Two-Faced

Untitled Part 28

I got into my white convertible and started the engine.  The city pool was open today and I wasn't missing out. Mom had a VIP pass that I took with me. The VIP stuff consist of a workout room, pool, hot tub, sauna, a spa, free drinks, and a massage room. who wouldn't miss that?! 

I was driving down the road and decided to stop at DAiry Queen. 

"hi may i take your order?"

the voice sounded so familiar I couldn't tell who it was. It was a female, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"um, yes," I say , tuning back in "I'll take a chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato and a oreo blizzard"

"is that all for you today?"

"yes."

"your total is 5.96. please stop at the first window." 

I do as this familiar voice has commanded, and when I stop at the window, I almost had a heart attack. 

It was Brooklyn Roberts, Layne's little sister. I knew her because she was in the same grade as me. 

"hey girl." she said with a warm smile across her face just like Layne's. 

"hey, how are you?"I said, handing her $6 

"good. Have you heard about Layne?"

"what?"

"umm," she looked around trying to get off subject. "here's your food, call my mom if you can."

I was so confused that I pull out my phone and call layne's number. 

"hello?" said someone, a womanly voice

"layne, are you okay?"

he groans in response and I hear a woman's voice, assuming it was his mother.

"maci, I hate to tell you this over the phone, but Layne is in the hospital. he was injured in a car accident and might not make it."

"i'll be there as soon as I can." 

I hang up and start driving towards the hospital. It was the only one in town, so I figured I wasn't making a mistake.  

I got there and immediately went inside with my phone in my back pocket. I went to the front desk and was greeted by Layne's mother. 

"what's going on? how's he doing?"

"not so good. the doctor said he has bleeding in his brain and he's in surgery right now."

I nod and take a seat in the waiting room. luckily I found earbuds in my back pocket and plugged them into my phone. Sometimes it was better to just tune out the world and go into my own world of music. 

I turned on thumbprint radio on pandora and listened away. I listened to Clean Bandit sing "Rockabye" as I laid my head back and fell asleep.

I woke up to find the earbuds still in  my ears and the sight of Layne's mom, Vanessa,   talking to the doctor. I pulled them out and walked over to see what had went wrong. 

"the brain is swelling extremely rapidly and it has reached his full capacity. I have never seen something this bad in my medical practice. there is a small chance he may live, but those chances are slim."

"when  can we see him?" Vanessa said with a small crack in her voice. Tears were in her eyes and about to roll down her cheeks. 

"he is in recovery now, would you like to see him?" he said as he'd been doing this all his life. 

"please." she said with some happiness and excitement. 

he lead us down a couple hallways and we followed him into an elevator. 

"I'm just going to warn you, he's not at his best. I must tell you that he may have some tubes and such in places and I.V's and many other medical equipment. Please feel free to ask me if there's anything you need or would like to know. he's in the 3rd room on the right, room 316." he said leading us out of the elevator. 

I walk with Layne's mother and she opens the door. The doctor didn't exaggerate. he had tubes and everything I could ever imagine poking in and out of him. 

His eyelids fluttered open at the sound of the shut door. 

"hey momma. Hey Maci." he said flatly, showing no emotion.  

"hey sweet baby. How you feeling?" she said walking over to him and sitting in the green armchair that really did look like it belonged in a hospital. 

"G-G-Good I guess."

we sat in silence as I slurped on my dairy queen blast. I tried to be quiet, but the sound of the empty cup made Layne and Vanessa look at me weird. I threw it in the trash and crossed my arms and put my head down, laying them on the edge of the hospital bed. 

soon I became to exhausted to keep my eyelids open, and I fell asleep once again.