Broken

Chapter 2: Ashley Finds Out

Chapter Two: Ashley Finds Out

It's been a month since the accident and three weeks since dad told the twins I'm awake. I'm still in the hospital, they don't want to release me until some of my broken bones heal. Alex and Gracey came to see me earlier and, as we so often do, we fell asleep watching Disney channel.

I wake up to the sound of the door opening. Figuring it was just my dad coming back to check on the girls and I, I kept my eyes closed. Then I heard somebody crying, dad hasn't cried around me since I started talking again.. The doctors and nurses don't cry over me so it's clearly not one of them. There is no way that I can open my eyes now, what if it's one of my friends that managed to sneak in here. I've lied to them for a month, they all think I'm in a coma.

"Oh Clo-bear, I miss you so much, this is the longest we've ever gone without talking to each other." I heard a voice cry from beside me. I would recognize that voice anywhere. That voice belongs to my best friend, Ashley Bennett. Ash and I have been friends since we were three. Our moms both decided to put us in dance classes. We became friends immediately and have been inseparable ever since, taking countless dance classes together. "I haven't seen you in a month, I had to sneak in here, they wouldn't let me through. I don't care if you're in a coma I just had to see you even if you don't know I'm here. Nothing is the same without you, everything seems dull. Dance is the worst though. The first week you were gone we all just cried and once Kara got us to dance again it was a mess. The dances just don't work without you and nobody will take your place. None of us can dance like you. We had to scrap all of the dances and start over. They pulled in so many extra practices so we can have them ready for the show next week. Hopefully you'll be awake by then. Please try and wake up Chloe everybody needs to see you, especially Jason. He's been a wreck, he's completely unstable, it's like he can't function without you."

Jason is my best guy friend, we've been friends since diapers. His mom, Susanna Martin, and my mom were high school friends, once they met they were just like Ash and I, inseparable. They both fell pregnant with Jason and I at the same and I was born just a few hours before him. I've held those hours over his head my entire life. Jason and I were always together and we share everything with each other. We live right next door to each other. Jason even has his own room in my house. Technically it's a guest room but only Jason ever stays there. Most of the time he ends up on the futon in my room or we fall asleep in the upstairs theater or on the floor of my dance studio. The most we have ever been apart was when we were five and his family went on a week vacation to California, we threw such a big fit about it that our families now vacation together.

Thinking about Ash and Jace made the tears well up in my eyes. As soon as they started to fall I heard Ash gasp.

"Oh my god Cho, you're crying. That means you have to be awake. Open your eyes please." Slowly I opened my eyes to the blinding white light of the hospital room. "Chloe you are awake. I have to tell everyone. Everybody misses you. Oh my God, I have to call Jason right now."

I stopped her as she pulled out her phone. "Ashley Regean Bennett don't you dare call Jason. You can't tell anybody that I'm awake. The coma story was a lie, that was the only way that people would stay away. Up until last week I only talked to Alex, Gracey and my dad. I miss you too Ash but you can't tell anybody."

Just then I realized that the twins were no longer in the bed with me and started looking around for them. "Chloe you have to tell Jason though, he hasn't done anything since he was told you got in a crash. I was with him when he got the call. We were in between classes talking about how unfair it was that you got to skip school on you guys birthday and he didn't. When his mom called he was laughing at something but as soon as he was told you could literally see his face turn white. His mom had to repeat it three times before he finally believed her. He was in shock for about a minute just staring at nothing and when he finally snapped out of it he just grabbed my arm and tore off toward the parking lot. Our parents must have already called the school to let them know because they just let us leave. I couldn't even get him to tell me what was going on. I didn't even know where we were going until my mom called to tell me what happened. When we got the the hospital your dad and Jason's mom were already there both of them were crying. Jason threw a fit he didn't care what was happening he just wanted to see you, they almost threw him out. It wasn't until we found out about your mom and Bella that he stopped. He hasn't been the same since that day. We stayed until you got out of surgery but then we couldn't see you still, only family. Jason came back every day for two weeks but got sent home every time. Eventually he just gave up. We finally got him to come back to school but I think that all of his grades are suffering. It's like a part of him is missing, he can't function without you."

"Thank you Ash. I'll talk to Jason tomorrow I promise but I can't bring him in here today. Have you seen my sisters by any chance? They were here when I fell asleep."

"They're downstairs eating with your dad. I saw them when I snuck by." Ash and I continued talking. We caught up with everything that happened over the last month. The only thing we didn't talk about was dance.

Soon Doctor Smith walked in the room and upon seeing Ashley told her, "I'm sorry miss but you can't be in here."

"It's alright Doctor Smith she's fine." I told him.

"So I leave for a week and you decide to start talking," he teased, "but she does have to leave visiting hours are over. It's 9:00, and you have to go to bed. You need all the rest you can get."

"Oh my god Chloe, I've been here for three hours. I had dance at 7:00. Kara is going to murder me. Talk to Jason, I have to go, I won't tell anybody, I love you."

"I love you too Ash, I promise I'll talk to him tomorrow." Soon after Ash ran out of the room dad walked in. Alex was sleeping in his arms and Gracey walking behind him.

"Daddy, can I sit with Loey?" Gracey asked when she walked into the room. Dad picked her up and sat her beside me, where she immediately began to poke my blue cast.

"Dad, tomorrow I want to talk to Jace, then I want to tell everybody that I'm not in a coma."

"I'll talk to Jace and take care of the coma thing. I have to get the girls back to your grandma's for the night then I'll come back."

"Dad take them home, let them sleep in their own beds instead of sharing one at grandma's.You can't avoid the house forever. If you don't want to sleep in my room then sleep in mine or one of the guest rooms or even on a couch but don't come back here tonight."

"Are you sure you'll be okay alone Chloe?"

"Dad I'll be fine for one night. If anything happens, which it won't, there is tons of doctors and nurses here to help me. And I want good food tomorrow, hospital food sucks."

"Okay Chloe good night I love you."

" Good night dad, I'll see you tomorrow. I love you too." With that he picked up sleeping Alex and Gracey and left the hospital for the night.

A nurse came in and game me my medicine and soon after that I drifted into a dreamless sleep.