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chapter seventeen

Anna is still out cold. It's only been a day since it all happened, but she is still out. Coralie hasn't even came to see her. Sara stopped by earlier to give me clean clothes. The nurses have done their rounds to check on her but I haven't seen a doctor at all.

I'm starting to worry that she doesn't need a Doctor because they're just waiting for her to die.

Anna can't die. Not like this, at least. She deserves a better way than letting people get to her and she taking action apon herself.

She deserves to live a life. A good one. She deserves to experience highschool graduation, college, kids, jobs, love.

She deserves to experience what Love feels like.

Maybe she got love from her biological parents, but does she even remember the feeling of love? Her mom died when she was young. Her father was never around. All she felt was abuse and hurt. Loneliness and pain.

She deserves so much.

"Mr. Evans," a nurse walked in. "Don't you think it's time to go home?"

"I'm not leaving until she wakes up. Why hasn't a doctor been in here to check her?"

"Son, they don't think she is gonna wake up. You're wasting your time here. You're both so young. Go back to school and go on with your life," the nurse tried saying politely but it did nothing but make me angry.

"She will wake up. I, I know she will. She has to!"

"Okay. Stay here until that monitor stops," the nurse said as she walked out of the room.

After she left Sarah came in.

"Hey, Tyler," she said in a sweet and quiet voice. "I brought you a coffee."

"Thanks," I said, taking from her.

"Anything new?"

"They don't think she's gonna make it."

"Oh," she whispered. "So maybe you should go home and take a shower. And take your time to mourn, but Tyler, you have to go back to school."

"I don't have to do anything. I'm 18."

"Tyler," she argued.

"Sarah. I'm not leaving until she wakes up. I know she's going to wake up. I have this feeling in my chest."

"Maybe that's pain, because you know deep down that she really isn't," a tear slid down her cheek.

Just by seeing Sara she's that one year made me break.

Maybe everyone is right. I was too late and Anna is gonna be gone soon.

But I don't want to leave until it happens.

Sarah and I just sat there as we both cried.

•~•

It's been a few hours and Sarah is still here. We've talked about everything. We talked about how we wished we had befriended Anna way sooner. I wish that I had told Ace to back off of her the day he started hastling Anna. We talked about the memories we did get to make.

We even prayed together.

I haven't prayed or even used my faith since I was 13.

Sarah always stayed with her faith. She went to church every Sunday and youth group every Wednesday night.

I stayed home while she was gone. Or I was out, causing problems.

And now that I think about it, I wish I had never fallen out of the path of my faith.

"Tyler, I think I'm gonna head home. It's getting late. Will you come home? Mom and dad want to see you," Sarah said.

"No. If they want to see me they have to come here. I told you, I'm not leaving until she wakes up or.."

"Or the monitor stops beating," she said quietly. "Okay. Keep me posted. Something happens, call me. I don't care if it in the middle of the night."

"I will. Goodnight, Sarah."

"Goodnight Tyler, I love you," she said.

"I love you too." And with that, she closed the door quietly and it was just me and Anna.

Before I knew it, I was asleep uncomfortably in the chair I had been in for hours.

~•~
The sunlight peaked through the dark curtains as they swayed with the air flow of the air vents.

It was a peaceful morning.

The sound of her monitor kept going. But nothing new.

But it's better than nothing.

I looked down at my phone sitting on my lap. I huffed out a breath before picking it up. Unlocking it, I had many notifications from my friends at school. Mainly from Ace.

Ace: dude. You gotta come back.

Where even are you?

Your sister won't speak.

I swear to god if you don't come back today..

Dude, I'm fine. Idk when I'm coming back but you can stop worrying about me.

I continued to look through the irrelevant messages.

My phone suddenly dinged with a message from Sarah.

Sarah: hey! Anything new?

Nope.

Okay. Well I'm heading to school. Will I see you at school?

No. Not today.

Okay. I'll come by after school. I'll bring you clean clothes.

Thank you. Have a good day.

You too. Keep me posted.

Will do.

I locked my phone and stared out of the window, looking down at the parking lot of the hospital. A sound of sirens screaming came through as an ambulance pulled in. I was on one of the higher floors that overlooked the small city.

The morning was still peaceful.

I got up to go to the bathroom to take a leak when suddenly I heard a gasp.

Not a shocking gasp like a girl who just heard "tragic" news.

It was the gasp of someone gasping for air.