Secrets of Adeline (Book 2)

Chapter 16: death

My eyes shoot open, bright light piercing my bare eyes. "Clear!" A voice shouts as pressure is suddenly applied to my chest. My body jolts forward, I feel the urge to sit up but I fall back. I gasp, breathing in air. A familiar beeping sound echoes into my ears. Sighing, I fall back onto the pillow below my head. The heart monitor. "She's breathing!" A female voice shouts. "It's a miracle!" Another male voice gasps.

Okay... So I lied. I'm not actually dead. But for a second, I really believed that I was. I may have been, for just a second. But I'm alive now. And that's all that matters. I only lied because I believed it, myself.

After the commotion settles down, the doctors give me some time to recoup. No one is allowed in accept this one doctor. I will never forget her. She sits down next to me, her curly orange hair bouncing with her movement. She was slim but tall, her face impossibly beautiful, almost as if she were an angel herself. "You, Adeline, are a very lucky young lady. You were considered dead for three minutes. Unresponsive and not breathing. For an entire three minutes! How I am speaking to you right now, I don't know! Your a medical mystery and you should be very thankful." She shakes her head in awe. "Thank you." I speak quickly. "Your heart had stopped for three whole minutes. You were dead, Adeline. If it weren't for my persistence, we would've given up at 200 bolts. You flat lined. You. Were. Dead." She repeats with amazement. "Is it bad that I'm alive?" I grow curious. "No. No, of course not. Your a miracle!" She squeals, hugging me. I sigh with relief, hugging the stranger back. "Do my friends and family know I'm okay?" I grow panicky. "Yes. And whenever your ready to-" she starts. "I'm ready to see them now." I cut her off. "Okay, I'll let two in at a time." She assures me. "Thank you!" I answer again.

I scan my arm, needles everywhere, tubes everywhere, bruises and cuts and bandages everywhere. I probably looked terrible! The woman lets in my mother and father first. They rush in and hug me with tears. It was an emotional moment that passed slowly. "I really thought I lost you." My mother wheezed. My father couldn't even get any words out. "I won't ever leave you guys." I choke out. My mother releases me, blowing her nose. She and my father sit on either sides of my bed. "I remember the last time the three of us were in a hospital together was when you were born." My father smiles. "Oh yeah?" I smile in return. "Your dad put a glove on his head and almost got kicked out!" My mother chuckles quietly, sniffling. I smile widely as they recount my birth story. "I love you guys!" I say. "I love you, too!" They both answer as they exit the room.

I seen Jake slip his hand into the door, stopping it with his fingers. He clumsily enters the room and stops at the foot of my bed. "You look absolutely terrible." He laughs. "You don't look much better." I laugh in return. His eyes seemed puffy and tiresome. He sits in the chair my mother was previously in. "I really thought you were gone for good." He shakes his head, sniffing. "I didn't think to see you here." I admit. "I didn't, either. But just thinking that... You might actually leave this world... Without me really.... I don't know. Saying goodbye, I guess. I don't think I'd be okay with that." He shrugs. It was weird hearing him talk like he actually cared or something. It is just sad that it took me dying to bring him back. I gulp and return my eyes to the ceiling. All the pain he brought me, it wasn't just going to be forgiven. "So that's it? And after you say your goodbyes... Your just gonna leave?" I snap. Anger swells up inside me. I wish I could move, I wish I could sit up and slap him. Slap him really... Really hard. "No... That's not what I meant by that. I mean that... I don't know. Okay? I don't know." He shakes his head with frustration. "No, go ahead. Say whatever there is to say. I wouldn't doubt you'll be gone in the morning. You always seem to leave at the most convenient times. Go ahead. Just go. Leave me. Leave us all." I gesture my hand towards the door. "I'm not gonna do that." He grumbles. "And why not?" I croak. He stares silently. "Hm?"I ask, waiting for an answer. "I'm just not going to, okay? Now I'll be out in the hallway when you decide you want me here." He storms out. I don't know if I hurt him, but I didn't care. He hurt me more.

Kat scrambles in, dragging Cody along. I smile at the sight of them. She cries gratefully at my shoulder. "I'm so glad I don't have to lose you. I need you. Cody needs you. We all need you. I'd die without you." Kat bawls. "Agreed." Cody sniffs, both of them hugging me. "Hey, it's okay. I'm okay. Your okay. We are all going to be okay. I promise." I mumbled, and I meant it. After a little small talk with them, they return to the hallway.

Jessica and Paris storm in, both of them greeting me with warm hugs. "So, your alive!" Paris smiles, wiping her nose. "You all look so tired, you should get some rest. I'll be okay." I assure her. "Your telling us?" Jessica snickers, handing me a hand held mirror. The person looking back at me, wasn't myself. I was pale and bruised and cut. My lips still purple, I purse them. "Wow. And I was self conscious before!" I try to joke, laughing.

Beatrice and Malory came in and then Ian and Zack, followed by Alaina and Jasper, and many others that I honestly don't even recall. At some point my step mom came in as she greeted me with her bad shoulder. She had gotten into a car accident a while back but that didn't stop her from doing much. She hugs me in tears. "Your dad would've been crushed, and so would have I if you didn't wake up." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry." I assure her. "I know. Just don't do it again." She says sternly, hugging me one more time. She was really pretty, short black hair, tan skin and bluish green eyes. I'm glad my father found her.

After visiting with everyone, I healed up. I was in the hospital for almost a week until they finally told me I could return home and they actually let me stand up. Once the final needle was removed, I sighed gratefully. The doctors did such a good job that I felt almost no pain at all.

I found that our plane crashed not far from the airport we were meant to land at. I was just outside of Swansville, Wyoming and my friends would be waiting for me at home, I was sure of it. My mom drives me home, our car ride full of stories and tales we both could easily tell. She pulled into my fathers driveway, helping me to the front door. I was basically healed up, despite a few scratches here and there, a cut on the edge of my lip and a scar above my ear. I assured myself a million times that everything will all work out and everything happens for a reason. It was nearly 3 a.m. When I opened my front door for the first time in a month and stepped foot into my kitchen. My mother close behind me, I enter the living room where Cody, Kat, Paris, Malory, Beatrice, Todd, Pheonix, Jessica, Ian, Alaina, Jasper, Zack and Jake were all sound asleep, scattered around the room. I keep the lights off, determined not to wake them. I kiss my moms cheek goodnight and hug her goodbye. She had to return back home to my little brother. Since I lived with my father, my mother wasn't going to stay. I found a spot on the couch next to Paris and I snuggle up into a soft blanket. It felt good to be home. Really good. Sleep came easy and swift. Soon, I was sound asleep with the rest of them.