Neverland [Lost Boy Series #3]

✶Room 323✶

The ride to the hospital felt like an eternity. Both Peter and I were on the verge of a meltdown but I had to stay strong for his sanity. He'd been there for me for every little thing and so as I stopped my car in the parking lot, I promised myself that I would be there for him no matter the consequence.

Squeezing my eyes together, I felt his strong hand fall on my shoulder. My eyes searched his face to see nothing but a broken, vulnerable boy before me. Yet here he was, trying to reassure me that everything was going to be okay.

    "We're going to be fine, remember?" He stated, referring to words I had uttered only just a few minutes ago. The softness of his voice nearly made me melt into mush before him. No matter how how I tried to ignore the facts, I had it bad for this boy. He was so sweet, so compassionate that even at his darkest time, he was there for me. I don't know what I ever did to deserve him.

Taking his hand, I blankly stared out the front windshield. We both sat in a moment of silence yet our minds were racing a thousand miles a minute. What were we going to face next? What were we up against? Taking a glance over at him, fear had began to consume his facial features.

    "You're right," I nodded, doing my best to reassure him. Doubt lingered in the pit of my stomach and even more through my thoughts. If I were honest with myself, everything was not fine. In fact, everything was the complete opposite of fine at this moment.

Peter avoided my gaze, his leg bouncing up and down as if he were trying to compose himself.

"We should go," I mumbled as nervousness danced around in my stomach.

"We should," he agreed, still gazing out the window.

    Nearly jumping out the car, I swiftly locked it and headed to the emergency room entrance of the hospital. Following my lead, Peter jogged to catch up with me. "What floor are we going to?"

    "Jenna said it was the second floor, Room 323."

    "Wouldn't that be the third floor?"

    "I don't know. Just c'mon!" We were practically running into the emergency room by then, nearly tripping over our own feat as we weaved between frantic families and ill patients. Finding a nearby elevator, we pressed the button and had to wait until the elevator got to the first floor. By this time, Peter had begun to nervously pace the floor.

    "Laney, I can't do this," he said, his eyes widened like a deer in headlights. When I looked at him, all I could see was a child who was fearful to see his hurt loved one. He never experienced these events in Neverland so I couldn't exactly pinpoint how intense his emotions were, but he was definitely feeling something.

    "I can't Laney. What if he-"

    Grabbing his hand, tears began to well in my eyes. "You're going to get through this. Whatever happens, you're going to get through this."

    Peter blankly stared into my eyes as he wiped my tear away. Before either of us could say anything, the elevator dinged and in we walked. The tension in the air was so thick that it made the elevator ride to the third floor feel like it sucked all of the life out of me. The stress was eating away at my energy, at my body. I already couldn't sleep due to anxiety and this just happened to be the icing on the cake. Regardless of what happened, I needed to stay strong. Jenna and Peter needed me in this tragic time and we would be there for Thomas until he recovered. We all were going to get through this together because we were stronger together. We were four close friends that made a dysfunctional family- and that's the way it should always be.

    As the elevator dinged, Peter and I slowly walked out. Interlocking my fingers in his, I gave a loving squeeze and began to count the numbers plastered on the front of the doors. With each step we took closer to room 323, the longer the journey felt like it took. A heavy weight lingered on my heart and I was sure that Peter was feeling the same exact way. As we reached room 300, I dug in my pant pocket and pulled out my cell phone. Shakily dialing Jenna's number, I disregarded the many missed calls from my parents.

    "Jenna? Where are you? We're here."

    "I see you."

    And then she instantaneously hung up. Looking forward in the hallway, I saw her curly locks of hair frantically bouncing along her head. Black mascara ran down her face as tears dripped from her eyes. She covered her mouth as she wept down the hallway and honestly, I was mortified. A lump grew in my throat as she approached us and Peter was squeezing my hand so hard, I thought he was going to cut off my circulation. My heart dropped into my stomach as she stopped and stood before us. I tried to make words, but I had to nearly shove them out of my mouth.

    "Wh-What happened?" I asked, tears already streaming down my face. It was a challenge just to stand straight, as my legs began to tremble. Jenna was also shaking as she gasped for some air. Her body was trembling with every individual cry she made and these cries came from the depths of her soul. No matter how much her mouth opened, no sound managed to escaped. She was not one to be serious, let alone to cry. This had to be bad, real bad. And it hurt so much to see her painful, silent cries.

    Jenna frantically shook her head back and forth as she took jagged breaths.

    "What is wrong with him?!" Shouted Peter in frustration, fed up of waiting for answers.

    Her chest heaved up and down multiple times before she managed to compose herself for a few seconds. "He didn't make it guys," she said as tears streamed their way down her porcelain face. At this very moment, my heart stopped. I couldn't breathe as I suffocated on my own emotions. My body was so completely paralyzed that I didn't even realize that Peter had slipped out of my grasp. My tears slipped out so fast and so steadily that they blinded my vision. Poor Thomas, poor innocent little Thomas didn't make it?

    Jenna's words replayed in my head over and over again and my mind just couldn't comprehend them. What did she mean, 'He didn't make it'? Thomas was....dead? How? Why? When? All of these questions flooded my mind as the scene around me faded into different sounds and blurred colors. Was this just a bad dream that I was going to wake up from and laugh about? Reality had morphed into a distant figure. It was unreachable, out of my grasp at this moment in time. For now, I was frozen in a state of shock. My mind nor body acted as I was commanding it to, no matter how hard I tried.

    At least, that was until I heard Jenna's shriek. "Peter! NO!"

    And then she ran off so swiftly that you never would've known she was there. As for Peter, he was gone. The poor boy's adrenaline had kicked in and all of his other senses had been kicked out. He had run off to room 323.

© Lightning_Stryker 2017

And it is with a heavy heart that I announce that Thomas Shapiro is no longer with us, but in a much better place #RIPThomas. Thomas initially was a very deep character and there was a completely other side to him that we never did get to see, but will be able to experience throughout this story. His story is very deep and moving and though he didn't live long enough to tell it himself, I promise that you all will get to know Thomas, the real Thomas, through memories and legacies.

I had a lot of difficulty adding detail to this chapter so I apologize to those who like the 'show, don't tell' style. That sort of never was my style of writing which I think you all should know by now saying that this is the 3rd installment in the series XD

On a happier note, I did make this awesome banner that is now the background to my profile and it is totally related to Peter, Pan, Neverland, and the other books that are to come (if there are more ^-^). Though the words kind of got cut off, I like it. It feels like home to me ^^

Once again, thank you all for sticking with me this far! We have almost 150 reads and there's literally like 3 real chapters! That's amazing guys! I love each and every one of you (though some of you probably hate me right now XD). Can't wait to see where this goes. See ya next chapter! ;)