Comatose - Joey Stamper fanfic

chapter 3

(I know the cover video is old but I just love it acoustically! - xoxo)

Joey carried Rowe in his arms as he walked to Kalyn's room. Rowe enjoyed looking around at all the people passing by and the sounds of the machines. Joey smiled as baby Rowe made happy gurgle sounds as she looked up into Joey's eyes. Joey was surprisingly in somewhat of a good mood. He knew it wouldn't last. He knew when he saw Kalyn that his heart would instantly drop to his feet.

    He made his way to Kalyn's door and walked into her room. She still laid quietly and peacefully on the bed with her iv's sticking out of her frail arms. Her face mimicked her sleeping face, the only difference was her eyes. They had slight darkness under them and the color of her skin grew more pale. "I thought you might want to have a visit from the girls today." Joey said smiling slightly at Rowe as he spoke to Kalyn. "Alan called Brycie and she brought the girls down to visit with you. They miss you a whole bunch." Joey said as his eyes started tearing up but he willed himself to stay happy infront of Rowe. "Presley has been talking nonstop about how happy she is to see her 'Auntie Kalyn' again." Joey added. He reached for Kalyn's hand and held it while Rowe was cradled in his other as she was slowly drifting to sleep. "They need to hear your voice again babe, they need to see your smile, the way your eyes light up when you laugh. They need your hugs and your bedtime stories. They need you babe, please please be with us again." Joey pleaded even thought he knew it wouldn't help but at least he can say that he tried.  Tears fell from his eyes when once again he got no response out of Kalyn, instead he was answered with the beeping and humming sounds of the machines that surrounded her bed.

    Joey was surrounded with both anger and sorrow  in his head. He shook his head as he released Kalyn's hand from his grip and wiped his eyes. He kissed her forehead and studied her face, he was trying his best not to be mad as there was nothing any body could do at this point but keep her stable. "I don't mean to get mad at you babe, it's just hard, really hard not having you here to talk to. I miss how you would just wrap me in a hug and we would cuddle and you would tell me everything was going to fine. I miss where we would go shopping for ice cream at 1 a.m. I mainly just miss your presence, everything about you made me feel safe. I love you babe, forever and always." Joey told Kalyn as he stood up and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
By now Rowe was sleeping peacefully, unaware and untouched by the emotions that were filling the large hospital room. Joey gave one last look to Kalyn, bringing up a warm hand to her pale cheek, before walking out of the room.

     "You ok Joe?" Alan asked as Joey handed Rowe to him. "I just need some air." Joey huffed before grabbing his jacket from the chair and walking out to the courtyard of the hospital. The sky was a dreary gray as small snowflakes fell from the sky. Thanksgiving was coming up in a few days and Joey hadn't even bothered to tell his mother about it. It made him too sad to even want to think about it. Kalyn was soo excited to have her first thanksgiving with Joey as a couple. Joey was so excited to be able to bring her to his family home and proudly call her his girlfriend. As Joey sat and pondered what he was going to do a tan women in her mid 20's sat down next to him.  She wore scrubs under her north face jacket. Her dark brown hair in a messy bun on top of her head. "I don't mean to bother you, but you looked upset. Are you ok" she asked. Joey was instantly pulled out of his thoughts as his gaze was turned to the eyes of the women sitting in front of him. "My girlfriend is in the ICU right now." Joey said as he turned his gaze forward. "Care to tell me about her?" the women said as she leaned back on the bench. Joey agreed and instantly lit up as he shared lovely memories and him and Kalyn's back story. "You are one lucky couple to be able to have that many happy memories together." the women said kindly. "I hope we can have more of those happy memories together." Joey said with his expression falling. "If she's as strong as you say she is then she will most definitely pull through this." the woman smiled at Joey. Joey gave a small smile before turning his gaze back to his hands. "Well my breaks up but if you need to get away from the hospital for a little bit call me and we can go out to eat or something." The women said handing Joey a paper with her name and number on it. Joey looked at the piece of paper in his hand on top of it read, "Jewel". Joey went to say thanks but she was already opening a door and walking through it. Joey shrugged and put the number in his pocket. Once he cooled down he decided to join the group again. When he walked in Brycie and the girls were gone. Joey gave a confused look to Alan. "It was alittle much for them." Alan said sadly not wanting to meet Joey's gaze because he knew it made him feel bad that others couldn't take it at times. "I don't blame them. I haven't left this hospital in three days, only twice to get a shower." Joey sighed as he sat next to Alan. "Maybe you should take a break from the hospital for a night." Alan said with worry filling his eyes.
The lack of sleep has made Joey look sickly. He wasn't himself. Joey just sighed, "but what about Kalyn?" "We will call you if anything changes." Alan said placing a hand on Joey's shoulder. Joey sighed, he needed sleep and he could feel it. Also a warm shower and food not from the hospitals cafeteria would be good for him. "A warm shower does sound nice right now." Joey said trying his best to crack even the slightest of smiles. "Go, we'll call if anything comes up." Chad said with Fallon reading a magazine next to him with her head on his shoulder. "I'll see you guys later than." Joey said standing up. "We don't want to see you in this hospital until morning." Alan joked with Joey. Joey smirked and walked out.
    The cold air hit his face as a light snow littered the ground. The hotel was only a few blocks away but seemed miles with how tired Joey was. He glanced at the time on his phone the time read noon. He sighed and slipped the phone back in his pockets with his hands following to keep themselves warm. Couples passed Joey making him miss Kalyn even more, having her constantly in his head sometimes was a strain. He shook his sad thoughts as he finally reached the block that the hotel was on. He grabbed his hotel room key to have it ready. His room was on the 4th floor, Alan changed it to where Joey had his own room just to have his own space. Once Joey walked into his room he slightly smiled at the fact that the guys put his bags and belongings in the room for him. He sifted through his first suitcase to grab himself some sweatpants and an old t-shirt. He then took a nice warm shower. After he got out and brushed his teeth he sat on the bed in his room. The plush softness enveloping him. Before he could even switch the tv on he had fallen asleep.   

      Joey was awoken to his phone ringing loudly, Alan's contact showed across the screen. Joey hurriedly picked up. "Is Kalyn ok?" Joey quickly asked. "You're gonna want to get down here Joe, it's not good." Alan sounded gruff on the other line. "Ill be there." Joey said as he hung up and quickly ran to get his shoes and jacket. He remember to put his phone and room key in his pocket. He ran out of the hotel as quickly as his legs would take him, trying not to run into people. Once inside he rushed to Kalyn's wing. Everyone had sad and grim looks on their faces. Even Brycie and the girls showed up. Alan was trying to comfort his girls as tears streamed down his face and instantly Joey's heart dropped to his feet. "is she still alive?" His voice barely squeaked as tears swallowed his eyes. "her heart stopped and they had to take her into emergency surgery, that's all we know." Caleb answered as he kept his distant gaze to the floor as tears streamed down his cheeks. Joey collapsed into a chair. His heart hurting with unbearable pain. This couldn't be the way he loses Kalyn, she was too young, too strong, her life still way ahead of her. Joey felt numb all over. 

      The group sat for a good 3 hours before a doctor came in, Joey instantly stood up and rushed over to the doctor, "Is she ok?" he asked panicked. "She had a bleed in her heart, we had to sew up a side of her artery and pump the blood out for her heart but shes stabilized. The bad news is that there's only 30% chance of her ever waking up. I'm sorry." The doctor said to Joey before walking away. Joey felt relieved and numb at the same time. He felt like all the progress that he thought Kalyn was making had been a hoax the whole time. Anger built up in Joey, it was like all the time that he kept praying for Kalyn had only made her outcome worse. "I'm going to go see her." Joey whispered to the group as he made his way to her room. Drainage tubes of all sorts were protruding out of her chest, thick gauze bandages covered her entire torso. Her face was as pale as porcelain for the amount of blood loss which was slowly being givin back to her through an iv. "It seems like nothing is working anymore babe. No matter how much I have prayed you have only gotten worse, I love you truly but I need some time to myself to figure out some stuff. Please don't be mad babe, I'm always going to be here for you, I just might not be able to visit as often but im still always with you." Joey told Kalyn and kissed her clamy forehead before leaving. He walked past the group not even bothering to talk, he just needed to get everything off of his mind. "Where you goin Joe?" Alan asked running up to joey and grabbing his arm to stop him. "I need to get things off my mind, I need to get away for alittle bit." Joey answered gruffly as he pulled his arm away from a disappointed Alan. Alan thought it was aittle selfish of Joey but he let him go and watched as Joey strolled out of the wing.

      Joey entered the nearest bar, he wasn't much of a drinker but he needed to get his mind off of the hospital and Kalyn. As Joey reached inside of his pocket for his wallet to pay for his alcohol her felt a small slip of paper. He pulled it out along with his wallet. He laid a five dollar bill on the bar before calling the number on the paper. "Jewel? Hi, it's Joey, the guy from the courtyard at the hospital. Mind having a drink with me at the bar? I kinda just need to get my mind off of things for awhile."