Book 3: Saving Scars {BoyxBoy}

Chapter 9

Rita woke to the monotone beeping of Chris' heart monitor, sucking in a sharp breath of air as her eyes fluttered open, a heavy frown on her face as she rolled her head to the side to see over to the hospital bed, sighing when she saw no changes. Shifting a bit, she wrapped an arm around Kitty, who was asleep sprawled on top of her, both of them lying on the couch in Chris' hospital room. Looking up at the wall, Rita stared at the clock with a frown. 8:38. She was late for work.

Rita sat up slowly and laid Kitty out on the couch as gently as she could before standing up and walking over to the foot of her youngest son's bed, standing here with her hands against the metal frame. She stared over the bed with a sorrowful look, the tears flowing freely as her gaze swept up over the soft white sheets and up to where both of Chris' arms were laid out over the covers at his sides, IV needles in both arms and both hands, the heart clip on his index finger. His face was pale, his eyes closed and dark circles beneath them. His entire head had been wrapped with thick white gauze, even covering his ears, and there was a tube leading into his mouth and down his throat to his lungs, hooked to a machine meant to help him breathe.

It was a horrendous sight, and the victim being Rita's own flesh and blood, her baby boy, made it that much worse to see. She lifted a hand and covered her mouth as she pinched her eyes closed, her shoulder trembling as she stiffled the sobs, trying to calm herself so she could call her boss to explain the situation. It took some doing, but eventually she had steeled herself enough to pull out her cellphone and call her boss, pressing the phone to her ear as she walked around to the side of Chris' bed, covering his hand gently with her own.

"Rita!" the irritated male voice practically yelled into her ear, and she winced as he continued, "Where the hell are you?! I've been lenient with your absences up until now, but I warned you that one more day and-."

"I-I know, I know, but please listen, I have a reason! My son, he....h-he's in the hospital," fresh tears sprung, and she raised her hand away from Chris' to cover her mouth, "He's in the hospital in a coma, I'm sorry. I...I can't come in today."

"No, you can't," the man snarled, and Rita's eyes grew wide, "You're fired, Mitchelle. Don't bother coming in tomorrow either."

"No! Sir, I-I'll be there tomorrow, it's just today! I-I have to be here!"

"Don't bother giving me excuses, I'm done listening. Goodbye, Rita."

"Wait, I need this job! Please!"

The other line went dead, and Rita pulled the phone away, her hand sliding up her face and her fingers raking through her red hair, the tears smeared across her face as she sobbed. Now she was jobless and her son was in the hospital, trapped in a coma the doctor's didn't know when he'd wake up from. Or if he'd wake up at all.

"Mommy?" Kitty's voice had Rita lifting her head to look over at the couch, where her daughter was sitting and rubbing her eyes, "Are you crying?"

Rita walked over to the couch and sat down beside her, her arms winding around the girl's thin shoulders, "I'm okay, baby. I just....want him to wake up."

"He will mommy," Kitty reassured and patted Rita's back, "He told me so."

Rita pulled back and wiped at her eyes with a short laugh, "Yes, that doctor does seem like quite the smart man."

Kitty tipped her head to the side in confusion, "He didn't tell me, Chris did."

The tired woman froze, her hand pulling away from her face as she looked down at the girl in front of her, "Chris....told you?"

Kitty nodded, "Last night. He was in my dream. He apologized for being such a dummy and promised he'd wake up," she smiled and took her mother's hands, "He's just tired, mommy, and his mind is hurting him. He told me he'd wake up when it was fixed."