Hers 2 (Ruby Rose)

8| The Waiting

STAY CALM, I told myself, everything will be okay.

"Ruby?" I tried again, my voice high and my throat swelling. "Open the door," I rattled the handle.

It was dead silent in there, and I knew that I had to be quick.

"Matthew?" I called out, still trying to break through the door. When he didn't respond either, I swore to myself and ran after him.

I burst through the front door so hard that it startled Matthew, who had been lightly jogging down the hall. He turned around to look at me with wide eyes, his forehead creasing when he noticed the look on my face.

"Ruby," I barely got out, and Matthew ran towards me with no hesitation.

I followed him as he ran into the bedroom and located the bathroom door. He tried the handle like I had, before suddenly backing away from it. I quickly moved out of the way when his shoulder grazed me, and watched with my knuckle against my lips.

He broke through the door after three attempts, using his shoulder, and I peered over his shoulder to see something that no one would want to see of their loved ones.

Ruby was sprawled out along the floor, her hands beside her head, and on top of the sink counter was a bottle of pills. An empty bottle.

I screamed, loud enough to get the entire resort's attention, pushing past Matthew to get to her first.

I picked her head up, arms wrapped around her neck. "Wake up!" I cried out, shaking her. She was limp and heavy against me. She was dead. She had to be. I had never seen anyone so pale in my entire life.

"No, no, no," I kept repeating, unable to fathom what was happening. My screams mixed in with my sobs, so I was one blubbering mess, which did not help the situation. I could not think straight.

Matthew picked up the bottle, his eyes still wide, before he dropped down beside her and grabbed her from me. She collapsed onto his lap. Before I could grab her hand, Matthew yelled, "go get help!"

I left the room, but not before I witnessed Matthew slip his fingers into Ruby's mouth.

THE WAITING ROOM was awful. There were a lot of people here. An elderly man was bleeding from his head, and he held a tissue to it. A toddler walked around the room while his mother, who appeared a sickly yellow color, kept trying to coo him back. And there was a couple that had fallen asleep against each other after spending the past few hours cuddling. It was hard to look at them, because I was jealous. Jealous that they still had each other, while I was on the verge of losing mine.

I had not moved from the same position for hours. Leaned forward on my elbows with my hands clasped over my mouth, rocking myself. People around me probably thought I was insane, but I didn't care about anything else but Ruby at that point.

"Hey," I flinched when I felt his hand touch my back. He pulled it away and I looked up at him. "She will be okay." He told me.

Great. I was about to start crying once again.

"How do you know?" I asked, my voice so broken that I found it surprising that he understood me.

"Because they're with her right now. They're working on her. She can't get any worse, only better."

I let out a sob and Matthew immediately pulled me into his side. All I could think right now was, thank God Matthew was there, otherwise, it could have been too late. I would have lazed around all day, not once thinking to go to the bathroom to get ready for anything.

I couldn't stop crying, and everyone was staring at me. Matthew tried to communicate with them silently, tell them that it's fine, as some people looked concerned.

When my cries became too loud, I heard Matthew mutter an "okay" before standing, forcing me up with him. I cowered into him as he led me out of the hospital.

Outside, the air was cold and it shocked me as I was still in my gym clothes, which was a sleeveless top and a pair of shorts. Coming here, I hadn't felt it. I guess I was too numb.

Now, not only was I crying hysterically, but I was trembling.

Matthew pulled me into his chest and just held me. He ran his hands up and down my arms to warm me up a little, he himself shivering.

I pulled away from him, inhaling a shaky breath through my mouth and nearly choking on excess saliva in the process.

"I'm sorry." I said. I felt terrible for him having to wait with me, in this cold, when he could have been back at the resort having a relaxing bath or something.

"Don't be, seriously," he lightly tapped my arm with his fist, gaining a tiny smile from me, "Spencer will be here soon. Do you want something to eat or drink? I think I have a few dollars on me." He reached into his pocket and pulled out three dollars.

I shook my head. The last thing I could do right now was eat. I was too worried about Ruby to do anything but cry.

I heard the sliding doors to the hospital open, followed by a stranger's voice.

"They're calling for you," a woman told us. Matthew and I glanced at each other before proceeding to follow her back into the waiting room, where sure enough, the doctor stood in a white coat.

"She's awake, but she's most likely going to be sore for a while, as we had to pump her stomach." He told us in a thick accent.

I exhaled through my mouth, loud enough for the doctor and Matthew to notice.

"I wanted to ask you," the doctor looked sympathetic, almost hesitant to ask, "was it intentional or an accident?"

My heart burned. "I... I don't know-" I was on the verge of tears again. If it was intentional, which I was certain it was, I would be hurt. The fact that she was willing to leave me behind in this world, after we had promised to get through everything together. I felt betrayed.

He nodded, still looking sympathetic. "Okay, you are free to go see her now. Follow me." The doctor started walking but I couldn't. My feet were planted on the ground, not wanting to budge.

Matthew stopped and turned around when he saw I hadn't been following them. He then quickly walked back over to me.

"You don't have to-"

"No," I inhaled shakily, "I'm ready."