Luke -
My plane landed earlier this morning, I had to check into a hotel and wait until I could visit her. I got to the hospital when the hours were closed but they would've let me in if Rylie hadn't been in the ICU. Today, I can visit her for a while before she has to go back into testing. None of the doctors are sure of what's going on with her, but they're going to run some brain tests or something.
***
My palms are sweaty, I have a backpack full of tokens from around the country since I started tour and a vase of flowers from the gift shop on the main floor. Tucked away in one of the smallest pockets, is the ring I plan on proposing with. I press the 3rd floor button in the elevator and watch the numbers go up.
Why am I so nervous? It's just Rylie, she's my girlfriend. She loves me, I love her. It's okay, there's nothing to be afraid of. I just haven't seen her in a while, but we've always managed to push past the distance..
I take a deep breath and close my eyes, reassuring myself that it's going to be perfectly okay. I keep telling myself that as I approach her room. There's two bodies on separate beds, I don't recognize either one, especially the one of my girlfriend. She was on life support, she had an oxygen mask on and there were tubes connected all over her upper half. She was thin and frail, she looks as if they hadn't been feeding her in days. Her hair was thin and there were beads of sweat coming from her forehead.
Placing the flowers on her bedside, I sit down at the chair and take her hand in mine. I press my lips to her knuckles and rub them with my calloused thumb.
"Hello love, it's nice to see you again. Sorry I haven't visited, management refused. I was actually planning on seeing you tomorrow but once I got the call, I got on the earliest flight. We were in Chicago, I brought you another postcard to add to your collection."
I push her blonde hair behind her ear before opening up my duffel bag. "I brought you presents from a few cities and the fans have a few things for you. I could hang up all the posters around here so it's not the same boring hospital.. It'll feel more like a home." I say, running a hand through my curls. I find one of the many stuffed animals I got her and set it down on the little tray that's next to her bed.
I try to think of things that have happened since I last saw her, but everything has happened. "Jai and Taylor are back together, finally. He realized how much he missed her and left her a shitload of phone calls before she finally surprised both of us a few nights ago at the hotel. She flew all the way from Australia to see him, now that's true love. Let's just hope he doesn't fuck it up again." I laugh
"Alexia and James are back together, after the whole blowout thing. I hope you're not mad, she seemed nice at first but kinda got jealous of you. Saorise insists that there's something with her but I'm not so sure if I believe her or not. Everyone has their secrets, maybe she's not ready to share hers." I shrug and pull out my phone, texting Jai that I've arrived safely in her hospital room.
"I saw you.. When I was knocked out from the pills. No one believes me but I saw you, you were wearing the same outfit from the night of the accident and you were walking around and talking to me. You kept telling me that everything was going to be okay and that you were fine, not to worry about you and that I had to get up and go on tour. I can't ever bring it up because it makes everyone worried about me and no one would actually believe me. I swear, it's true. Why would I ever make something like that up?" I tell her about my freaky experience.
I look around the room and notice that there's a boy across it lying in a hospital bed. "Is that your friend Shawn? The nurse said that the same thing happened to him. How did he get in a coma? He's been with you ever since you transferred over to this hospital. Has anyone visited him? What about you? I know Saorise did, but did anyone else decide to pop by? Any friends or family that I don't know about?" I ask her and kiss her forehead.
"Have they even been feeding you? You like a twig, you're practically bones! You're still beautiful but once you're out of here, I'm taking you to that burger joint back in LA that we love so much." I smile at the idea of it. "I hope you know that I'm not going anywhere until you are out of this bed and are walking out of this place with me right beside you. All our friends don't think you're going to wake up, you've been in here for around four months. I still think you are, I know you are because you're a fighter and you're not just going to leave me like that. Right?" I wait for a second as if she'll reply. "That's what I thought."
Without a hesitation, I place my hand on her chest (not in a dirty way, ya pigs) and feel her heartbeat. Smiling, I rest my head down and close my eyes.
