I Love My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 9 ~ Starting the New Norm

Back when my mother was sick and in the hospital for those two and a half months, I had slowly grown accustomed to the hospital and by the end of the first week, knew it like the back of my hand. Whenever I wasn't at dance, I would be with my mother, trying to get to know her again because we both didn't know what the future held.

I felt like I was having deja vu as I sat in Doctor Pete's office. All of the memories of when my mother's doctors were trying to sugarcoat her condition and progress. I remember at one point, I was so tired and frustrated from rehearsal and her doctors had tried to easily break a 14 year olds heart by telling me all of this useless shit. I had finally snapped and told them to get to the point. Let's just say they never sugarcoated anything else.

Right now, I held onto Matt's hand, gracious that I didn't have to face all of this alone this time. Dr. Pete had explained Scott's condition, simply stating that he was in a coma and will have to wake up on his own. As we all got up, I didn't let go of Matt's hand, and my heart fluttered a little when his grip didn't loosen either. We thanked Dr. Pete and made our way towards Scott's room.

"I am so proud of you baby girl," Matt said as he pulled me into his chest, "and you know we'll get through this together and build from it." he continued and he pulled our interlocked hands to his mouth and kissed the back of my hand as he starred into my eyes, and my heartbeat accelerated greatly.

Trying to break from this moment before he saw how much I loved him, I broke my eyes from his to take a look at the clock above the doorway. Surprised to see that we have been here for four hours already, I read 12:47.

"Let's head down and get some lunch before we jump into that paperwork again, yeah?" I said breaking Matt from his interrogation through my eyes, "I know an awesome pizza place down the road, and I bet you have missed New York pizza over there," I continued as I pulled our still locked hands towards Scott and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek before heading towards the elevator.

"Well then look who has taken control," said Matt as he came out of his surprise from my actions.

"After living on your own for a little bit, you kind of have to," I reminded him. "I'll let Bobby know so that way he can meet us there instead," I added. After I got the phone call informing me of the accident last night, I had called Bobby and relayed the awful news. He was just about to go in for a 24-hour shift at his FDNY station in the Bronx when he picked up. Due to his probationary status as a newly graduated paramedic, he couldn't exactly leave on such short notice. I told him I would let him know what was happening and he would meet up with me when he got out of work.

"We're here babe," I was shaken out of my thoughts as I saw Matty standing next to me holding his hand out to help me out of his truck. I hadn't even realized we had already arrived, parked, and he already opened the door for me. "Damn. I must really be out of it" I slightly shook my head trying to get some energy in my body before taking Matt's hand and practically hopping out of his truck.

"We're going to have to go to sleep a little bit earlier tonight, huh?" He asked as we walked towards the pizzeria. "There he's goes doing it again"

"I have to ask. Do they teach you how to read minds in the Marines, because if they do, I am in a shit ton of trouble," I said. He just laughed, shaking his head in disbelief that I was so forward.

"Don't let your brothers hear you talkin' like that baby girl. And you often seem to forget that I grew up with you, so I know you better than you know your self," he replied. "How about you go get us a table and I'll get the food?" I nodded and turned to walk towards a booth in the corner, but not before he kissed my forehead softly, sending my heart into race mode again. I must've not turned fast enough since I heard him laugh when he saw my face turn cherry red.

"Hey Sis, what's going on?" I heard from behind. I turned to my youngest older brother, Bobby, and I hugged him for at least a few minutes. The two of us were never really close, which was ironic considering he was the only brother of mine that didn't deploy with the military. Instead, he moved out into an apartment in the city once he turned 20 and graduated from college with a fire science degree. He then became an FDNY EMT and worked his way through school and earned his paramedic degree. It had to have been at least a year since I've seen him, even though he lives only a half-hour away.

I pulled back from the hugged and looked up at his face. It was etched with the normal worry and concern, but also a slightly new one, understanding. Sure, Matt understands what I have been through, with losing both parents and now a possibility of the next top role model, but Bobby understood because, despite the living away and doing his own thing, he was in the exact same spot I was in. The spot where you don't know how much more you can lose before you don't have anything else to lose or give up.

By the time we were done hugging the pizza was ready and Matt brought it over to our booth. We all sat down and ate making small talk in between bites, trying to ignore the situation at hand, although we all knew it wouldn't just go away. Once we were done, I explained to Bobby how Scott's medical condition was and pretty much how it's just a waiting game. The doctors told us how usually there's increasing brain activity that starts about two days before the person wakes up. That could give Bobby a time slot to help him take off of work hopefully.

"Well, I'm ready to head over there if you guys are," Bobby said as he got up and threw our garbage out and put the pie try on top of the counter. Matt and I got up and we all made our way to the hospital.