Darkened Roses [Complete][Book 1 of Roses Trilogy]

Chapter 5; Twists of Life

*Recommended for ages 16+ due to strong language / content*

(Ray's POV)

"Its my sister"

I heard her voice full of horror and shock. I reached out and hugged her tight, as she finally hung up the phone. My heart hurt as her eyes watched me, I kept my arms around her, until she finally broke down. She shoved her head into the crook of my neck as I slowly rocked her, rubbing my hand along her back. I felt her tears staining my shirt, but I didn't care, not one bit. Finally she stopped and looked at me, her eyes raw from crying.

"We need to get to the hospital" She managed, her voice tight as she pulled away from me. I felt the loss immediately, but I kept my face calm. We both got to our feet, and I put my arm around her back as we made our way back to the apartment and her truck. Tears had started falling once more from her eyes as we neared the apartment. She turned to look at me and a soft smile pulled at her lips.

"Hey, Ray, could you drive? I don't think I can right now" She asked me, her voice suddenly seemed tired and scared. I nodded without a second thought and she handed me her keys. We had finally made it to the apartment and we walked over to the truck. I dropped my arm so she could walked around the vehicle to the passengers side. Opening the door, I slid into the truck, and shut the door once I was in. She crawled in the other side and shut her door, and put her seat belt on. I followed her, and buckled myself in, then turned on the truck and backed out onto the road.

It was a long and silent drive to the hospital. I pulled into a parking space as close to the entrance as possible. After getting out and locking the truck, I took my arm and wrapped it around her body once more. Stepping into the hospital, I was hit by the smell of sterile equipment. We walked over to the desk and the blond haired receptionist looked up.

"Hi, I'm looking for Jennifer Elm's room please" Rose asked.

"What relation are you? I only ask because she's in ICU, and we only let close family in." The receptionist replied.

"I'm Rosalyn Elms, I'm her sister" Rose answered, and the receptionist nodded, giving me a glance.

"What about him?" she asked, gesturing to me.

"That's my boyfriend" Rose stated and the woman nodded, handing Rose two stickers, and pointed to the elevator. I felt a little taken aback at that statement, but I went with it, my arm around her back.

"Your sister is on the fourth floor, ICU unit, room #323" The receptionist told us and after putting on the stickers, we entered the elevator. I pressed the number '4' button and the elevator lurched upwards. At each floor a dinging noise would sound, and as it stopped on the fourth floor, we exited. After walking down the hall, we found the ICU unit doors and entered. Just inside, there was a desk with hallways on either side of it, and then another hallway to the right of the doors. Plagues on each of the hallway entrances read which rooms where down that hallway. The hallway that went to the left of the desk held rooms #300-#330 and that was where we went.

Soon, we approached room #323, and I swung open the door, afraid of what we would see. Rose clung to me as we entered, and immediately, my attention was drawn to the hospital bed in the corner.

(Rose's POV)

Ever since that phone call, my mind has been disorganized and horrible. I still couldn't believe that Jen, strong, dependable, amazing, caring Jen is on life support. All I know is that she got into a car accident, and her records had only one contact, and that was me. Our parents were killed in a car accident when I was 18 and Jen was 20. We lived together until she met her husband when she was 23 and I had just turned 21. She moved from our hometown to Austin, Texas, and I moved to Austin just after college, getting a job and bought an apartment walking distance from Rooster Teeth and the park.

Jen and I were extremely close growing up and we never lost that bond. She met her husband at work one day, and he was wonderful, until they got married. As the days wore on, She would call me everyday when he wasn't home, and she always sounded terrified. She wouldn't divorce him though, then she got pregnant, and finally divorced him. Her and the baby have been living in their house, a few blocks up the road from me, comfortably ever since the divorce.

As I looked at Jen now, her red hair fanned on the pillow, two IVs in her right arm and a mask on her face and a bag of blood, attached to an IV in her left arm. Her face was scarred, and her left leg was in a cast.
Her chest rose and fell slowly thanks to the machine that kept her alive. I pressed my body into Ray's and he wrapped his arms around me as fresh sobs wracked my body. The door swung open as a doctor walked in, broad glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose, and a clipboard in his hands.

"Rosalyn Elms?" The doctor asked, his tone soft and sympathetic. I looked up at him with raw, red eyes.

"Yes sir" I answered and he gestured to a couch near the bed with a wheelie chair sat in front of it. I nodded and Ray helped me over and sat beside me, taking my hand in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. The doctor sat in front of us in the chair, and pushed up his broad glasses.

"Rosalyn, your sister was involved in a four car accident, and she took the most damage. We are quite surprised she managed to stay alive this long. She is on heavy duty life support, and as much as I don't want to say this, she only has 96 hours to live, I'm really sorry" He explained, and I felt tears pricking my eyes as I heard the doctor. I let out another sob as Ray encased me in his arms. As the doctor left, Ray pulled out his phone as I sobbed some more in his side, one arm now wrapped around my body.

(Ray's POV)

I held Rose in my arms, hating to see her like this. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my sleek black iPhone 5s and dialed Geoff. I waited as I heard the dial tone several times before the pick-up tone sounded.

"What the fuck do you want?" Geoff's annoyed voice sounded in my ear.

"Um, Rose's sister is in the hospital on heavy duty life support, and the doctor said that she only has 96 hours to live and I figured we could get everyone together and show her some support" I explained to him. Geoff was silent, and his response was slow.

"Holy shit dude, yeah totally, let me call up the guys, and we'll meet you out front of the hospital" Geoff finally responded and I let out a thanks and goodbye, before hanging up the phone. I slipped the phone back in my pocket and heard soft snoring. I looked at Rose, and noticed that during her sobbing, she had fallen asleep. I brushed a piece of hair from her face as I glanced at the hospital bed once more and then to Rose.

"She only has 96 hours to live"

<**€**>

Wow, so, Rose's sister only has 96 hours to live? What's going to happen to the baby? Will the daddy return and try to take her away? Will Ray and Rose become a couple? Will Rose get the baby? Find out soon. See ya later lovelies :)