The Unthinkable Has Occurred

Chapter Fourteen - Later Is Now

--Cara's POV--

            A steady beeping drone fills my ears and I groan internally. Great, that wasn't a dream. It all really happened. My brother's really dead. I sigh softly and a sudden pain in my chest jolts me into my own nightmare of problems.

            I open my eyes slowly to adjust to the harsh light. My mom and dad are both not in the room, but I'm pretty sure they are whose voices I hear in the hallway. Riley's the only one in the room and he's staring out the window. I don't think he realizes I'm awake yet. Wait, he's here? He came?

            "Riley?" I try to say, but it comes out more like a whisper. He still hears me though and, I swear to God, his face literally lights up. And I don't think I'm imagining it either...

            "Cara! You're awake!" He moves from the chair across the room to the chair by my bed. "You okay?"

            "I think so...Am I going to be okay? Do you know?"

            "It apparently just missed your lung. They just had to remove it," Riley answers. "Hey, do you want me to tell your parents that you're up?"

            "Are they freaking out? Mom crying?"

            Riley face scrunches into an 'unfortunately yes' face.

            I smile wearily. "Then I guess so. Should stop them worrying right?" I say.

            "Yup." He gets up and walks to the door, opens it and I hear him tell Mom and Dad that I'm awake. Immediately the raised voices stop and they enter the room. Mom runs over and tries to hug me, but she can't get too close because of all the tubes and wires and machines that surround me like admirers.

            "Oh honey! I'm so glad you're awake! Your father and I were so worried! The doctor said it would be a few hours but -" Mom rattles on.

            "Mom, you don't need to worry."

            "I know, I know. I'm so glad my kids are all alright!" Mom says.

            I freeze, and look over at Riley who has the same frozen expression on his face. The painful memory hits me again but I push it back for now. I question Riley with my eyes: You didn’t tell them?

He shakes his head slightly: No.

            Shit. I guess its up to me to tell Mom and Dad that their first-born child is dead. Dead! Austin is dead. I can’t stand how that sounds.

            “Um, Mom?” I say, my voice starting to quaver by now, and the heart monitor registers my heartbeat speeding up. Riley looks at me with concern in his gorgeous eyes.

            “Yes, honey?”

            “Mom,” at this point, tears are streaming down my face, “Mom. Austin’s…Austin’s dead.”

            “What?” Mom’s voice is a disbelieving whisper.

            I choke back a sob. “I was there, Momma. I saw it.” At that point, I can’t take it anymore and I completely break down. It hurts my chest so much to cry but Austin’s worth it. He’s worth any pain, any day, every day. I barely notice Mom and Dad holding each other. I barely notice Dad finally letting his tears escape. I barely notice the arms that encircle me and let me cry into their chest. When the sobs racking my body finally slow, I look up to see that Riley was the one holding me. I give him a tiny smile, the best I can manage, and revel for a second in the fact that the boy I really like is holding me as I cry. But then the pain returns, and as my throat closes up again, I drop my head back onto Riley’s chest.

            I love you Austin, I think to myself, as everything fades to black.