Wish Upon A Dream

♕ Chapter 3 ♕

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✿ Editing Status: Unedited ✿

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❝If you don't think, then you shouldn't talk.❞-- March Hare (Alice in Wonderland)

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Bradley stands bending over beside the front door, his eyes bloodshot and his rosy cheeks stripped of their colour. Three paramedics push the stretcher my mum is lying on into the ambulance. Two of the three men are already busy trying to help her, wasting no time. This happens a lot these days, she'll be fine one minute, then the next she'll be laying on the floor fighting for air. I always fear going out along with her, if anything was to happen I wouldn't be much help in my wheelchair.

I see Bradley quickly stand to attention, nodding at one of the paramedics. I glance over and see my mum strapped to the thin bed one last time before the doors are slammed shut. Before they'd even put the ambulance in gear, Bradley was opening the mini-van and rushing me inside.

He is trying to keep up with them as best as he can, dodging the cars which are pulling in for the blue flashing lights.

"Bradley, you're going really fast..." I sign, grabbing onto the arm of my wheelchair. He didn't notice I was talking to him, his eyes too focused on the fluorescent vehicle in front of us. It was in that moment I fear for my own life. Buildings are whizzing past us so fast I can't make out where we are.

Thankfully the journey isn't longer than ten minutes, if we drive 50mph over the speed limit. This is a routine the three of us are very used too, although it feels scarier and scarier each time.

A small red car with a learners plate slows down and edges over to the side of the road, but doesn't leave enough space for either of us to fit through. I watch Bradley through the mirror, his mouth moves quickly, making various different shapes. I long to know what those shapes translate to in this moment of desperation. The car finally shifts over and Bradley finally stops banging on the steering wheel.

We make it to the hospital in just under seven minutes, which feels like a record. Bradley swings the van onto the parking space closest to the entrance. Jumping out runs around to my side, pulling down the ramp and shutting the door behind me. He begins running, expecting me to keep up with him. I move the wheels as fast as I can, my arms start to feel numb already. Bradley looks over his shoulder, and then comes running back towards me, grabbing the handles on my wheelchair. I appreciate the seatbelt on my wheelchair as Bradley bounces me up the curb and in through the hospital door.

The strong smell fills my nostrils. I can never identify the smell, but all hospitals smell the same. I feel as though it should be a pleasant smell, associating it with healing. Instead it reminds me of worry and dread, and it's all too familiar.

My mum still looks unconscious, her skin looking pale, a slight tinge of blue even. Her green eyes are clamped shut, hiding their beauty. A lump forms in my throat as I look at her thin lips, that use to be bright red.

Bradley runs alongside her, holding her hand and staring down at her. I try to keep up, aching for my mum to move her feet ever so slightly. But they remain still. We travel fast up many long corridors, which look as though there never ending. The bland white walls snd ceilings make it look as though we're going through the same corridor again and again. We take a sharp left and turn into a big spacious ward.

The doctors begin attaching wires and machines to her, and panic really status to hit home. I look closely at everyone, they all seem to have the same expression of worry. Bradley stands by her side, gripping her hand tightly. "Come on, Amanda!" I imagine him saying in a soothing voice to her. But I can't make out what he is saying to her.

A nurse says something to Bradley, patting him on the shoulder and looking at him with sympathetic eyes. He waves me over to the door and I realise that we have to leave the room. I take a last look at her before leaving, crossing my fingers and hoping that she'll pull through this.

We sit in the dull waiting room, anticipating whether we'll receive good or bad news. I tap my foot, feeling irritable, but Bradley soon puts his hand on my knee, indicating for me to stop. I don't see how it could be annoying, I can't imagine it making a loud sound.

Every minute seems to drag, I try watching the clock, but the handles move too slow for my liking. I look around to find something else to distract myself with, but the room is empty. A row of comfy looking chairs and a lonely coffee table, and that is it. The walls aren't decorated in an interesting wallpaper for me to study, to my disappointment.

Sighing, I turn to face Bradley, who is sitting staring at the door of the room my mum is in.

"Did the nurse say when we could go back in? Or what they were doing?" I sign, after I manage to get his attention.

"She said they're going to inject some fluid which should help wake her up and then they'll take some tests to try and find out what happened," he signs without looking at me.

"Do you ever think they'll find a diagnosis or a cure for her?" I sign, feeling my eyes fill with tears.

"I really don't know Shelby, I've pretty much lost all hope."

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Authors Note: Sorry for the late update! This chapter is a little shorter than normal, but I think it should end on that last line. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry for the overload of sadness.

My highlight of the chapter: This is a hard one, since it was all so sad. I think my highlight is where Bradley ran back to help Shelby with her wheelchair.

Questions of the chapter: What's your highlight of the chapter? What do you think about grown up Shelby so far? What do you think about Bradley?

Don't forget to show your support through leaving feedback, so I know whether or not you're enjoying it. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to add Wish Upon A Dream to your library to receive update notifications! :)

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