Audrey's Secret | A Dialogue Story

37 - white willow memorial

August waits, tear after tear falling to the hospitals linoleum floor. Each second that passes by is a second he has no idea whether or not Audrey will be ok, or if her heart will ever beat again.

His shaky fingers grip her phone as he readies himself for a very hard call.

^^^Incoming Call From Audrey^^^

"Hey, is it time for me to pick you up already? I thought the dance was like two hours long."

"..."

"Audrey?"

"I-It's August."

"Why do you have her phone?"

"Ace..."

"..."

"..."

"Is she ok?"

"I don't know. They wouldn't let me into the room but..."

"But. What?"

"She w-asn't breathing. I saw them grab the paddles before I was pushed away and told to—"

"White Willow Memorial?"

"Yeah. Why didn't she tell me?"

"She was afraid you'd look at her the same way everyone does when they find out the truth. She didn't want you to leave just like Danny did."

"I would never leave her."

"I'm not the one you have to prove that to."

"But what if—"

"Audrey has beaten this once, she will beat it again. I don't want to hear any goddamn 'what ifs'...I'll be there in five."

....

As the call ends, a hand is placed on August's shoulder. He looks up to see Ryan and their mom, Linda. Both wear sympathetic expressions.

"Oh honey..." Linda kneels in front of her younger son. She goes to take his hands but is stopped short by a cream colored envelope. "Is that..."

"I never got to—I never go to give..."

"It'll be ok."

"How can you be so sure?"

"From what we've heard," Ryan begins and sits down in the uncomfortable arm chairs, "she's one hell of a fighter. You gotta have faith, little bro."

"I—I do it's just...you weren't there. I watched the light leave her eyes. She was so...cold, like ice a-and...the paramedics were performing CPR in the ambulance but..she wouldn't wake up. She wouldn't wake up."

"Son," Linda grips his forearms, "someone once said 'sometimes the events that we face in this life are horrendous. Sometimes death comes to those we love and they are taken from us. Or sometimes death comes and stares us right in the face.'"

"What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is, if we have faith, she'll pull through."

"That was a long way of saying it. I already—"

Doors slam open, catching everyone's attention. August looks up and stands. A man with curly black hair walks their direction as a distraught older woman strolls behind him. They meet gazes.

"August?"

He nods, eyes red and puffy from crying.

"How is she?"

"I don't know they won't let me see her."

"What happened?"

"We were walking towards each other and she fell. Someone called the paramedics. I went with them. Now w-were here..."

Ace sighs in frustration, running a hand across his five O'clock shadow. "Her heart wouldn't have stopped without the meds so something—"

"What if she took too much?"

"What?"

"What if Audrey took too much pills?" August peers down at the envelope, gripping it tightly.

"Are you saying she overdosed on purpose?" Ace's anger is apparent to everyone but no one says a thing. "She was happy! That cancer was killing her but every time you two were talking, it's like it didn't even exist!"

"That's not what I meant—"

"Then what did you mean, huh? Why would she risk doing something so stupid..."

"Maybe the pain became too much..." Another round of tears threaten to flood down August's already soaked cheeks. "Maybe with her prescribed medication she decided to take something extra. I found out pancreatic attacks or Acute Pancreatitis can cause severe pain in the abdomen. She didn't want  me to think something was wrong, and in doing something about it...caused her to be where she is now."

"So this is your fault." Ace grabs August's collar and lifts him to his feet. "If you never answered that call then she would be—"

"Uh, family of Audrey Ellis?" A doctor steps out from the ER.

They all turn towards him.

Ace lets go and speaks quickly. "Is she ok? Is my sister ok?"

"She's stable yes..."

August senses something off within his tone. "What is it?"

"We had to put her in a medically induced coma in an attempt to slow down the cancers spread. I'm afraid Audrey may not have much time left."