Retreat (A.I.)

29. Critical

---Kelly---

I must have passed out, because I'm waking up in the backseat of someone's car and I'm laying on someone's lap. Ashton's. I'd know his scent, his touch, anywhere. I see streetlights flying past, quicker than normal. Who's driving? Where are we going?

"Michael, slow down. We don't want to end up in CCU ourselves!" Ashton says.

That's when it hits me what's happening. Melanie and our friends, correction: her friends, practically stoned my little brother to death. But it wasn't meant to be Kenny. I was the intended victim.

I start sobbing against Ashton's stomach. "She's awake," he tells Michael. Ashton starts running his fingers through my hair, but doesn't speak. "Shhhh shhhh shhhh" is the only sound coming from him as he tries to keep me calm.

"Here," Michael says as the car stops, "You two go in. I'll park and meet you up there." Ashton helps me to sit up. "Are you okay?" he whispers in my ear. I nod my head and get out of the car, and Ashton slides out right after. As soon as he closes the door, Michael speeds off to find a parking spot.

Ashton wraps his arm around my waist for support as we walk into the hospital. The main desk tells us floor 4 for the Critical Care Unit. He guides us silently to the elevator and as we wait for it to come to us, he whispers, "you and me babe." I nod as we enter the elevator, pressing the 4 button. I lean into him and he holds me tighter against him. The elevator doors open and I cling onto Ashton as if he was about to disappear any second. I'm frozen in place. I can't move. Ashton tries to move us out of the elevator, but I can't. The elevator doors close, staying on the fourth floor for a couple minutes before it starts to move, back to the main floor. When the doors open back up, Michael is impatiently waiting. He steps in the elevator quickly as Ashton presses 4 again. Michael looks questioningly at us, and Ashton just shrugs his shoulders. When the doors open again, I still can't move. The doors close again, with the three of us still in the elevator, which once again returns to the main floor. Someone gets in with us, and presses 3 as Ashton again presses 4. After the person gets off at the third floor, Michael looks at me.

"Kelly, I know you're scared, but your little brother needs you right now. He needs you to be strong, okay?" I nod my head. He's right. I need to be strong for him. As the elevator doors open once again, I look at Ashton. "You and me," and I step us out of the elevator.

Michael guides us around a corner and through the double doors marked Critical Care Unit. I see my mother and Mark down the hall. Mark is pacing, while my mother speaks to a doctor.

"Mom?" I try to say, but it sounds more like a frog than a word. Mark spots us and runs up, putting his arms around Ashton and I. I would hug him back, but I'm too afraid. Ash is the only thing keeping me from having a meltdown right now. Mark removes himself from us and guides us into Kenny's room.

---Ashton---

I'm not gonna lie, Kelly's behavior right now is freaking me out. But I can also tell that I am the only thing keeping her going right now. I will be at her side as long as she needs me to be. I can't imagine the pain she's going through. What if this was Harry? I'd be freaking out on the inside, I know it. But I'd put on a brave face for Lauren. That's exactly what Kelly's trying to do. She's trying to be brave, for Mark, for Kenny, and for herself, too.

When we step into the room, all three of us gasp. His face is swollen, he has a black eye that couldn't open even if he was awake, cuts covering his face. That was the sight to put Kelly over the edge.

"Oh my god, it's all my fault! That was supposed to have been me. I'm so sorry Kenny, what have I done?"

I force Kelly to look at me and I tell her, "This is absolutely NOT your fault, Kelly! Do not ever blame yourself, do you understand? Melanie made the choice to do this. Not you. You gave her a choice, and she chose this. You are not responsible for her choices, ok?"