12-in-1

~4~ Managing Moping & The Will

*Alexa*

"He just has a cold but he needs his fluids, vitamin C, vegetables, fruits and hot food if he wants to avoid pneumonia. Mia on the other hand has me worried a little bit more. We're gonna keep her here overnight and then we can know for sure what we're dealing with." Dr Bailey said to me with a small smile.

"Oh ok. I'll get the driver to take them home but is it possible for me to sleep with Mia?"

"Now listen here young lady, you look awful and you may not have pneumonia but you may have a mental breakdown at this rate. You go home and I'll be at Mia's side."

"I'll be fine-"

"No you won't. I'm a doctor Alexa. I can inject you without your knowledge and get you to have a much deserved rest in a comfortable bed but I'm giving you an option. Go say bye to Mia and I'll look after her."

I nodded and walked in to see Alex holding her head and crying softly with his head on her bed.

"Lexie are we gonna survive this?" he asked without looking up.

"Yes we are," I said firmly, "but not if we keep moping around like this."

"You call this moping around?! We just lost Mum AND Dad and selfish little Alex is moping around!" he said with fire blazing in his eyes as he looked at me and I felt bad.

"I lost them too Al. But we'll be fine. We're Coles remember?"

He nodded and wordlessly left the room.

"Hello baby." I muttered to the half-conscious Mia.

"Hiya Lexie."

"We're gonna go home now but you'll stay here with Dr Bailey so she can teach you how to be a good doctor, ok?"

"Don't you wanna learn it too?"

"Nah, I'm gonna be a cook remember?"

"Right. Boring. I'll tell you about doctoring tomorrow."

I smiled and combed her hair with my fingers, stooping down to kiss her forehead before leaving the room.

"Can we see her?" Derek asked shuffling his feet and my heart broke at the sight.

"Sure. But for just a minute, we need to get home to sort things out."

They nodded and walked in sober.

I looked around for Alex and saw him looking even more shattered than when he left Mia's room if that was possible.

*Alex*

I walked out of Mia's room mad at Alexa for telling me to stop 'moping around'.

Did she think I liked being like this?!

I wanted to be strong for her and the rest.

I wanted to be a good replacement of Dad but I couldn't do it.

Nobody can replace my father.

"Mr Cole?" someone said quietly and I looked around wildly, expecting to see my dad with a smile on his face before realizing that the Mr Cole was actually me.

"We need you to identify your parents for us."

I nodded not really understanding and walked in after her into a room that was cold and furniture-less.

All that was there were two beds containing two dead people.

Dead parents.

I uncovered the first body with shaking hands and it was my dad.