Paper Cuts- Jelsa AU

Chapter 38- Fake Plastic Trees

(Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead)

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Jack

I stepped out of Elsie's hospital room and walked down the hall to the waiting area. I began to speculate what Cordelia had said. I didn't understand why Elsie hadn't completely turned into a Vampire. Perhaps the only person I could trust to answer these questions I had was Wesley Adams, the remaining Elder Vampire in Italy.

"Jack?" I was pulled out of my thoughts by a woman's voice. I looked up to see a disheveled version of my mother. Her eyes were a bit red and puffy, a sign that she had recently cried. Her face showed signs of stress and her hair had noticeable strands of silver interlaced along her hairline. Her appearance was shouting to everyone that she was a mother who had lost her children. Well, her beloved daughter.

"Hello, Rachel." I said to her, my cold voice making her flinch.

"Please, Jack, I am still your mother." She said. Her voice was soft and she was wringing her hands together.

I sighed. I couldn't be cold to my mother. Not when she was clearly hurting over the loss of her daughter and the sudden coldness of her son. But how could I welcome her into open arms when she blamed the love of my life for putting me in the hospital?

We stayed in silence, standing in the middle of the hallway, the buzz of the hospital moving around us as if we were stones in the middle of a running river. I didn't look at her. I couldn't. She was hiding things from me, always would. She hid things from Kat. Kat, pushed away from the only mother she would ever have, without so much as an explanation as to why.

A doctor came from behind Mother and softly touched her shoulder.

"Mrs. Frost?" He asked. She nodded and took her eyes off me and turned to face him.

"If you would please follow me." He said, gesturing for her to walk down to the other end of the hall. She began walking and the doctor followed and my mother took one last look over her shoulder before rounding a corner and disappearing.

I walked over to the chair closest to me and sat down. I couldn't feel a thing. My entire body was numb, my mind was completely blank. I hadn't realized I sat there for so long, staring at a fake plastic tree in the corner next to the window, when a nurse wearing blue scrubs and a name tag with 'Katie' on it, came and cautiously put her hand on my shoulder.

"Sir? Are you alright?" She asked. I didn't look at her, but I slightly nodded my head and blinked. I cleared my throat and stood up. The nurse took a few steps back and I could see the concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Katie." I said and smiled. I walked off before she could say anything and went back to Elsie's room.

I opened the door to her room to find Anna sitting there next to her. They were in the middle of talking when I entered.

"Jack? Sweetie is everything okay?" Elsie asked as I sat down in the chair next to Anna. I nodded and sent her a message through my mind.

'Just had a run-in with my mother'

She nodded and returned to speaking with Anna. Anna was telling her about her wonderful date with Kristoff, and how well it's been going between them. The entire time, Anna kept calling Elsie by the name of Elora.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Anna, but I couldn't help but overhear you calling Elsie, Elora." I said as I shifted in my seat.

"Oh right. That's because it's her name." Anna said. Elsie nodded.

"It's true. My name is Elora." She said.

"What? You told me your name was Elsa Winters-Arendelle, but before that I knew you as Elsie Snowdon." Elsie looked down at her hands and then looked at Anna. They seemed to be speaking to each other through their eyes because Anna nodded and stood up. She excused herself and left.

"Look, Jack, I- I didn't know how to tell you." Elsie said.

"Didn't know how to tell me what? That you're not who you say you are? That this entire relationship is a sham?"

"No. I didn't mean to make it seem like that, honestly. I-I just wanted to keep you safe. I didn't want you hurt."

"Well you should've thought about that before you almost killed me and I ended up here." I crossed the line. I knew that but my anger took over. Elsie- I mean Elora looked away and soon the door opened by itself.

"Leave." She said. Her voice was filled with hurt and I could see tears lining her eyes.

"Elsie I-"

"Just go Jack. It's over." She wouldn't look at me and I felt like a complete asshole. I stood up and with one last glance, I walked out. The door shut behind me and I leaned against it. I could hear her crying and my heart clenched.

My worst fear had come true. She ended it and I couldn't do anything about it.....