Family Ties

Harmoni

As soon as I sit down between my parents I can hear my sister's wails and I know something horrible has just happened. Nurses come in and move us to a quiet room out of the way. "The bereavement room," Clarissa mutters grabbing her mom's hand and squeezing tight. 

After a few minutes, a doctor comes into the room. "Liam's mother and father wanted me to come in here to let you know what's going. Liam is still no longer unresponsive we have a faint but steady heartbeat. But his brain was without oxygen for a while we have to run a test to determine how much brain damage he might have. But at the moment it's not clear if he'll make it through the night. Liam's parents wanted me to tell you to go home and they will call you if there is any news good or bad." He says it feels like no one can breathe.

"Can I please talk to my daughter? Can I go to where they are?" My mom asks standing up.

"Unfortunately no, due to his parent's wishes, they just want silence and peace if tonight is his last night." The doctor explains mom looks like she doesn't want to take that as an answer until my dad grabs her arm and shakes his head.

"Can we at least sit in the waiting room until there is any news?" My dad asks the doctor and he tells us that we can. My mom asks him to tell my sister that we are going to be in the waiting room until there is news. We all move back into the waiting room after an hour and time seems to be dragging but at the same time going to fast. 

After maybe four hours Oliver comes in the waiting room with the doctor. "He is very stable and good conditions." The doctor says and it feels like everyone in the room can breathe for the first time in hours. 

"The brain damage isn't as bad as it can be, and because he's so young it probably won't have much of an effect on him later in life, since his brain is still developing. But he will have delays in development in the foreseeable future, with his walking, his talking, and his motor activities. He'll probably be able to do them but it'll take him long to get there." The doctor adds I can see Oliver's mom walk over to him and hug him from the side. I can't hear what she says but he nods his head.

"Honesty and I are going to stay the night with him while they keep running tests. We'll call you if anything new pops up you guys can go home." He says and just as quickly goes back in the way he came out. 

Just as I'm walking out I can see Clarissa on the phone with someone just to the side of the exti. I'm guessing her mom left to go home. "Yeah he's doing okay but we don't know the extent of the damage to his brain." She mutters pacing back and forth. "I don't want to leave until I know for sure he's okay. That little boy is my heart." Her voice breaks like shes crying. "I need to smoke do you want to meet me here?" She asks and then eventually hangs up.

As she turns to walk to her car we make eye contact, she goes to walk past me. "Can we talk?" I ask her making her stop in her tracks.

"Talk about what Harmoni? I don't have it in me to fight with you." She sighs scratching her arm.

"I don't want to fight Clarissa. Why do you hate me so much? You have always loved Honesty but we could never get along," I ask truly wanting to know, looking back even before our relationship went to hell we always bickered.

"Did you not forget that you have a HORRIBLE mouth? Anything I said that you didn't like you had something smart to say." She laughs shaking her head.

"You slept with the first guy I ever dated." I point out she turns around and looks at me.

"One I told you time and time again that I never had sex with him I don't do white guys. You choose to believe your shitty friends over your own blood relative. And we can see you have an amazing judge of character. And secondly, did you suddenly forget you tried to set me up to get jumped by five other girls?" She asks, I mean shes not wrong I did try and that was the reason Honesty I stopped talking until we both graduated from High School.

"Or the time you spread a rumor about me that if you gave me twenty dollars I'll give anybody head, or did you forget the time you had people bully the shit out of me so bad I had to change schools and go live with my dad?" She asks me crossing her arms across her chest.

"You knew about Honesty and Oliver, I don't care how much we never got along I wouldn't have hidden something like this from you." I snap at her.

"Harmoni you and I both know that you would've and you would've loved knowing it too. Even if I told you which I thought about doing, by the way, you wouldn't have believed me. Bringing up the past isn't going to fix anything between us because its too much bad blood, nor will it make you feel better about yourself. Have a nice night." She says turning on her heels and walking away.