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N I N E T E E N

edited

I see Max in front of the hospital doors with his skateboard by his feet, against the wall. He is leaning on the wall, checking his phone. At the sight of my best friend, I nearly scream.

We came straight from the airport, not bothering to leave our bags at home. It would take too much time Cole had said and so we came straight here.

When we get to Max, he engulfs me in a hug and I breathe in his familiar homey scent of mint and pine.

"Thank you," I say, burying my face in his chest.

"What for?" he asks in my hair.

We pull apart. "For telling us about mum."

He slings an arm around my shoulders and gives me a side hug, "of course, anytime, Princess."

What did I do to deserve a best friend like Max? Alright, let me have a second to describe him for you. He's about half a head taller than me, he brags a lot about it. He has dark sticky-up hair that he pairs up with a black beanie in the winter. His eyes are a mix of blue and green with specks of gold and he has one of those smiles that reach up to his eyes. He also has a weird obsession with the colour pink, so most of the clothes in his wardrobe are pink with very few grey and black and white.

"Athena!" he greets my sister, his arms still around my shoulders. I'm glad he doesn't let go. Don't tell anyone I said that, if you do, I will never hear the end of it from Max. "I haven't seen you in a while!"

Athena laughs, "right back at you kid!"

"You must be Cole!" Max gives Cole a fist bump in which Cole returns happily.

"And you must be Max!"

"You bet I am," he grins and tightens his arm around me. I feel my lips tug up in a small smile while watching them in a small conversation.

"So, what room is she in?" Athena asks.

Max sighs, "follow me."

I link my hand with his as we walk through the corridors. Mum's room is in the sixth floor but despite this, Max still takes us up by the stairs being the best friend he is.

Room 638 looks hollow and empty and cold, but we push through the doors anyway. In it lay mum in a hospital bed, her grey dyed hair sprawled all over the pillow. Her face is pale and lifeless and the tubes connected to her body is terrifying to even think about.

"What happened to her?" I ask Max, looking at mum from the distance, too scared to walk closer to her. Athena hurries to mum, sitting on the edge of her bed, trying to wake her up as if she's dead.

"I don't know," Max rubs my back soothingly, "once she's awake, they'll do tests on her."

I scrunch my eyebrows, "what if she never wakes up?" I look up to see Max's eyes turn darker than they originally are.

"Don't say that!" Max says harshly, "don't ever say that. She will wake up."

I don't say a thing as I watch Athena hold mum's colourless hands, Cole right behind her with his hand on her shoulder.

"Did dad visit her?" I ask Max. Although I know what the answer would most likely be, it would be nice to hear something different to what I had in mind.

"No," he answers, "you know he wouldn't Sera."

I sigh, "it's worth the shot of asking."

Max gives me a weak smile and pulls me in to another hug.

"I hope she's going to be okay..."

"She will, Sera."

"Promise?"