The Next Chapter (Aaron Carpenter Fanfiction)

Chapter 4

I was still in the hospital, wide awake and holding her hand 3 hours later when her parents arrived. I get up and let them see her.

"I'm so sorry this happened. I wish there was something I could have done." I say.

"Oh, Aaron honey it's okay. We don't blame you at all. And she will wake up soon. She will be okay." Roxanne's mom replies.

"Yeah buddy, we don't blame you at all. Promise. We just have to wait it out. Damn there are a lot of balloons in here." her dad says.

"Yeah, sorry about that. All the boys picked something out and Mahogany went all out and bought practically the entire store. Her and Mahogany are so close being the only girls and all." I say.

"Well, I'm going to sit by her for a while Aaron, you get some rest." her mom says, tears spilling down her face.

"Oh no, I'm okay. I'll just be over here doing some online homework."

"Okay. Will you get me a pillow off that couch? The back of this chair is hard." She says.

I hand her a pillow and she starts to sing in a soft voice,

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

"That was beautiful Ms. Jennings." I whisper.

"Oh, thank you Aaron. I used to sing it to her every night before I tucked her in when she was little. She loved it." She says through tears.

I look over and Roxanne's dad is crying. Just softy crying. I had never seen him cry before in all the time I'd known him. He looks at Roxanne's beautiful, scarred, tube-filled face and cries.

"Please wake up." He whispers.

"Hey, pull up a chair and sit next to me." her mom says.

"Well, we have a hotel reservation. Jake is by himself so we'll have to leave to get back to him." her dad says.

"We will be back early in the morning to see Sister Sue." her mom says, referring to Roxanne with her childhood nickname.

"See you in the morning, Aaron." her dad sighs as her mom hugs me tight.

"See you." I say.

I push the couch as close to Roxanne as I can while still giving the nurse room. I invite all the boys in one by one to say goodbye. Mahogany is last and she is crying. Not crying, bawling.

"I love you, best friend, more than anything. Please wake up. Please."

She hugs her lightly and lightly squeezes her hand. As she walks out she grabs me in a big Lox hug.

"Stay strong, Aaron. She'll be okay." With that, she walks out.

The nurses come in and update Roxanne's vaccines.

"Wake up, baby. Please wake up. You're my world. Wake up so I can kiss you, hug you, talk with you. Apologize to you. I love you." I say after they leave. I drift to sleep shortly after, one hand on Roxanne's hospital bed.