We're Just Friends (Jaspar/Youtube)

Chapter 12: Bad Times Bring Us Together

The clock on the wall was ticking. I could hear it. Or maybe I just thought I could. I was so tired I was probably bordering on delusional at this point. We'd been sitting in the hospital room for hours. Joe hadn't spoken a single word since Alfie had relayed what happened.

Alfie spent the first hour pacing around the room until one of the women across the room from us had snapped at him to stop please before proceeding to burst into tears. Alfie had gone outside to sit on the curb for awhile after that.

I found it interesting to see how people handle stressful situations. You've got the ones that go numb, close off in order to stop themselves from feeling anything whether it be sadness, anger or even sometimes hope.

I think those types of people almost scare me more than the ones that get angry at the world or the ones who sit there and cry.

Once someone has convinced themselves to feel nothing, that's when they becoming terrifying, because if they can't feel the sadness then they won't ever be able to overcome it.

Joe was one of those people.

I was more of the crying variety, and yet I didn't cry this time. I should have. I adored Zoe, she was one of the kindest, most lovable people I had ever met and she was one of the few you tubers I felt hadn't changed herself so much the old person from five years ago had disappeared completely. She was just Zoe to her friends and family, Zoella to the rest of the world, and yet somehow the two people were the same people.

I never understood why bad things always seem to happen to good people. It's not fair, and it definitely isn't right, and yet in situations like this we have no power to change it.

The opening of the door drew my attention away from my thoughts to the doctor.

"Family for Ms. Sugg?" He asked glancing around the room. I assumed he was looking for Alfie, but since Joe appeared to be counting the dots on the floor in some kind of trance I took it upon myself to raise my hand. I was close enough to family - whatever.

"Hello, where did Mr-" The doctor paused, glancing down at his clipboard, "Deyes go?" he asked.

"He's outside right now, do you want me to go get him?" I asked turning around in my seat to look behind me. I could see the side of Alfie's head on the curb still.

"Yes- that would be ideal, unless one of you is family?" He asked turning to look at Joe. Joe looked up finally.

"I'm her brother," he said, and his voice sounded croaky and soft which was one of the most heartbreaking sounds I'd ever heard. I was torn between hugging him and leaving him alone with the doctor. I wasn't sure what exactly he wanted from me.

The doctor turned expectedly towards me and I began to get up.

"Uh- I'll go get Alfie I gu-" I started, and then glanced down. Joe had grabbed my hand pulling me back into the chair I'd been sitting in. His hand wrapped tightly around mine, fingers latching through mine. His hands were cold against mine and I could feel him shaking slightly.

"Or I'll just er- text him," I said glancing up at the doctor. The doctor was avoiding looking at our latched hands. I wasn't sure if it was out of respect for our privacy or disgust at two boys holding hands. Frankly, at this point, I didn't really care.

The fact that Joe was making a move to seek comfort from me was a miracle. I didn't want to spook him by drawing attention to the doctor's odd behavior.

I pulled out my phone shooting off a quick text to Alfie before squeezing Joe's hand softly. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and I smiled softly at him.

Alfie emerged through the door a couple of minutes later rushing over to us.

"What's the news? Is she okay?" He asked, bombarding the doctor with questions. The doctor looked more in his element now, like he was used to this behavior and began addressing us calmly.

"Zoe is out of surgery now, it went very well. The bleeding appears to have stopped in her brain. All we have to do is wait and see if she wakes up. Then she will be able to tell us how she feels..." the doctor trailed off and I glanced at the other two. I knew what the rest of the sentence was the doctor was implying indirectly: what she remembered.

Joe let out a sigh of relief turning to face Alfie whose breathing had returned to normal.

"Thank you," Alfie said reaching forward to shake the doctor's hand.

"Yes, thank you," Joe said, "When can we see her?"

"You can see her now if you'd like. She is stable, but be prepared there is a lot of bruising and tubes currently attached to help her respiration." The doctor warned, beckoning us forward.

Alfie stood up, Joe following. I let go of Joe's hand to pick up the duffle bag and shuffled after them down the hall. As we were going through the door a loud voice called out behind me.

I turned around. Joe's dad had arrived and was rushing towards us.