Without You

nineteen.

'Dems? What's going on? Where are you going?' Marissa asks as Demi walks out of the hospital room.

'Demi?' Kelsey says as the brunette walks straight past them. They follow her as she makes her way down the corridor and straight out of the hospital where she leans forward and throws up the entire contents of her stomach.

'What's happened?' Marissa asks pulling Demi's hair out of her face.

'I-I can't lose him.' Demi cries placing her hand against her stomach.

'What did that nurse say?' Marissa asks gently rubbing Demi's lower back.

'T-They don't know if he's going to make it and if he does they've been talking about brain damage... He might not even remember me.' Demi cries.

'Oh, Demi...' Marissa says wrapping her arms around her best friend.

'This isn't how it's supposed to be. We're supposed to be happy, excited about this baby but these past few months have been filled with nothing but heartache. What did I do that was so bad that I deserve this?' Demi replies quietly as she wraps her arms around her stomach.

'You didn't do anything, Dems. I know life has been pretty shitty for you lately but things will start looking up. Things will get better.' Marissa says.

'Or they'll get worse. I can't sit here and watch him die.' Demi says shaking her head.

'Then don't. You go back into that room and you talk to him; let him hear your voice and give him something to come back to.' Marissa replies.

****

'Wilmer, I need you to focus on my voice. Don't leave me, our baby needs their daddy and I need my husband. I know we've had our issues but I don't want to do this without you by my side; I don't think I can do this without you by my side.' Demi says as she sits by Wilmer's hospital bed. Reaching her free hand up she wipes the tears from her cheeks before sighing.

'You don't get to put me through this, Wilmer. You will wake up and you will stay by my side because you don't get to opt out now. You do not get to leave me, okay. So you need to recover and you need to open those eyes as soon as you feel strong enough to; I don't care if it takes hours or days but you will come back to me, Wilmer.' She says.

_____

'Dems, you should go get something to eat.' Marissa says popping her head around the door.

'I can't leave him.' Demi replies; her head in resting on the edge of the bed as she stares up at Wilmer's face.

'I'll come get you if anything happens. You need to eat, Dems. Think of that little one in your stomach.' Marissa says causing Demi to sigh.

'Fine. I won't be long.' Demi says pressing her hand against her stomach. Leaning over she kisses Wilmer's cheek before making her way out of the room.

'I'll come with you.' Kelsey says and Demi nods her head. They make their way to the canteen and get some breakfast before sitting at a table.

'We let Wilmer's mom know what was going on; she said to phone her if you need her to come out here.' Kelsey says.

'If he doesn't wake up today she should come out... I don't want to be the reason she doesn't get to say goodbye to him.' Demi replies running her hand across her back.

'You in pain?' Kelsey asks.

'Probably just the way I was sleeping.' Demi replies quietly.

'You sure? Maybe you should get checked out?' Kelsey suggests and Demi shakes her head.

'I just want to get back to Wilmer.' She says beginning to eat. They're in the canteen for fifteen minutes at the most before they make their way back upstairs and Demi goes into Wilmer's room.

'I'm back, baby...' She says softly as she sits back down beside his bed. She takes his hand into hers and sighs as she runs her thumb over his knuckles.

****

'Did she speak to you at all?' Marissa asks as they stand by the window of the hospital room.

'Not really. She said that if he doesn't wake up today then she's going to phone his mom and ask her to come out... I also think she's in some sort of pain; she kept rubbing her back and when I asked her about it she said it was probably just the way she was sleeping.' Kelsey replies.

'You don't think something is wrong with the baby, do you? I don't think she could cope with that.' Marissa says and Kelsey sighs.

'I don't know, Marissa.' Kelsey replies quietly.