Bold Bella (Book 4)

Chapter 17:

Oly and Liam arrived over the next few days but I barely noticed. I just sat besides dad the entire time. They made me sadder than I already was anyway. Oly with her big brown eyes that were exactly like Nate’s and Liam always had this look that made me want to cry more than I already did. He was making the look someone made when they were trying not to cry. His eyes were watery but they refused to fall down his face with tight lips. Oly was just crying freely but silently and that just made the tragedy worse.

Dad had to wake up there was no alternative now. Nate was gone so dad definitely had to wake up. It already wasn’t fair. We just lost Nate we couldn’t lose dad too. To lose dad would just shatter our already cracked pieces.

The shock of Nate dying has kept me from crying. I hadn’t processed it. My mind kept thinking that I would be able to ring him any time I wanted and he’d answer and he’d be his cheerful self. I could still see him in my mind so clearly that it didn’t feel like he was gone. I kept saying it over and over in my head. Nate’s dead. Nate’s dead. Nate’s dead. But it wouldn’t sink in. It was like my brain registered but my heart didn’t believe it, therefore none of me did.

            “We have to go back to England for Nate’s funeral service,” April suddenly said as we were all sitting around dad, all five of us. Mum, Oly, Liam, April and me. It felt wrong to say five. There should’ve been seven. Nate should’ve been with us and dad shouldn’t be in a coma.

            “But we can’t leave dad,” mum said.

            “We can’t bury Nate in New York!” Liam pointed out. “His home is Green Meadows.”

            “But your father. What if something happens?”

            “This is so stupid,” Oly suddenly exploded jumping out of her chair and pulling her hair out of her face. “Nate isn’t dead! He can’t be dead! It, this just can’t be real! He’s going to ring us or come through the door any second and he’ll be fine! We can’t be talking about his funeral! It’s just, this can’t be happening!”

            “Oly,” April tried to approach her meanwhile I hadn’t even flinched from my seat. April tried to touch Oly’s arm but Oly flinched away and April’s hand fell down to her side like it had been personally rejected.

            “No. This is stupid! Nate can’t be gone,” she yelled again before storming out of dad’s room. April slumped back into her seat and everyone fell into silence again. It was weird for us to be so quiet all the time. Whenever we were together we were always talking over the other. The silence just signified that nothing was okay and it made me feel ten times worse and it forced me to think about Nate and dad. They seemed to be ringing out like earthquake shocks in the room. Dad’s doctor came through the door a few moments after Oly left and I didn’t care to remember his name even though he’d be a relevant part in whether dad lives or dies.

            “Hi, everyone,” he greeted, “If you could just leave the room. I need to do a few tests.”

We nodded and exited the room slowly. We waited just outside in silence so the only voices came from strangers. Twenty minutes later dad’s doctor let us back into the room.

            “Mrs Hart, progress has been made in your husband’s condition and unfortunately it’s not good,” he took in a deep breath as we all waited for him to continue, “Your husband was showing minimal brain function yesterday and now he has absolutely no brain function.”

            “He’s brain dead,” I dead panned.

            “Yes,” the doctor admitted.