Descendants: Summer Road Trip

Not Letting Go

Ben's POV:
The paramedics had given me a towel and some soap and water to help wash off all the cinders and ashes on me.
I washed it off on my face and arms and places like that, but the other places, I just kinda tried to wipe it off of my clothes.
Mal is still alive, she's still breathing, she's still here, I was telling myself in my head.
I was holding onto her hand, even if she couldn't feel it, when she was in a coma.
Evie, Jay, and Carlos were really hurting too. Mal is like a sister to them. I saw how shocked and scared they were when they saw me carrying her out of the building.
They were sitting in the ambulance beside me, not really saying anything, just trying to breathe and hope that their best friend was going to be okay.
We soon arrived at the hospital. Paramedics and nurses quickly lowered Mal's stretcher out of the ambulance, and quickly ran her into the emergency room.
Evie, Carlos, Jay, and I quickly rushed into the hospital and to the front desk.
"Are you with her?," the lady asked, meaning Mal, who they just rushed back there.
"Yes," the four of us said in unison. "Okay, are any of you family?," she asked.
"Well, her mother is, well..., I'm her boyfriend, they're her best friends. We're the closest that she has to family," I said.
"Yeah, he's right. So don't even try to tell us that we're not her family, because we are," Jay said, gesturing to all of us.
"I really do understand that, I really do, and—," she started to say, but I cut her off by showing her my royal crest badge that I had with me. She quickly straightened up.
She stood up and curtsied. "Yes, right this way, your majesty," she said, quickly showing us to where they had taken Mal.
She walked us back to where Mal was. "Let me speak to the nurse right quick, and here is some paper work for y'all to fill out," she said, handing us a clipboard.
"Thank you," the four of us said in unison. The lady nodded then went behind the curtain. We started to fill out the paperwork she had given us.
A few seconds later, the lady got our attention, and slightly pulled the curtain open for us to go in.
As soon as we walked in, it broke my heart when I saw Mal. All hooked up with those IVs and wiring.
I walked over to where I was standing beside her. She was still in a coma, so her eyes were still closed, and she didn't know we were there. The nurse started talking to us once we were all in the room.
"Well, she's in a coma, we've ran some tests, and we're going to move her into a room upstairs. Hopefully she'll be fine, and she should be, but we cannot yet give you a definite answer or know for sure, until she wakes up, of course, we're going to keep her here until then, you can stay here with her as long as you like, we're here for you, and there's a cafeteria here on the first floor near the lobby if you're hungry," she said.
"Thank you," we all said. The nurse then told us the room that they would be taking her to, and she took the clipboard we had as we had finished filling it out.

******

Ben's POV:
We were now heading upstairs to where they were taking Mal.
We walked off the elevator and into the waiting area, and sat down as we waited for them to finish getting Mal in her room, and hooking her up to the machines and everything.
I was just pacing around back and forth, Carlos watching me.
Jay was just looking out the window. Evie was texting Doug wondering when he and the rest of our friends were going to be up here.
"At the risk of being snapped at, could you please stop pacing back and forth? My neck is cramping," Carlos said.
"I'm sorry. The love of my life is in there, she's in a coma, so she doesn't even know we're here, and we don't know for sure if or when she's going to wake up," I said, trying hard not to cry, while Carlos and Evie sat me down to help calm my nerves.
"Ben, everything's going to be okay. Mal will wake up, I know, I just don't know exactly when," Evie said.
"I just love her so much. To see her like this, it broke my heart into a million pieces seeing how she was a few minutes ago. I just want her to know that I'm here, that we're all here, I would give anything just to have her in my arms or hear her beautiful voice right now," I said in a sad tone, eyes watering with tears, and looking down.
"Ben, it's okay. Mal's strong. Everything is going to be okay, I promise," Carlos said. Jay spun around.
"Me too," Jay said. "He's right. Mal's strong. I've known her pretty much her whole life, she's gotten through a lot. I know she can get through this too," he continued.
"Thanks guys," I said, sighing. "Anytime," they said in unison, with small smiles.
Evie checked her phone. "Oh. Doug said that he and the others will be up here shortly," she said.
We all nodded, as if to say "Okay." Then the nurse came over to where we were sitting, and then showed us into Mal's room.
I looked at Mal. It still hurts to see her like this. I walked over to where I was standing beside her. I sat in the chair that was there beside her. Evie, Jay, and Carlos came in.
"Ben? Doug and the others are here. We're going to go get some food in the cafeteria downstairs to help take our minds off everything. You can come if you want," Evie said softly.
"No, thanks. I'm staying right here," I said, thanking them, but I have to stay with Mal. I'm not letting go, not leaving her.
"Okay, we'll be back in a bit," Evie said, and with that she and the others left the room and she closed the door softly. It was now just me in the room with Mal.
I sighed and held onto Mal's hand and kissed it. "I love you so much. I'm not letting go," I whispered, even if she couldn't hear me.

******

Evie's POV:
We were now in the cafeteria downstairs. We got some food and sat down at a table together. Carlos and Jay slowly started to eat.
I have never seen them eat so slow or be so out of it.
"He's really hurting," I said, thinking about how broken Ben was earlier. He loves her so much. I love Doug too. I couldn't imagine what it must feel like to see the love of your life like that.
I don't know what I'd do if I saw Doug like that. I would probably be feeling the same way that Ben is about Mal.
"Who's hurting?," Chad asked. Audrey nudged him hard with her elbow to get him to shut up. He looked confused and Audrey just rolled her eyes.
"I know. I can't imagine what he must be feeling," Carlos said. I nodded.
"Yeah. Well, we know how much he loves her. He's definitely what our sister needs," Jay said. We all nodded, thinking and hoping that Mal was going to be okay.

To be continued...

Sorry it took a while to update, guys. But I hope y'all liked this chapter! Only two chapters left! Comment what y'all think so far! Also, how excited are y'all for the new Descendants special, "Under the Sea: A Descendants Story" coming Friday, September 28th?! Love y'all!