Don't Let Go.

That Moment

After the nurses come rushing into Violet's hospital room where she is staying, Eric looks down at Violet in sorrow. " How could I have let this happen? There must have been a way to prevent this. " Eric thought In his head. The nurses rush onto the floor where Violet is held in Eric's arms. The nurses attempt to lift Violet up. However, Eric pulls her down, holding onto Violet. "Sir, you must understand: She is loosing blood. Her stitches were re-opened."  The nurse with brown short hair says firmly. 

 The other nurses lift up Violets' arms up while the other nurse with brown hair takes her leg gently, lifting her up onto the hospital bed. Eric eagerly lifts himself up off of the floor, as the two nurses push the hospital bed out into the long big hallway with other patients looking at Violet's amputated leg. They all look frightened. Eric runs out of the small hospital room, after the two nurses. They run down the long hallways making a right turn into the Emergency Room. Eric follows them, calling out Violet's name. "Vi, Vi!" Eric shouts desperately. The nurse with the brown short hair continues to push the bed forward, while the other nurse stops and holds back Eric." Sir, let us do our job. We'll take good care of her, and show you the results after surgery." The nurse says, with her left hand on Eric's shoulder, and her right hand on the other. Eric tries to walk forward, as the nurse with brown hair pushes the doors open to the ER and calls out a surgeon waiting for Violet to quickly be helped. 

" I can't just leave her. I have to stay by her!" Eric shouts. "Sir, we will let you visit her, after the surgery is completed, for now, please wait." The nurse says still holding back Eric. "I can't just wait! Do you really expect me to wait here not knowing if she'll make it or not?!" Eric yells angerly. "Sir, please keep down your voice. We have guests here. Dr. Newman will tell you when Ms. Evergreen can have visits." The nurse says calmly. Eric looks down at the hard white ceramic tile. "Okay..." Eric says unhopeful. " I'm sorry sir, but that's all that I can tell you right now." 

" I understand... Eric says, with his face reddening looking like he's going to cry. The nurse  drops  her hands from Eric's shoulders. The nurse then continues to walk pushing the doors open to the Emergency Room. She is slowly jogging forward to where the other nurse with brown hair is stopping the bleeding off her amputated leg.  As she is doing this. The other nurse grabs a syringe out of a drawer next the where Violet's bed is. She takes the syringe and injects a drug into Violet's left arm: Making her unconscious. The nurse with the brown hair looks over at the doors and notices Eric looking into the ER of the small window. The nurse then, stops what she is doing, and closes the curtain, dividing the different beds, and rooms. Eric looks down at his chest after the nurse does this. Eric then turns around with sorrow on his face. He looks up and notices a big crowd of people standing behind him. Noticing the scene that he had caused, Eric's face turns red, and walks past them with his eyes feeling watery. 

He walks down the hall, making a left, returning to the hallway which Violet's room was located. He walks into the room, and closes the door shut. Eric notices the maroon backpack, that Violet and him bought in California in his junior year of high school during Spring Break. Eric walks over to the backpack. He sits on the floor in front of the bag, opening it and taking out his phone. Eric goes to the contact section on his phone, and dials his coach. While the phone was dialing his boss, he notices tears falling down his face, and quickly wipes them trying not to show emotion.  Eric's boss picks up, and yells, "Where the hell are you!" 

I'm sorry coach that I wasn't there at the game today. But I promise, I'll go to practice tomorrow. I won't miss another day this month." Eric says hoping that his boss with accept. 

"Why have you been absent this month? I want a good answer from you. Do you hear me? Your teammates are depending on you, you're our best player!" Coach says angry. Eric gulps with tears showing, as his breath goes unsteady. There is a silence on the line, with his boss noticing his emotions.  " Weston? What's going on with you?  Are you there? " " Yes Coach. I'm here." "Weston? Are... Are you crying? Did something happen?" 

"I can't tell him what's going on... He'll get mad that I'm sharing my personal life. He hates when his players do that." Eric thinks. " No. I have to. I need this job to support my family. For Violet... She needs me." Eric thinks. "Coach? Yes something did happen." Eric says with his face getting red. " What is it? You know I don't like excuses!" Eric's Coach yells. "This is isn't an excuse. You see-" Eric's voice cracks, and stops him from saying her name. " My-  Violet, She..." Eric takes a deep breath. Trying to cool down, while his boss is patiently waiting for his words. 

" Violet, She got in a car accident. She injured her head, and her wrist... After a few days of being examined, the doctors realized that when the accident happened, There was nothing left in her left leg that could be salvaged. And had to be removed. Most her bones were broken, and her muscles were unstable. She's hardly ever awake, and when she is, it's only for a few minutes. For the first two days, She was in a coma. She hit her head so bad that she can only remember few things. She remembered me, when I first saw her. But, she didn't have any idea about the accident. She's now in the Emergency room..." Eric continues to ramble on about his side of the story of what happened in the hospital that Violet had been in for a month. After telling his Coach about the accident, there is silence. Eric takes a deep breath trying not to cry on the phone to his boss.

 "Weston... I understand. I hate when my players make excuses for their personal life. But you are my best player. I will only make an exception, because you have been on the team for years. But, If I find out that this is false, and what you are telling me is a lie, then, you will be kicked off the team without your pay for the month. Do you understand?" " Yes." Eric says with his breaths slowing down. " I will allow you to visit her anytime you want, even during practice. But, you have to go to practice two hours earlier for the next two months, to make up for your time missed this month. Do you understand? "  " Yes. I do. Thank you Coach. I really can't thank you enough. And I'm sorry for being absent. It's just that I couldn't find anyone to pick Lilly up for Daycare, and bring her back home. But, I luckily found a friend of Vi's to do that for us. Thank you for accepting my absence. I will not let you down sir. I promise. I'll work extra hard. I promise I will." Eric says.

 " I believe you Weston. But I really need to see you work hard. I've known you and Violet for years. It's sad to see this tragedy happen. Outside of the court, I'm your friend. If anything happens to you or Violet, I will be there for you. I want you to know that. Tell her, I said hi. I wish you two the best. " Eric's Coach says " I will Coach. I'll tell her. Thank you for listening." Eric says hopeful. " Of course. Now, I'll see you tomorrow: Two hours earlier than usual. Be there at 4:00 AM. Don't tell the others about this, I don't want them to think that they can slack off." "I won't Sir. Thank you for this. I'll see you tomorrow."  

Eric's coach hangs up, as Eric lowers the phone, and puts it into the maroon backpack. Eric digs down into the bottom of the bag, and reaches for a picture. Eric has the picture laying down on top of Eric's palm. The picture is folded into a square. Eric unfolds the picture neatly, trying not to rip it. After unfolding the picture, it shows Violet and Eric in their house. The photo is colored, and has Violet in Eric's arms with baby Lilly in hers. In the photo, Eric and Violet are laughing, while Lilly is giggling with a pink headband on her tiny head. She is wearing a white dress, with yellow lines dividing into each other. This was Eric's favorite picture. It was a few months after Violet had Lilly. They were so happy in their house. Eric loved living with Violet. It made him happy that he could wake up with a smile knowing that she was there next to him.  This was years ago. If only they could go back into that moment.