Complications

Chapter 27 - Infinity

"He's not responding. At all." The paramedic said, stopping to take a breather.

"Light?" The woman next to me, supposedly Emily, asked.

The other paramedic shook their head.

"Water? Shocks?" Emily questioned once more.

"Nothing at all." They replied, as Emily turned her head to face me before touching my shoulder,

"I'll be back."

********

I sat alone in the cold in silence for the best part of 40 minutes.

Occasionally, I rose my head to see my friends, sitting as close to the tape as they possibly could, yelling over to check on me every time our eyes met. But I didn't reply. Even when I acknowledged them, it was more of an empty stare or nod, just so they knew I hadn't literally frozen in the air. All that was on my mind was Mitchell.

Why wasn't he responding?

What happened to him?

What injuries were there?

Would he get better?

My thoughts were interrupted as Emily returned; I literally jumped up upon seeing her.

"How is he!?" I asked quickly. "What's happened to him!?"

"Aria, sit down." Emily said, holding my hand as she levelled me down to the ground.

"Emily what's-"

"Now normally," She began, cutting me off. "I would be obligated to tell you we are unaware of his condition and that he has to undergo further medical tests so we can be sure but.."

"But what?" I asked in a low tone.

"But I'm pretty sure, if not positive that his state is, well, unconditional." Emily continued.

"Please get to the point." I said abruptly, my hands literally shaking in hers.

"He's in a coma Aria." Emily said, lowering her head slowly, as if to offer her condolences, despite the fact that he was alive...just.. not here.

I gulped, as if to literally swallow the metaphorical sleeping pill that had just been shoved down my throat upon realising the severity of everything.

'How?' was my first thought.

How had I sustained a fucking few cuts to the forehead and minor concussion and he...he was asleep. Trapped. Trapped in his own mind, locked off from his family and his friends - and he didn't even know it.

How?

********

We sat among each other in silence at the hospital.

I had a minor check up on my head, a couple of scans and so I was free to join my friends in the waiting room, surrounded by 10 to 20 other anxious families. Young children fast asleep in their parent's laps, as mothers and fathers had distraught, fearful looks painted across their faces.

The room felt cold, an aura of unspoken fright amongst us.

"What time is it?" Angel asked, breaking the silence.

"Like 2am?" Ramon replied, as Monika rested her head on his shoulder.

"Shit, our parents." Rosalie quickly stated, sitting upright.

"It's fine, I called saying you guys are staying over at mine. And Aria, because your injuries were minor and you're 16, the hospital didn't have to call home." Selina responded, crossing her legs up onto her chair.

I nodded slowly, before turning my gaze back to the ground.

"You guys need to get some sleep." Ishmael said. "A couple of us can stay awake if the nurses say anything about Mitchell."

"I'll do it." I said sharply.

"Aria you need to rest - you haven't slept in hours and your head-" Ishmael began before I cut him off.

"I'll be fine." I replied.

"Okay then, but I'm staying awake with you." He said.

"Fine by me." I said monotonously. "But I'm not sleeping till we find out any updates on Mitchell's condition."

Ramon and my friends nodded in agreement, before one by one they began to doze off in the hard plastic chairs, until it was just me and Ishmael awake.

********

Mitchell's POV:

Blankness.

That's all it was.

Blankness.

********

Aria's POV:

"Do you want a coffee or anything Aria?" Ishmael asked me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

I shook my head.

"You have to eat or drink something, otherwise your medication isn't going to have any effect on you." He stated, but I ignored him once more before he sighed. "I'm only trying to help you know? I'm sorry."

"I know." I uttered. "I'm sorry. I can't eat right now."

"What would Mitchell say if he saw you doing this to yourself?" Ishmael questioned, folding his arms.

"He can't see anything right now." I said, my eyes instantly welling up with tears. "Does it even matter?"

My voice broke as I spoke, and I found my head lying on Ishmael's shoulder as he ran his fingers through my hair to comfort me,

"Hey don't cry." He whispered. "He'll make it through this."

"I don't get it." I cried, still sniffing.

"Get what?" He asked, his tone kind and warming.

"How does time go so fast?" I continued, taking a moment to breath and compose myself. "Like a month ago we were happy an-"

"Time doesn't go fast." Ishmael interrupted me. "I hate when people say that."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Because time goes at the same rate everyday. We only remember the good parts and the bad parts and ignore everything in between." Ishmael explained, my head still resting on his shoulder as I listened attentively. "If I asked you what you had for dinner 2 weeks ago from today, would you remember?"

I shook my head slightly.

"Exactly," He whispered. "If we feel like time's going too fast, then we're not making use of it all. Otherwise there'd be so many memories stuffed in our heads, we'd feel like we'd be here for infinity."

I drew my head up and faced him chin to chin.

I took a moment to savour his words.

"But we're not going to be here for infinity Aria." Ishmael whispered, shaking his head slightly as he spoke.

I focused my gaze on his light brown eyes, the same eyes I had awoken to earlier when I was pulled out the car. 

Dark flecks of sadness were still peeping through...or was it fear? 

...anger?

Or was it something else?

Whatever it was, in that little moment,

 I swear we were infinite.