Family is Complicated

Nobody Likes Hospitals

Winn pulled into the empty parking space at last, winning the battle between him and the old lady fighting  for the same spot. In his defence, his situation was more dire. Locking the car, he rushed toward the hospital building, filled with anxious butterflies with razor sharp wings.
Everywhere was bustling with noise and people, barely enough room to breathe. He got to the ward he needed to, and wrestled carefully through the stream of nurses, doctors and officials. A lady stopped him from entering the dreaded hospital room, and for a moment he was relieved. But then immediately felt guilty. "I'm sorry Sir, visitors are restricted to just family right now," she gave a genuine sympathetic look. So not all hospital workers were sour. "I-i'm her son. Winn Schott? Junior." He hastily added the last part. The woman stared, shocked for a moment, then stepped aside warily. Winn thanked her, and took a deep breath before opening the door.
He was met by the horrible, heart wrenching sound of sobbing. Blonde waves rested on a pair of slender shoulders, attached to a torso donned by a light peach dress, all owned by a a young woman in her twenties. Bonnie Spencer. His little sister.
She looked up, eyes red, and a flash of anger struck her eyes like red lightning. "Where have you been?!" She heaved, standing from her kneeling position besides the bed. The bed holding the pale faced body of his mother. Winn suddenly felt weak. His knees gave out and he gripped the doorframe tightly. "I'm so sorry" was all he could choke out, before collapsing onto the hospital floor and finally allowing the tears to break free.
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James trailed behind Kara, biting his nails nervously. He wasn't usually prone to nail biting, but in this line of work anything goes. Winn was a special kind of problem, as he kept his feelings quiet, preferring to hide them behind the 'funny guy' persona. He never spoke about his own issues or family members, instead listening to and resolving those of others.
J'onn was running Winn's phone through the data base, rewarded by a beep signifying that it had found Winn. "He's in... a hospital. In Metropolis," the Martian told them, just as confused as their faces showed. "Does he have... friends in Metropolis? Do you think Superman asked for his help?" Alex suggested. "Clark would have called me," Kara shook her head, "besides, we're Winn's only friends. It's sad but it's true."
"Why don't we check in on him quick, make sure he's not skiving work or something," they all knew that was definitely not the case, but James voiced it anyway. He was anxious to check on Winn, and hated not knowing whether he was okay or not.
                              ~~~~~~~~
Winn finished his teary break down, gulping in air like every breath could win him a minute to spend with his family in the past. "I'm just so sorry. For not being there for you or for..." His eyes moved to the lifeless figure on the bed. "I was just afraid. That I would become our dad. Hurt everyone closest to me. I thought, since mum left me, that she didn't want me around." His voice cracked again. His sis was giving him a look. A look that wasn't sympathetic or disgusted, or angry or sad. Just a look. It did show a welcoming warmth, though, an understanding. Forgiveness. They both walked to the middle of the room, embracing firmly, and crying into eachother's shoulders.
Later, the siblings said their heartfull goodbyes to their mother, no matter what they had previously felt towards her. Then they were ushered out by the staff, hand in hand, eyes red and tears still staining their cheeks. They moved to a set of chairs outside of the room and sat in a comfortable silence. The chairs were white framed, the material at the seat, a deep crimson. The colour splashed abnormally against the white of the rest of the hallway. Bonnie fell asleep, resting her head on his shoulder. The silence was serine. A stark contrast to the rest of his life, now and always hectic. Full of sorrow. Grief. Anger. But he couldn't allow the anger to surface. No, that would bring him a step closer to becoming something monstrous. Something evil. Becoming his father.
                            ~~~~~
James smiled at the woman as she finished giving directions, and thanked her before following the Danvers sisters through the corridors. The walls were all a morbid white. He didn't like hospitals. They came to the corridor they needed, stopping at the corner. A hushed conversation was going on, one of the voices belonging to Winn. "Someone has to tell him," he was saying, "even after everything he's done, he deserves to know that his wife is dead." Another voice agreed with a hum, feminine, but unfamiliar.
Alex knocked on the wall to announce their presence. As they rounded the corner, Winn and a blonde woman came into view. She was instantly wary and stood protectively in front of Winn. "What are you guys doing here?!" Winn guided the woman to a seat then confronted them. His eyes were red from crying, and an expression of pure broken spirit settled on his face. "Oh! I'm so sorry for not being at work, but I cleared it with--" J'onn interrupted Winn's rushed explanation by enveloping him in a hug. Winn made a surprised squeak, but hugged back. James, Kara and Alex joined, creating the ultimate super hug.
The woman behind them smiled widely, getting up and mouthing "I'll call them" to which Winn replied a mouthed "thank you" followed by a pout. She mirrored it, then turned the corner, and Winn was alone with his friends.
"You gonna tell us what's going on now?" Alex was the first to pull away, everyone else following after. "Oh. Umm," James put a hand on Winn's shoulder, hoping to calm him enough to get proper words out.
"I got a call this morning. I was told that a family member had been in an accident... and hadn't made it through surgery," he glanced toward the door behind them. "Uh, that was my sister, the blonde lady," he added, to which everyone wore a shocked expression.
So Bonnie's name was from a musical Winn's actor was in (Bonnie and Clyde) just in case anyone was wondering