face kind of serious but also trying to smile. "I'm not sure, buddy," she says quietly. "The doctors have been taking care of him, but we'll see when we get up there."

I nod, but my stomach feels funny. I don't like hospitals. I don't like not knowing if Dad's going to be okay.

The lady behind the desk looks up and gives Mrs. Lewis some papers. "He's on the third floor, room 305," she says. Mrs. Lewis nods, and we start walking toward the elevators. I look up at Y/N again.

"Will he be okay?" I whisper, not really wanting to ask but needing to know.

Y/N kneels down next to me for a second, putting her hand on my shoulder. "The doctors are doing everything they can to help him, Linc. He's strong, just like you."

I nod again, even though I'm still scared. Y/N stands up, and we get into the elevator. The ride feels slow, and I watch the numbers light up as we go higher and higher. Mason doesn't say anything, but I can tell he's worried too. His face looks all scrunched up, like when he's thinking really hard.

When the elevator stops, we walk down a long hallway. The walls are white, and the floor is really shiny. Mrs. Lewis leads us to room 305, and we stop right outside the door. My heart feels like it's beating really fast.

Mrs. Lewis knocks gently, and after a moment, a nurse opens the door. "He's resting," she says quietly, but she lets us in anyway.

When we walk into the room, I see Dad lying on the bed. He's not moving much, and there are all these machines around him, making beeping sounds. He looks different, like he's really tired. His eyes are closed, and he has a big bandage on his head.

I hold Y/N's hand even tighter. "Is he sleeping?" I whisper.

"Yeah, buddy," Y/N says softly. "He's resting so he can get better."

Mason walks over to the chair next to the bed and just stares at Dad for a while. I don't know what to say or do. Everything feels strange. I thought seeing him would make me feel better, but it doesn't really.

"Can he hear us?" I ask, looking up at Mrs. Lewis.

She nods gently. "Sometimes, even when people are asleep, they can still hear us. You can talk to him if you want."

I take a deep breath and walk closer to the bed, still holding Y/N's hand. I don't know what to say, but I whisper, "Hi, Dad. It's me, Lincon. I hope you wake up soon."

Dad doesn't move or say anything, but I hope he can hear me. I hope he knows we're here.

After a while, we all just stand there quietly, the machines still making their beeping noises. I don't like this room. It feels too quiet and too loud at the same time. I wish everything could just go back to normal.