Royal Colours And Troubles

Chapter 16 - Run

Song - Run by Leona Lewis

Chapter 16 - Run

My brain is not working. My body is not working. I can't think. I can't feel. 

I feel nothing. 

I couldn't hear Stinger on the other end. All I could think about was Mom. My sweet mother in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of her. Not laughing and talking to me. 

"Skyler? Skyler can you hear me?" Stinger's voice came back into focus. 

"Yes." I said calmly, my own voice sounding strange to me.

"I will just repeat what I just said. Jen... Jen has been put into a medically induced coma and..uh... she is not in a good state." Stinger said, his voice cracking again. 

"Oh." I said monotonously. 

"Could you... could you come back for a few days?" Stinger said. "I... I really...I don't think I can do this alone."

"I will be there." I said and hung up without saying goodbye. 

Maybe that was rude. Maybe that was okay. But I didn't care. 

I scrolled through my contacts. I called him. Sean couldn't help me. Only he can. As much I didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment, he was my way out of here. He was also probably the only one who was awake at 2:30am in the morning. 

"Skyler?" I heard Philip's confused voice at the other end. 

"Philip." 

"What are you do..."

"My mother had a stroke and is now in a coma at a hospital. I need to go back." I said hollowly. 

Silence. Nothing but silence on both the sides. 

"Be ready to leave in an hour." I heard him say and he cut the call. I put down the phone robotically started putting together a bag for a week's stay. 

Why am I not crying? Why am I not angry at myself for not regularly checking up on my mother? Why am I not afraid? Why am I not feeling anything?

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I looked like myself, except I had a really blank look on my face. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I put on a pair of comfortable clothes and waited. 

Waited for someone to take me to my comatose mother. 

I continued staring at the door. I don't know how much time passed before someone knocked on it. I got up and opened the door, expecting to see a guard there to fetch me.

It was Philip. 

I stared blankly at him. He was dressed in his usual suit and tie, but this time his hair were messier than usual and he looked genuinely worried.

"Skyler?" He asked, his eyes expressing his sadness. 

I couldn't respond so I turned around and got my bag and walked past him. Suddenly, I was pulled back and I was face to face with Philip. He had his fingers around my wrist and an arm around my waist to steady me. 

I felt the familiar warmth and sparks make my insides go crazy and just for a second, I felt the deepest anguish inside of me. For those couple of seconds, I wanted to cry my eyes out. 

"Let me go, Philip." I said evenly. 

"You can't possibly fathom..." He said, staring right into my eyes. "..how much I despise the fact that you are going alone. I wish... I wish I could accompany you but..." His gaze saddened and he broke the eye contact.