Music ✔️

Chapter 20

~Millicent~

Emily walked back into the room 30 minutes later slowly with tears rushing down her already tear-stained cheeks. I looked at her hand and she was clutching something so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She looked around sadly.

"Where's Patrick?" she asked me.

"The little boy?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"He left after you went to see Quinn. Why?"

"I wanted to give his ribbon back."

"Why? What happened?"

"Quinn dropped it," she whispered.

"How is she?"

"She was getting prepped for surgery, so she was out of it. She didn't know it was me."

Emily sat down on a bench and drew her knees up to her chest.

"She said to tell Em that she would try and keep her heart beating for her. I tried to tell her that I was going to stay with her," she continued.

I didn't stay anything. We stayed silent for a while. Ashley cried and Tyler did too. I heard sniffles from Donovan and I held his hand tighter. We were in the waiting room for 2 more hours. Sniffles, small sobs, and silence were the only things that were heard for that time. I leaned against Donovan and he wrapped his arm around my waist while holding my hand. I hadn't cried in a long time.

10 minutes later, a man saying he was Quinn's surgeon called us. We all got up quickly and ran over to him. His look was sad.

"What happened?" Ashley asked.

"She... Didn't make it. We did all that we could. I'm sorry."

Emily tried to lunge at the doctor, but I grabbed her by the waist. She kicked and swung her arm, punching me in the face. We sunk to the floor in tears, my arms wrapped around her. She tried her hardest to push me away, but failed. My eyes stung, but I didn't cry. My face stung, but I didn't let her go. My friend was gone, but I knew it hurt Emily more.

Emily let out a loud sob and buried her face in her hands. She mumbled to herself, saying that she could have done something. I looked up and noticed other people staring at us. Donovan was standing next to us with wide eyes, completely frozen. Ashley was sobbing into Tyler's shoulder. Tyler was crying into Ashley's hair.

"I'm so very sorry," the doctor whispered again before walking away and sitting next to a nurse. He threw his mask on the floor and ran his hands through his hair angrily, like he could have done something better to save us from this heartbreak.

A single tear slid down my cheek onto my shirt and melted into the fabric.

3 days later

I haven't spoken since she died. At all. I've been pushing people away. I've been playing music to forget everything and to drown out my sadness, but songs always have an ending.

Emily has only left her room once. She hasn't eaten. She's barely slept. Her lights are always off. She's completely lost and I don't know if she'll ever be the same again.

Ashley can't do anything without crying. I'm surprised she has any tears left. She sits in the living room with Tyler at all times unless she needs to do something.

Tyler has been talking constantly. To himself, to Ashley, to everything. He's cried, but not as much as Ashley. I think he's trying to be strong for her.

Donovan has been trying to comfort me, but I always push him away. He tries to get me to speak, but I pretend like I haven't heard him or I just look at him. He has bags under his eyes and his hair is always a mess. I think it's partially because of Quinn, but mostly about how her death was affecting me.