"How much longer does she have to stay asleep?" Daphne asks. 2 weeks ago our mom and my dad got into an accident and now mom's in a coma. Maddie, Daphne, Aunt Tandy and I are in mom's hospital room right now.
"She's not asleep, she's in a coma. One they put her in." Maddie responds. Daphne looks between Maddie and I with a scared look on her face.
"The doctors keep her this way because they're worried about brain damage too." I explain.
"Sometimes a persons brain can get a little swollen. That could be really dangerous. But the doctors are watching her and they're checking on her all the time." Aunt Tandy tells Daphne.
"But it's already been 2 weeks." Daphne points out.
"I know baby." Aunt Tandy says kissing the top of Daphne's head lightly. "Alright you three."
"Can I stay with her today?" Maddie questions.
"I want to stay too." Daphne agrees.
"Um if they get to stay I do too." I add.
"I'll check with your father." Aunt Tandy states.
'Are you coming to school today?' A text from Landon asks. I reply that I'm staying with my mom. Landon has been coming to see her my mom too but mostly for me. We pretty much just sit here and he holds me in his arms. Sometimes I cry but I'm trying to stay positive. My mom is strong, she's going to be ok. My friends have visited a few times but I keep telling them they don't have to. My moms going to be ok I wish people weren't making such a big deal out this. She's going to be fine and when she wakes up she'll wish that this whole thing was never public.
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"Hey what's going on?" Teddy asks Aunt Tandy as he, Maddie, Daphne, and I reach the doorway to mom's room. There's a bunch of doctors in there.
"Um they're bringing her out for a few minutes but I didn't realize that they are running some tests so I don't know if it's a good time for the girls to be here." Aunt Tandy explains.
"No I wanna see." Maddie argues.
"No you're aunts right common let's go." Teddy tells us.
"Wait she's waking up." Daphne says. I see mom's eyes open a little bit. "Her eyes are open." He tries to push us out of the room as mom begins to lift her arms.
"Doctor she's going for the tube." I nurse announces.
"Can we go in?" I question.
"Let's get everybody out of here. Clear the room." Another nurse says. The five of us start to walk away as the doctors and nurses close the door.
"Is she going to be ok?" Daphne asks starting to cry. Maddie and I start to cry too.
"Yes she's fine." Teddy tries.
"No she's not." Maddie argues as she grabs my hand.
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'Carly is at the Juliette Barnes concert and she said she sang one of your mom's songs.' Dallas texts me.
"Babe are you sure you don't want to go home and get some rest?" Landon asks.
"I'm not leaving her." I tell him sternly.
"Alright. Try to get some sleep. I'll come by in the morning." Landon says before kissing my forehead and walking out of the room.
"Hey girls." Teddy greets Maddie and I as he enters mom's room. Maddie looks up from the iPad where she was looking at pictures of mom and Deacon together while I was looking at pictures of our family on my phone. "How ya doing?"
"Not that good." Maddie answers. "It's so weird. He was just Harpers dad and now he's mine too."
"No he's your biological father. I'm your dad okay?" Teddy replies.
"Okay." Maddie and I reply at the same time.
"If he loved her so much how could he do this?" I question.
"I don't know." Teddy answers. "But he did."
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"Juliette oh my god you came." Maddie pulls me out he hospital doors to meet Juliette. Juliette pulls Maddie and I into a hug.
"Couldn't keep me away." Juliette replies. Juliette, Maddie and I head inside and sit in one of the waiting rooms. Juliette in a car and Maddie and I next to each other on a couch.
"Please don't ask us how we're doing." I mention.
"I won't ask you anything." Juliette replies. I'm so grateful that Juliette is here mainly because it cheered Maddie up a little. I was really worried about her. "We can just sit here and not say a word if that's what you want."
"Did your mom ever lie to you?" Maddie asks.
"Pretty much every time she opened her mouth. I would ask what yours lied about but I already said no questions."
"Sometimes I just wish there was someone I could talk to besides Harper." I feel kind of hurt but I get it. At least I have Landon to talk to, Maddie only talks to me. "There really isn't anybody who understands besides us."
"Give me you phone, both your phones." Juliette holds out her hand.
"What?" Maddie and I ask at the same time.
"Come on. Let's have em." Maddie and I hand her our phones and she begins typing on mine first then Maddie's before handing them back to us. "I understand. Ok? And if either of you ever need someone to talk to you call me."
"You mean it?" I ask. There's no way she actually wants two teenage girls to call her.
"I would not give you my number if I didn't."
"You know this is all because of me." Maddie mentions.
"What's because of you?" Juliette questions.
"I went looking through my mom's stuff and I found out my dad isn't really my dad so we asked Deacon if he was." Maddie explains.
"And what'd he say?" Juliette asks.
"That he didn't know." I answer.
"And then he got drunk and almost killed our mom." Maddie finishes. "If I hadn't been snooping.."
"Hey listen to me. You are not responsible for any of this. Ok?" Juliette pulls Maddie into another hug nod I notice Teddy come down the main stairs of the hospital.
"Hey there you are." He speaks.
"Look who came to see mom." Maddie says. Juliette, Maddie, Teddy and I head up to mom's room. Maddie and I walk over to mom's bed while dad and Juliette wait at the door.
"It's ok." Maddie tells Juliette. "You can come closer."
"I just keep waiting for her to open her eyes." I mention. "She never does."
"I bet you miss her." Maddie looks at Juliette. "Your mom."
"When she was good she'd play your momma's music. We'd just lay there on the floor and listen to those songs over and over again. You know what her favorite one was?" Juliette asks. "This love ain't big enough."
"She always said I was a platinum baby cause that came out the year I was born." I mention.
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She's awake. She's finally awake. They won't let us in to see her yet but she's awake. Maddie, Daphne, and I hold hands as our mom looks at and nods. The doors open the doctors allow me, Maddie, Daphne, Aunt Tandy, Paw-Paw and Teddy to enter the hospital room. Maddie, Daphne, and I hold my moms hand lightly and tears of joy begin to stream from my eyes.
