Tom Daley: Mr. Perfect

Chapter 22: A pit of nothing

Olivia looked awful... To the world, she would look beautiful. She looked like a supermodel.

But she didn't look like Olivia.

She was barely conscious. Her blonde hair was up in a messy bun. Her face looked totally plastic, even though she didn't have any makeup. Her cheekbones stood out, her nose was thin and pointed, and her lips were soft. She was skinny as a stick. There were no stitches anywhere, and I had no idea how they did this to her. Are we even with the right patient?

"Mom?" She mumbled.

Yes, it was the right person. My mom held her perfect barbie hand. Or, their idea of perfect. She was perfect just the way she used to be.

"Olivia, are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm tired." She looked at me for a long time. Studying every detail of my face. She didn't stop staring, and she finally said, "Who are you?"

"Who am I? I'm your sister, Olivia! I'm Zoey... You don't remember me?" I was shocked. My voice trembled.

She stared at me a little longer. "No... I don't remember you."

My head was spinning, so I sat down. My mom whispered to her, but I couldn't hear. Everything was muffled. Everything seemed dark and blurry. Olivia didn't remember me. It hurt. Someone who means so much to me, doesn't know who I am. Suddenly I realized my mom was talking to me. "... What?"

---

I woke up on the ground by my chair.

"Zoey! Are you okay?" My mom asked.

"Yeah... I..."

"You passed out." She explained.

I nodded, but that made me dizzy. She helped me back up into my chair.

"It will be okay. She'll get her memory back soon."

I had forgotten that my sister didn't know who I was. Why couldn't I have just died instead of passed out... Crap, depression. Don't think about death. Don't think about death...

"Is Olivia okay?" I asked my mom.

"Well, the operation went well. She's still tired." She explained. "Honestly, I don't know what they did to her."

The rest of the day I spent in the corner of the hospital room, while my mom sat by Olivia, whispering to her occasionally.

I didn't talk. I didn't even think most of the time. I just sat. I was alone in a pit of nothing. No thoughts. No feelings. Just nothing...

After a few hours I was hit with a flood of emotions. I was drowning in one word... Why? Why... Just why? Why did this happen to me? Why did they do this to Oliva? Why do I have to go through this. Why?

---

Olivia was in the same condition for a few days. No one knew what was wrong with her. Her brain was misbehaving somehow, and no one could fix it. Her body didn't like all this new stuff.

I was alone in the corner again when someone knocked on the door.

Tom walked in.

"Zoey, come with me!!!!'

"What? Why? Where?" I asked. My voice was raspy. I hadn't talked much for the last few days.

"I'm going back to London." He said. "Please drive me to the airport!"

I looked at my mom. She nodded, to say that I could go.

As we drove, he asked me, "So what happened to Olivia?"

I sighed. "Please, can we not talk about that. I'll call you later and tell you. Right now, let's focus on you... I'll..." Finally I started crying, "I'll miss you."

"No, don't cry." He said. "You can't. I'll be fine. I'll write. I'll call you. I'll visit you. Don't worry about me."

I didn't say anything.

"And Zoey, I will miss you so much." He said. "I'll miss you more than anything. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you."

"I love you too..." I said, quietly.

We pulled up at the airport. He got out of the car. I put my face in my hands and sobbed. All my pain, all my emptiness and darkness and why's... It all flowed out through my tears. I would be alone without him. Olivia doesn't remember me, and now Tom, the one person who can always make me happy, was leaving.

Tom opened the car door for me. I slid out of the car and collapsed into his arms. "Don't leave."

"I'm not leaving yet." He whispered and kissed my head.

I couldn't stop crying. His chin was on my head, and his arms protected me from the cold. He brought warmth into my dark empty pit of nothing. But it was limited.

"Zoey, I have to go." He whispered.

I took a deep breath and looked up at him. His cheeks were wet, and he had on a weak smile.

He touched my cheek gently and kissed me. I put my hands on his chest and kissed him back. His lips were so full of emotions. Like he was holding on for his life. Like he didn't want to let go. I could feel tears stream down his face. When we let go, I fell hard, back into my pit.

"It's okay. It's okay." He said with his hands on my shoulders.

"I need you right now. I can't live without you. There's too much going on with Olivia..." I sobbed.

"Call me every day, okay?" He asked.

I nodded. "Only if you call me first."

"I will. I promise." He gave me one last kiss on the forehead. He whispered his goodbye and left.

And everything fell apart.