Turmoil | Spruceworth 5.1 (#Wattys2018)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Shaw

       Beep.

       Beep.

       Beep.

       I was hating that repetitive sound I was hearing almost every single second. I hadn't even gotten any sleep because of it, because I was worried with everything going on.

       I was starting to get restless sitting on the chair, so I started pacing around the hospital room. Deep breaths, Shaw. Just take deep breaths.

       The door to the hospital room opened and I looked over to see my boyfriend's parents, Lawrence and Tara, who did not look happy to see me. "What are you still doing here?" Lawrence asked.

       "I told you, I'm not leaving until he wakes up," I said. "I don't care what you two want."

       "Well, you should," Lawrence said. "We're his parents and right now, if we don't want you here, then you shouldn't be here."

       "I'm staying," I said for what felt like the hundredth time. "Besides, who do you think Holden's going to want to see when he wakes up? His boyfriend or his parents who completely abandoned him."

       "Uh, we didn't abandon him," Tara said. "He chose to move out. That was all on his own."

       "And who's the one that made him want to move out?" I asked. "If you two were better parents to him, he wouldn't have wanted to get as far away from you two as possible."

       Neither Lawrence nor Tara appreciated me saying that, no matter how true it was. They claimed they wanted what was best for their son, but all they did was try to control his life completely. They weren't allowing him to make a single choice on his own.

       "You're one to talk," Lawrence said with clear anger in his voice. "You really think you're a better parent than we are? Remind me, who abandoned his kids a few years ago and turned to alcohol instead?"

       "Don't you dare bring my kids into this!" I said. 

       "Oh, so you can give your opinion on how we parent, but we can't do the same to you?" Lawrence asked. "Because you are definitely not an image of the world's perfect father."

       Before I could even say anything else, the door opened once again and this time, Holden's older brother Josh walked in. And thankfully he did because I was so close to losing it with Lawrence right now.

       "Are you serious?" Josh asked. "You have to argue right now when Holden is laying unconscious in a hospital bed?"

       "Josh, I know you're upset that your mother and I don't agree with Shaw and Holden dating, but you're also a doctor," Lawrence said. "So tell Shaw he has no right to be in here."

       "Actually, he does," Josh said. "Shaw is Holden's emergency contact. And you're lucky I don't ask you to leave right now for picking a fight with Shaw. Holden doesn't need this right now."

       "Holden is unconscious and can't hear anything," Tara pointed out.

       "I'm just surprised you two haven't blamed me for the accident yet, since you seem to blame everything on me," I said.

       "Shaw..." Josh said.

       "I'm going to get some fresh air," I said.

       As I left the hospital room, Lawrence called after me, "Don't expect to come back!"