Waiting

   I was kneeling beside the bed that held her captive. My hand wrapped around hers. I hated this room. It was too white. The walls, the sheets, even the chairs. I hated all the cords and machines she was hooked up to. I hated the beeping sound, even though it meant she was alive, it still mean she was in the hospital. She didn't deserve this.

   I was told that people in comas could hear what you said. So I talked. I talked and talked and talked. I stayed here, I couldn't leave her side. I hadn't gone to school for a week now. A week. A week since the party.

   She had just gone to the bathroom, I watched as her brown hair swayed as she walked through the crowd of people. The music was up loud, the room full of drunk and dancing teenagers. It had been 10 minutes. Too long. I started to worry, running my hand through my jet black messy hair. Pushing away the drunk girl that was trying to dance with me, I quickly headed in the direction of the bathroom. That's when I saw her. She was on the floor, some pervert starting to touch her. Her chocolate brown hair was messy and her eyes were shut. I knew she wasn't conscious. I had raged, knocking out the guy touching her with just a few punches. Anger filled me, running through my veins. I found out that she had been drugged and quickly brought her home. But she didn't wake up. She didn't wake up the next day, or the day after that.

   I blinked away the flashback, rubbing my thumb on her hand. I should've stayed by her. Hell, I should've never even taken her. Now she was here, either she was going to die, or stay in this coma for at least a year.

  "I love you Willow. I'm so sorry I let this happen." I said, tears threatening to spill. Her heart rate picked up and I knew she heard me.

My mom came in. She was giving me a sad smile. She approached me carefully, sitting down next to me.

  "Honey, are you really going to wait a year? Possibly more? What if she ends up dying?" My mom whispered. She wanted me to move on. She loved Willow but she had been through the same thing. With my dad. Only he died. A few tears spilled. I heard Willow's heart rate slow down.

   Suddenly angry I quickly faced her,"Mom she will not die. She is a fighter and she will get through this. You're experiences shouldn't affect my life," I snapped. I saw hurt flash in her eyes and she quickly turned away.

  "Just, just think about it Ash. Okay sweetie?" She rubbed my back and I gave her a small nod. Satisfied, she stood up and walked away.

   Should I move on? A year is a long time. Plus to possibly have her die in a year? I wouldn't be able to handle it. She was a fighter though, she was strong and never worried about the little things.

   But this wasn't little.

   I sighed and kissed her hand. I wasn't sure anymore. Maybe I should move on, maybe I should wait. Wait for her. Wait for Willow. I looked longingly at her light pink lips which were slightly parted. I remembered our first kiss. A year ago, I confessed my love for her in front of everyone. Embarrassed, she turned away but I grabbed her wrist and had her face me. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her. She kissed back.

   Memories were flooding in my brain. When we went in the field behind her house, the sun shining, she was running. Her hair was flying behind her, gracefully. Her ocean eyes shining. Her giggles made me so happy and I longed to her them again. I missed our hugs where she would have to stand on her tip toes to wrap her arms around me neck, or when she was the one to kiss me. How she had to jump up to give me a quick peck on the cheek. She loved bands like Twenty One Pilots and Fall Out Boy obsessively. She was on the volleyball team. She was a mix between a nerd and an athlete.

   I missed her smile.

   I missed her.

   I fell asleep holding her  hand. I could faintly hear the small beep beep of one of the monitors. Once, a nurse came in to check on her and left fairly quickly.

   I dreamed of her. I dreamed that she was sitting next to me, smiling and laughing, lightly punching my arm like she did whenever I told a bad pick up joke. She was so happy. I reached out, pulling her toward me. I glanced at her lips and she leaned in toward me. Then as we were about to kiss, she disappeared.

   I woke up to a loud commotion. There were three doctors in the room. One was trying to get me out. I slowly got up, trying to comprehend and understand what was happening. Then I realized, instead of the constant beep, beep, there was one long one. Continuous, never ending. My heart started racing and I couldn't hear anything.
 
  "No! No!" I screamed out, not even hearing it. Tears were streaming down my face as the doctor was pulling me out of the room.

  Not yet.

  It was too soon.

   My mom was there, taking me from the doctor, pulling me into a big hug. I was sobbing, my vision was getting blurry.

   "No!" I cried out again, punching the bench my mom had sat me on. My mom grabbed my hand and held me close to her and I tried to squirm free.

  Willow.

   She was all I could think about. My hearing was slowly coming back as a loud ringing sound but soon I could hear the doctors in the room across from us, talking quickly, commanding things.

  "I'm so sorry." My mom choked out. Suddenly I was being hugged by Willow's mom. Her dad was standing next to her, crying. I hugged her back and she went back to her husband, crying into his shirt.

  Then there was no sound. The doctors had stopped talking. One came out, looking at the ground. He forced himself to look at us. He stared at me and his eyes were full of guilt.

   Oh no.

   I could feel my heart breaking.

   "I'm sorry to inform you that Willow has passed awa-" He was interrupted by a shout. Another doctor ran out, yelling.

   "She's awake! She's alive!" The two doctors ran back inside and I ran into her room, my mom and her parents close behind me. The doctors allowed us in and the sight I saw was unbelievable. 

   A pair of ocean eyes staring right at me. Her light pink lips that I though I would never kiss again, saying my name. I hurried up to her and we kissed. I relaxed at the familiar feeling of her lips.

   Willow.

   She was alive.