Our Hourglass (Sequel to Perfectly Photogenic)

Chapter 23

The next day, I was standing outside the unit waiting for my doom. I had to obviously inform Brianne's father of the situation and that man was not pleased.

"Ryan." I looked up and saw him walking towards me. I'm a dead man. "Have the doctors said anything else?" He asked.

"No." I rang for the door to be opened, we walked inside once the door unlocked. Brianne's dad let out a sigh as he saw his daughter lifeless in a hospital bed.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before sitting down. "This shouldn't be happening, Brianne's too young to be going through this." He sighed.

I frowned, hanging my head. I couldn't do anything or think of the right thing to say at this moment. Her father must think I'm a real idiot.

"This is your fault, you know that? At your rehearsal dinner, I told you to take care of my daughter and look where we are, in a damn intensive care unit."

"Well I didn't exactly tell Brianne to leave and get in her car, did I?" I asked, snapping my head up.

"No, but you could've stopped her and you didn't. It would have been a battle and then my daughter wouldn't be in here clinging to her life."

"I'm not the drunk driver who hit her, am I? No. Don't come in here and automatically blame me for this. None of us asked for this, especially Brianne." I said, motioning to her.

Her dad just sat there, folding his arms over his chest with a distressed look. "What am I going to do?" He asked, his voice starting to crack. "I can't lose my little girl, Ryan. I thought my life was over when I divorced my wife, but it was my daughters that kept me going. Of course, I love my oldest, but Brianne means a lot to me, she's very special to me. She's the whole reason why I moved to Scranton with her, she wanted to see me have a fresh start too. I couldn't or wouldn't leave a precious gem like Brianne behind." He sobbed into his hands.

"She's going to be okay, she's gone through a lot and always comes out strong, even stronger than me some days." I reassured him, looking at Brianne. "She's got this."

***************

Later in the day, I was coming back from the restroom when I saw Brianne's mother standing in the hallway, she was talking to her ex husband. From a distance I could see her giving Brianne's father a tough time, poking her index finger in his face.

"You!" She said as I came closer. "Thanks for making my daughter upset."

"Elizabeth." Brianne's father sighed.

"I have a right to be angry with him. I knew he wasn't right for our daughter." She spat.

"You mean I wasn't right for you and your liking. See, I thought something was off when you made amends with Brianne. As Brianne's parents, my in laws, I respect you, but I will not tolerate being blamed for Brianne's actions or a drunk driver's."

"I should have never let her move here, it's nothing but trouble. I knew you'd cause nothing but grief and sorrow for her. If she makes it though this, I'll be taking her back to Pittsburgh."

"Elizabeth, that's enough."

She turned looking at her ex husband. "Don't try to control me, we've been divorced for several years now. As for you, Ryan, you have no say in what I do for my daughter."

"Brianne's a grown, married woman and she can make her own choices."

"Right now she can't."

"And I'm her husband, which gives me rights with what I do with my wife as of now. Don't you dare step any boundaries with me or my wife." I stated.

I pressed the button to be let back in the unit and waited until the door unlocked. I walked inside and I went back to Brianne's bedside. "Oh, sweetheart, please beat this." I whispered, a single tear rolling down my cheek.

I can't lose Brianne, I just can't.