Just Your Average 14 Year Old - Book 4 - New Battles

Chapter 16: No Bright Side

Death is a funny thing... It never gets easier, it always hits hard... No matter what you do. But what is hard is not knowing when someone is going to die or not. It's hard on the brain and the heart... Especially for those who desperately care about you. 

Katie laid in the hospital bed, IVs and heart-rate monitors hooked up to her. Bruised, cut, with her broken arm in a cast. She looked awful. Arlington had pulled one of the chairs over to her bedside her bed. I sat n the other side of the bed  in a chair close to the bed against the wall. We had been there for three hours. Just sitting there... After the first hour one of the doctors came in and hooked up some more IVs. She also talked about her injuries and how she was "Not looking good".  

As the fourth hour of being there rolled around I managed to fall asleep.  

"Alex?"  I heard a muffled voice say through my sleeping. 

"Alex... Wake up" The same voice said in a soft, soothing voice, shaking my shoulder softly.

I groaned slightly as I slowly fluttered my eyes open, breathing in deeply. I opened my eyes to see James trying to wake me. 

"Alex, it's Katie, something went wrong while you were asleep" James said, his hand still on my shoulder. 

"What?" I asked, my once hazy eyes now shot open. 

"Katie had an allergic-reaction to the medicine they were giving her... The allergic-reaction caused Tachycardia... She's not doing too good, Alex..." He sighed deeply. 

As I heard each word tears pricked my eyes. I breathed out deeply as I looked at James, taking it in. I then looked away from James and to Katie who was laying lifelessly on the bed, her hand limp on the mattress. Arlington had his hand over hers, holding it gently as he sat in the chair, his eyes red from crying. 

I rubbed my face with my hands with a large sigh, I shook my head "What happened to her?" I asked. 

"I just told you, sh-" James started but I cut him off. 

"No... I mean, what happened to her and Skyler... Where did they go? What happened to them that put Katie in this state? Where's Skyler?" I asked exasperated. 

"I know Alex... I want answers too..." James sighed. 

James then removed his hand from my shoulder and stood up, stretching a bit. He then sat himself in the chair next to me on my left. I then moved so I was more comfortable. I brought my knees up on the chair so they laid next to me on my right. 

I turned my head to look at James "I hope she's okay..." I almost whispered. 

"Me too..." James responded in the same tone. 

"And I hope they find Skyler..." I continued in the same soft voice. 

"Me too" James now said in a whisper. "Hey, but look on the bright side..." James started to say.

I looked at him curiously waiting for an answer which I never got...

"Bright side what?" I asked. 

"I cant think of one" He said in a nervous kind of voice. 

I scoffed "Great, not even James can find a bright side" I sighed at the end. 

James shrugged. 

"How did I sleep through Katie going through Tachycardia?" I asked joking, changing the subject. 

"I have no idea! You sleep like a bear!" He laughed. 

"At least I don't snore" I teased. 

"Well thank god for that" He smirked. 

Shortly after, before I could even know what happened, I was asleep. 

Once again I woke up, fluttering my eyes open. I took a deep breath and moved the hair out of my face. That's when I noticed the head on my shoulder. I turned, pushing my head back a bit so I could see, that it was James. Of course it was James, James is the only one who would do that besides Ryan. I smiled to myself looking at him and then looked ahead to Katie in bed, the same as before. Arlington was asleep, his head laying on the side of the bed and his hand over hers like before. 

Suddenly a doctor rushed in with Rebeca by his side. I looked at them curiously. They rushed over towards me. 

"What's going on?" I asked in a soft voice, trying not to wake James and Arlington. 

"We found Skyler" Rebeca said quickly in a hushed tone like mine. 

"What?" I said slightly louder, taken back. 

"We found her a good ten miles out... But it's not good" She continued. 

James slowly woke up now, taking his head off my shoulder looking at them. He looked at me confused and then back to them. 

"What do you mean not good?" I asked worried "Where is she?" I said sitting up at the edge of my seat. 

"What? Who?" James asked. 

"Skyler... We found her about about ten miles away from Auxilium... But it's not good... You see, Skyler has been bitten..." Rebeca said sadly. 

"What?" I whispered as tears pricked my eyes. 

"She is awake, but bitten... She won't last long...I'm sorry there isn't anything more we can do" Rebeca answered "She is in room 209..." She sighed, getting up "I'm truly sorry" She said and walked out.

I stood up quickly, in shock... But then I felt it... That feeling when your heart drops and your stomach feels like its spun upside down... My lip quivered slightly, I blinked once and tears streaked down my face. Skyler had been bitten. Oh gosh, Skyler was going to die! She had been one of my best friends and roommate... and she was going to die... Because of a stupid moaner bite! 

I looked at James who was standing now too. He looked at me with sad eyes. More tears streaked my face as I felt that pit in my stomach grow deeper. 

"Alex... I.. I'm sorry" He said softly, knowing we were close. 

I nodded as more tears streamed down my face and I let out a soft sob. 

"Come-here" He muttered, saying in like one word. He then pulled me into a hug which I gladly accepted as more tears fled down my face. 

Skyler was bitten and Katie wasn't looking to good either... I just stood there and cried, letting all the emotions out... Because it hurts and it never gets easier when loosing someone... And all you really have to grieve are your tears.