Football Dreams

Goodbyes are Hard-chapter 2

       Later that day, Bryn and I meet with the team of doctors, while Mrs. Bennet flies in from her business trip in California. "Braydon was knocked into a coma, as you know, by the severity of the hit he took four hours ago. That could have caused brain damage, but luckily, there doesn't seem to be any from the scan we ran. His lung, however, is severely damaged. I'm sorry to tell you, but in the condition he is in, the survival rate for the surgery he needs to ever recover from the puncture to his lung, is 25%. And it would be a miracle to be able to even open his chest while keeping him alive." The first doctor says. "Then surgery isn't an option!" Bryn exclaims. "Bryn, it's our only option, I think. Unless a lung puncture can heal itself?" I say. "No, Ms. Showens. Your only other option is to try and let Braydon wake from the coma, and let him make the decision himself. But for that to work, we can only wait 24 hrs from 4:00 today. So that's 20 hrs from now. Which option do you choose?"The doctor replies. "Bryn?" I ask. "Adria, I would choose option two. Is that okay?" Bryn asks. "Yeah, I agree. Bray should be involved." I reply. "Then it's settled. We will wait 20 hours." The doctor says. We all leave, and Bryn and I wait outside Bray's room.
     "Adri" Bryn says. "Yeah?" I reply. "What if... What if Bray never wakes up. What if he isn't ready in 18 hours. What if we lose the guy we love so much, for so long, what if he's gone."
She says. "That's not gonna happen. But if it does, Bryn you're practically my sister. Bray is like my brother. So like family, we'll be there for each other. But we need to be strong. For Braydon." I reply. Bryn looks over at me from her seat on the floor, and nods. She closes her eyes and falls asleep.
6 hours later
    "Bryn? Adrianna?" Mrs. Bennet walks in, and hugs both of us. "Hey Momma B." I say.  Just then, Cali, Brad, and Dylan walk out from meeting with the doctors, since Bryn had given them permission to be updated to Braydon's health stats. "They say that we're at the halfway mark, and Braydon  has shown signs of some awareness. The doctors want Adria to go talk to him, see if he'll wake up. But Adria, Bryn, Mrs. Bennet, Braydon isn't going to live longer than enough time for you to say goodbye." With those words of Brad's, my heart breaks. I sink to the floor and sobs shake my body. Cali walks over and helps me up, she pulls me into a hug and we stay like that, sisters comforting each other, for a while. "Adria, you should go. Go wake up Bray... Be strong for him." Cali says. I half smile to the group, muster all my strength, and walk into Braydon's room.
      "Bray? It's Adria. Hey, remember me? Bray I love you. Wake up. Your like my big bro. Wake up buddy. Your family needs you. So do I." I say. Just then, he stirs and his eyes flutter open.
The nurses run over and check his heart monitor. "Vitals are normal. Lung capacity is as predicted." The doctor says. "Ad-Adria?" Bray squeaks out. "Yeah Bray, it's me. I love you bro." I say. I kiss his forehead, and brush his hair out of his face. He smiles and nods, then makes a heart with his hands. I smile, and call Bryn, Cali, Dylan, Brad, and Davis in. Bryn bolts in and throws her arms around him. "Hey baby bro. Man, you scared us!" Bryn says with a smile. The doctors ask to meet with Bryn and I. We walk outside and the doctor says "We can save Braydon. He's mainly relying on his right lung, and with an oxygen mask, he can breathe okay. So breathing would no longer be an issue during surgery. And an anonymous donor has paid for Braydon's surgery, should he choose it. The survival rate would be 89%. Would you like to-" Bryn cuts the doctor off. "Yes! Start now!" Bryn says. The doctor nods and smiles at us and walks in to tell Braydon the news. Bryn and I share a smile, and arm in arm, we walk to the surgery waiting room.
2 hours later-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
       "There's nothing we can do to save him. There's a second hole in the lung. Your call, Doctor." "Okay I call it. Someone bring the family in to say goodbye." That's the yelling we hear through the doors, and Bryn and I rush in. Braydon's not awake, but Bryn sobs and hugs his unconscious body. Mrs. Bennet&Mr. Bennet both cry as they hug him. They say goodbye and step back. "You put up a good fight, Bray. I love you for that. If that stupid helmet hadn't fractured, then you'd be here still. But I can't change it even though I want too, I can't. And man, we love you so much, and I don't know how to live without you, but I'll have to. I love you Braydon Tanner Bennet. Goodbye, big brother." And when I finally kiss his head, he is conscious enough to make a heart at us all, and whisper "Goodbye."
Then the heart monitor goes off, and I sink to the ground. All I can think of, is the boy who made me smile when I was sad, and my early morning surfing partner. I loved him. I did. "Time of death, 22:36:01, January 14, 2016." And like that, the game we all loved so much, kills the boy we all loved so much.

A/N:
Hey guys. I know, I know, I'm sorry about Braydon! And I also know that all parts of the hospital scenes aren't probably medically correct. But I just wanted Braydon to be very clearly emotionally attached to Adrianna, who by the way, is Adria, Dri, Adri, and Dria. Just so you know. And Davis is Bryn's boyfriend, and everyone else, besides Mr and Mrs Bennet are people from the Showens family, which so far is Adrianna Showens, California (Cali) Showens, Dylan Showens (who is a girl!) and Brad Showens. All those people are siblings, just to clarify. Anyways, hope you enjoy this book, and have a great day!