'The Sting' -Josh Hutcherson Fanfiction. [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 17

Chapter 17, Josh's POV

It's been a week since she's been checked into the hospital and Michelle hasn't showed any progress. Her life is clinging on that machine, trying to bring her back. Austin and Tyler have been here with me since they're flight landed here. I went home only twice the whole time I was here and in the time that I've been here, I realized that I really couldn't live without her. I don't want to and since her brothers are the only relatives here and her parents supposedly aren't able to come, they have the choice of pulling the plug on her.

"Josh…" Tyler's voice is coming up from the door as I'm sat on the only seat in the same room as Michelle, keeping her lifeless body company.

"Yeah, Ty?"

"We need to talk to you."

I can tell in the sorrow of his voice it's not gonna be something I need to hear right now.

I take a glance at Michelle's face once more before I leave the room, awaiting the unbearable news I'm about to hear.

"Josh, we had since the night we came to think of pulling the plug and we decided what's best for Michelle."

I had to protest. It was the first reaction I have at this point.

"Don't tell me you're going to pull the plug on her. She has so much ahead of her! If you want me out of her life, I understand but I won't be able to live with the idea that the crash was my fault. I wouldn't know what to do anymore. Please don't, just give-"

Austin cuts me off, "Josh! We decided not to take her off life support." 

I'm stunned yet hopeful.

"We couldn't take her life away, she's our baby sister."

Austin's guard soon fell and his usually hardened face became numb and was in a fragile state. The first thing I could do was give my best friend a hug. I can't let him think it was his fault when it was mine's all along.

"Don't take it out on yourself, don't you dare do that. Michelle wouldn't want you to." 

"I should've gone with her, man. I should've protected her like a big brother should… I let her down." My shirt got wet with the tears falling from his eyes, doing everything I'm telling him not to.

Tyler was sat in a chair a few feet from us with his head in his hands, silently crying and cursing himself. My mom turned to see who I was glanced at and soon made her way to him, comforting him with the words only a mother can say.

Pulling from the hug, I turn to face him. "Are you okay? You feel a bit better?" 

"Ha, yeah. Michelle always told me to cry sometimes." I smile at the thought of her. "She used to say 'Austin, when you get sad, do you cry?' and I always replied no, laughing a bit at her. Then she'd say, 'It makes you feel better and you're only a butthead if you don't.' Man was she blunt growing up, wasn't she?"

"Yeah she was. Especially about the people she didn't like." I chuckled softly and Austin patted my back, showing a small smirk before walking towards seated Connor.

I walk back into the Michelle's room, now hopeful more than ever that she'll wake up.

I decided to pull my seat closer to where she's laid. I haven't held her hand or anything, I just stared at her and talked to her from a distance. 

I was sat where her hand is easily reachable but I'm scared to hold her and blame myself more than ever.

I decided to pray. It's the only thing I can do right now, and I need her back. 

I prayed for what felt like centuries, begging for Him to give me the only person I need in my life.

I glanced up at her pale face then back at the machine, keeping tracks her weak big heart on track.

I took her once warm hand in mine and wrapped my fingers around her, trying to keep her warm.

I broke down. I couldn't handle it. Her hand was cold as ice, face pale as snow, nothing resembled her before yet she still managed to look beautiful. I can't believe she's in this position. I'd rather have myself here instead of her, she deserves to be out in the world doing what she wants to do and not clinging to life from a machine.

After a brief time of letting much needed emotions out, I chuckle to myself. She looks nothing like she does when she sleeps. She's a naturally beautiful girl. She smiles in her sleep a lot and can never stay still unless she's wrapped around someone's arms or her blankets in the winter, I just hope those arms surrounding her are mine.

My hand was still entwined with her soft cold one. I looked up at her face and it looked like she was in a bad dream. Her face was pouting, that has to mean something, right? I tightened my grip on her hand, hoping something more could come out of it. Her ring finger twitched. It twitched! SHe must be trying to tell me something, she's waking up! 

Her finger twitched once more then she grasped my hand, tighter than my grip on her's.

"Austin! Tyler! Doctor!" I yelled for them to come into the room.

I found myself smiling big as the doctor rushed in. 

"Doc, she's getting feeling back!"

"What did you feel?"

"Her face was scrunching and her grip on my hand got tighter! This has to mean something, right?"

"She's getting feeling back, yes." He checked her pulse and turned to me. "Her pulse is building." The machine keeping her heart on track was getting stronger beats. I glanced behind me to see Austin, Tyler, Connor and my parents standing with pleading eyes, secretly praying she's going to wake up. 

"Her eyes, they're opening! Nurse!" He ran around me and the nurse came barging in, kicking us out. It happened so quickly and we were soon out of the room.

Please, please let her be alright.