Best Friends

31

Roseanne

"Her hand moved!" I cried, looking at her face waiting for her to open her eyes.

Linda and Richard jumped up too and we all leant over the bed just waiting. When Lisa's hand tightened on mine, Linda laughed quietly and Richard pressed the call button the wall to get the doctors attention.

The same doctor from yesterday came rushing in, obviously his shift had ended and started again and that made the time seem even longer somehow. A nurse came in behind him; they both looked at us curiously.

"Her hand moved," Richard explained.

I couldn't take my eyes off of Lisa, I daren't even blink incase I missed anything, I couldn't breathe as I stood there waiting and waiting. After about a minute her eyelids fluttered.

The doctor walked round to the machines, checking the printout of her heart monitor making Linda and Richard step back out of the way to give him access.

Suddenly it happened and I dragged in a ragged breath as my fear and worry loosened slightly. I worked hard to keep the horror and sadness off of my face as Lisa's eyelids fluttered, before opening. I smiled weakly as she groaned and raised her hand to pull at the tube that was going down her throat. I took her hand quickly and brushed her hair back from her forehead.

"Shh baby, it's ok. Everything's ok, they'll take that out just don't worry," I cooed soothingly as the nurse and doctor stepped forward to the edge of the bed. Her eyes met mine and I saw panic and fear there, which broke my heart. "Everything's ok, baby," I lied. She squeezed my hand hard as they pulled out the tubes from her throat making her gag and cough as she gasped for breath. They fussed over her for a couple of minutes while she just gripped my hand as if her life depended on it.

I felt sick, they were about to tell her and I was about to watch her heart break. Was I strong enough to be here when they told her? Could I watch them rip her heart out without breaking down and making it worse for her? I didn't want to be here but Lisa's green eyes met mine and I knew I needed to stay. It would hurt like hell to watch, but I would never leave her when she needed me, I needed to be strong for her, I refused to cry and make this worse for her by being weak.

I sat on the chair next to her bed as the doctor and nurse looked at Linda, silently asking for permission to tell Lisa the news. She nodded and they stepped forward again. Lisa didn't pay any attention to them, she tugged on my hand slightly, making me move closer to her. I smiled weakly and pressed my lips to her dry chapped ones for a second before pulling back. "I love you, Lisa," I whispered fiercely.

She smiled her heartbreaking smile that I had missed so much for the last day, "I love you more, Roseanne," she croaked, her voice sounding raspy and sore. My stomach seemed to flutter that the first words out of her mouth were the sweetest words in the history of the world. I would never take a single one of her words for granted again; this situation had just made every single one more precious to me.

The doctor cleared his throat, "Lisa, we need to talk to you about what happened," he said confidently.

Lisa tore her eyes from me to look at the doctor and I couldn't listen, I couldn't hear it again. I kept my eyes on her face, watching as emotions crossed her face so quickly I could barely even register them. Confusion, horror, fear, desperation.

She turned her head and looked at me, her eyes pleading with me to tell her she was fine, that this was a lie or a joke. She had never looked so vulnerable and scared and I hated her parents more than ever for it. I nodded in confirmation watching her face fall as she slowly started to accept it, her hand squeezing mine so hard it felt like she was going to break my fingers but I just didn't care.