As Good As It Gets

Chapter 14

PARKER'S POV
Sitting there and hearing the news 24 hours later wasn't what I would call as fun as going to New York. Let me repay it for the millionth time today because I still can't comprehend what happened right now.

It had been about 24 hours since Mr.Ryan and I brought in Layla. News hadn't been heard yet. I was a mess. That was the only word there was the describe how I looked. I could feel my dry, bloodshot eyes. Seeing my hair only made me want to rip it out even more. I didn't even want to look at my face because it made me think of Layla. I don't know how but it still made me think of her. Because I was always happy with her. And now what was I? She was in the emergency room having one of two fates: life or death.

I sat back down in my seat next to a sleeping Mr.Ryan after I went to the bathroom. At least somebody was getting sleep, I thought. I tried to go to sleep but I knew I couldn't because Layla wasn't okay. If Layla wasn't okay, I wasn't okay. I was so stressed out that I couldn't even see straight. I looked at everybody in the waiting room wondering what there story was; why they were here.

One woman had a small child in her arms frantically shaking. Maybe her husband was in the ER. Two men clutching each other, one crying another one ready to cry but staying strong. Maybe one girlfriend was in the hospital or they had a baby in the ER. There was a male teenager sitting down, his knee quickly bouncing with anxiety. Maybe his girlfriend was having a baby or maybe she had been hurt just like my baby had been. Layla. I can see her face so clearly when I close my eyes. I kept them closed and then I opened them. She was gone but a nurse was headed this way. Could she be for someone else? She stopped next to the front desk. Come on come on.....who's news?
"Parker Evans and Ryan Reynolds?" The nurse called out. I shook Ryan awake and walked over. Ryan was half-asleep slowly waking up from his nap.
"Miss have you heard anything from the doctor? Is my girl okay?" My voice panicked more than my tingling body. My soul was screaming out for Layla.

"We've heard some news from the doctor. It seems that Layla started recovering and fighting through the poison for a couple of hours when she was here. The poison had gotten into her lungs so we can't physically take it out. To do that, we might not have a chance of getting her out of the surgery. So we cannot really do anything about this poison in her body. Layla is going to have to fight this battle on her own. She had been doing quite good though but the battle has only begun. I'm so sorry." The nurse described Layla's condition. They can't do anything to help her.

"Can I see her?" I quickly asked.
"Is she awake?" Mr.Ryan asked.

"At the moment you can't see her but we will come and get you when you can. She is awake now but she won't be for long. The poison has to go through her body and even then, she might not make it so we are worried about her. She is waking up periodically so we have a nurse check on her every half hour. When the poison really starts to kick in, we will have a nurse in there every 15 minutes. As it gets worse, because we know it will. Seems like who ever put poison in her inhaler knew what kind of poison to use to almost kill someone. To put them at a weak condition. If someone put poison in her inhaler which I think someone did, they weren't trying to kill her completely. They were making her weak. Layla seems like a strong girl and I hope she makes it." The nurse smiled, waved, and walked away. It was a relief to sit back down. Layla had her fate in her hands. It was all up to her. I hated sitting on the sidelines of the game while I couldn't even see the game being played. What stayed in my head was the part where the nurse mentioned the almost killing part. She said that if someone wanted to kill her, they were trying to make her weak to do something else to her. They weren't aiming to kill her. So she had to hold on so I could protect her. If Clara was behind this, she didn't know what was coming. Clara Jones would get no where near Layla Reynolds. And I was going to make sure that it stayed that way until the day I die.
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Mr.Ryan basically threw me out of the ER. He told me to go home and get some sleep. I laughed at him because he knew that I wasn't going to get any sleep. So why try. But sooner or later, as soon as I got home basically, I crashed and fell into a deep dark sleep.
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"Parker!" She screamed clutching to her chest.
"Hold on Layla hold on. I'm gonna save you I'm gonna-"
"Shut up Lover Boy. Oh you aren't going to save her. Get over yourself. How could someone like you ever save someone as pure as her? Does she know what happened between us? Or should I tell her why I dumped you? Why after all those years I turned into such a bitch? Or why don't you tell her about what happened between me you and Lola? I bet that will get a real kick out of her Lover Boy." Clara laughed.
"Shut up! She doesn't need to know that!" I screamed so loud at Clara that I thought that my ears would surely pop off as well as Laylas'.
"What is she talking about Parker?" Layla questioned with her curious eyes.
"Layla I-"
"I want you to tell her. Or I'll slit your throat right here right now in front of your third little lover." Clara snarled.
"Okay okay....I'll tell her....when we were 14, Clara and I were inseparable. Literally. We couldn't even sleep apart. Our parents had us sleep together because whenever we were without each other, that's all we though about. One day, I asked Clara out. And she took it the wrong way. She thought that it automatically meant that I loved her but I didn't. I just liked her. She told me she loved me that night and that was both of our first times. When we woke up, Lola, our other best friend came over to wake us up, but she found us both naked and making out again. She burst into tears and cried for I forgot how long but it was a very long time. We let her be for a couple of years and we enjoyed each other's company. Then one year, I had fallen for a girl in school who had just been left behind by her mother. I wanted to go over and say I was sorry and when I did Clara thought I was cheating. She screamed at me and cried for a whole night. That was the first night that I didn't think or sleep with Clara. But I moved on with Lola because Clara was mad at me and the girl I wanted was too special to destroy." I explained as best as I could with a knife to my neck.
"What was so bad about that?" Layla asked.
"Tell her who the girl was! Tell her!" Clara demanded holding the knife even tighter. I could make out the word PENNY on the knife now.
"No!" I screamed as she stabbed me with the knife in the leg.
"Tell her!" She screamed in my ear.
"It was You!" I screamed as she cut a gash down my arm.
"It was me?" Layla questioned.
"Yes. Your mom had just left you." I remembered as pain coursed through me.
"I remember. So-" Layla stopped.
"He's loved you ever since then sweet cakes. Catch on." Clara made a remark.
"I-" I started.
"Don't say anything Parker or I'll cut you open like a turkey." Clara warned.

"Layla watch as I cut open your boyfriend." Clara smiled as she dug PENNY'S knife into my stomach and started cutting a whole. I screamed in agony and clutched my stomach. I tried pulling the knife out but her grip was so strong, I thought she had superglued her hand to PENNY'S knife. And the last I could hear before screaming again was Layla screaming my name over and over.
"PARKER! PARKER! NO! STOP HURTING HIM I LOVE HIM!" She screamed so loud. I wanted to kiss her again and again. This was the last thought I had in the room: I love Layla Reynolds.
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I woke up and rubbed my eyes. Feeling my stomach, I realized the nightmare wasn't real.
I sighed in relief and hopped in the shower. After wrapping a towel around my waist, I called Mr.Reynolds to hear any news from Layla (there was none), and told him I would be going back to the hospital to relieve him of duty. I changed quickly and drove to the ER.
I parked and quickly hustled over to where Mr.Ryan was sitting patiently. He had bags around his eyes and looked like he hadn't taken a shower in years.
"Go shower and nap Mr.Ryan. My mom is still at your house. I'm pretty sure Ariel is having a ball. Last night I crashed. Thank you for letting me go take a nap. Now I'm gonna let you go so you can take one." I laughed stepping aside.
He didn't even say anything. And I didn't want him to. He left to his car and I left to go get food in the cafeteria. They served eggs, bacon, grits and sausage for breakfast. I took some bacon, eggs, grits, and one piece of sausage. I was starving. After I ate, I went back up to the waiting room and sat patiently playing 'White Tiles' on my iPhone. After playing only 17 games of 'White Tiles' I got bored and switched to minecraft. After minecraft, I scrolled through Instagram. My mother had taken a photo of her with Ariel and posted pictures of Ariel all over her account. The last picture Layla posted on her Instagram account is a picture we took last summer. She gave me a shoutout on Instagram, I remember, because I begged her to give me one. She tagged me. It was a picture we took on the beach standing watching the sunset. I remember it had been my favorite picture for so long, I made it my home screen for a couple of months. I change it almost every 3 or 4 months. The picture was so beautiful and heartwarming that there had been more than 150 comments on the picture. I started at Layla's body. I missed it. I missed her. I missed Layla. She was the most beautiful thing on this planet. And oh how much I just wanted to talk to her. Maybe I could give her some strength to fight back and win. I wanted her back. I don't give a shit if Clara Jones comes and tries to kill her again. I'll kill Clara Jones until she is completely dead and stays that way for as long as Layla and I live and our future children. I closed my eyes.
Layla...if you can hear me...I just want to let you know that I'm counting on you to come back so that we can continue our life together. I know what it takes to protect you and I will take I'll the chances just to keep you safe. I don't care what it takes. I want to live with you forever and always. Layla......I love you and I want you to come back to me. The poison is strong but you are stronger. Remember that. I'll waiting right here until I am aloud to see you. If they don't allow me soon, I might just have to kill Clara Jones and break into a hospital room. There is a first for everything. Just like there is a first for love. And you are the first person that I have loved. Layla Reynolds is the love of my life forever and always.