The Amazing Technicolor Love

Trouble in Paradise #4

Trouble in Paradise #4

Peyton's POV

"Here you go, Pey," Johnson told me while setting down a bag of pretzels on the table. Johnson and I had gone down to the cafeteria to get a snack and try to distract ourselves from waiting for Jack's surgery to be over. "Thanks," I told him while giving him a slight smile even though I didn't have an ounce of appetite. Johnson must not have had one either because he let his bag of pretzels from the vending machine sit on the table, unopened. We sat next to each other at the table in silence. There wasn't much to say that would take Jack off our minds. Johnson's phone began to vibrate on the table. It took him a second to snap out of his daze before he answered it. "Hey Mallory," he said quietly, tears starting to form in his eyes again. He got up and walked towards the window, away from the table. I sat there by myself, playing with the hem of my shirt. I had cried out all my tears so now I just sat there with thoughts of Jack running trough my mind. It seemed like his surgery was taking forever, I just needed to know he was alive and that he would be okay. What if I never saw that beautiful smile again? Or never felt his strong arms wrap around me? My heart hurt so I tried my best to stop thinking that way. Johnson tapped my shoulder then, "Mallory wants to talk to you," he told me gently while handing me his phone. I looked up at him, a little surprised at the gesture, but I took the phone while getting up from the chair. "Hello?" I managed to say even though my throat was dry from all the tears I had cried. "Hey Pey, I just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you. I can't believe this happened, I'm so sorry." Mallory told me sweetly. "Thank you," was all I managed before I felt tears start to form in my eyes again, I hadn't realized it was possible to cry this much. "If you need anything, I'm just a phone call away. I love you, stay strong, okay?" Mallory told me. "I'll try," I said quietly, barely able to speak. I walked back to Johnson and handed him the phone. Just then, Mr. Gilinsky appeared in the cafeteria. He came over to us. "Jack is out of surgery." He informed us. "Mallory, I have to go," Johnson said into his phone before quickly hanging up as we followed Mr. Gilinsky towards the elevator. "Any news on how he is doing?" I asked Mr. Gilinsky. "The doctor said that everything is stable, he'll just need time for his ribs and shoulder to heal." He said. I sighed. "Oh thank God." Johnson said while running his fingers through his scruffy blonde hair. "But..." Mr. Gilinsky said. My stomach dropped. "He's still unconscious, the doctors said that is not normal, that the anesthesia should have worn off by now. They said he is in a coma and that it is really up to Jack if he ever wakes up or not..." For the second time that day, I felt my hear shatter. Jack might never wake up. I wanted to crumple onto the ground right there. I didn't want to live in a world without Jack, he had to wake up. I somehow managed to still function and walk out of the elevator, down the hall to Jack's room. Johnson and I paused outside the door where Katherine was standing. You could tell she had been crying. "Hi kids, you can go in," she told us. I let Johnson open the door and go in first. I tried to brace myself to see Jack in whatever state he would be in. I slowly made my way into the hospital room. Jack was laying in the bed, hooked up to IVs and propped up on pillows so his shoulder and ribs were supported. His eyes were closed and his head hung slightly to the left on the pillow. It had been so long since I had last seen him in person. His features were all the same, the chiseled jaw, perfect eyebrows, and tan skin were still all there. I just wished I could see the sparkle in his brown eyes or hear his contagious laugh. Even though I could see his chest rising and falling, Jack didn't seem alive to me. I was so used to seeing him so happy and alive that seeing him laying so still in a hospital bed, I could barely handle it. Johnson sat in the chair next to the bed and bowed his head. I wasn't sure if he was praying or just trying to keep himself together after seeing Jack like this. I walked over to the other side of the bed and leaned in to gently kiss Jack's forehead. There was a gash on his forehead that had been closed with stitches. A few bruises covered his biceps and forearm. I knelt down on the side of the bed and slowly took Jack's hand in mine. "Please come back to me," I whispered to him while tears started streaming down my face again. "Please, Jack. I need you. I'm so sorry for everything I did. Just come back so we can make it right." I heard Johnson sniffling as he laid his head in his hands. "You're so strong, I know you're going to wake up. Just keep fighting babe. You've got everyone waiting for you here." I kept talking to him, praying that he could somehow hear me. I eventually kissed his hand that was in mine and laid my head on the side of the bed. I wasn't sure how long I stayed there, I just kept praying and praying that he would wake up. Eventually, Katherine came over to me and rubbed my back. "Come on sweetheart, it's late. We'll go to a hotel and come back in the morning." I stared up at her. "He's going to be alone?" I asked, my voice cracking. "I promise he'll be fine, the nurses will stay with him all night. You need your rest honey." Katherine gave me her hand to help me up. I stood up and looked down at Jack's limp body. "I love you." I whispered one last time before kissing his forehead. Katherine wrapped her arm around my shoulders. Johnson, the Gilinskys, and I made our way down to the parking garage. We drove in silence towards one of the many hotels in Los Angeles. I stared out the window at the palm trees and bright signs. It was around midnight but my phone started ringing. "Hello?" I answered. "Peyton Rose Logan. Why didn't you tell me you left school and flew all the way to Los Angeles?" My mom angrily asked me. I could tell how upset she was with me just through her tone. "Do you think I like finding that kind of information out in a text message from Katherine Gilinsky? Why didn't you call me?" She kept yelling at me. Hearing my mom's voice, even if it was an angry voice, it made me feel like a little kid again. Like when you would fall and skin your knee and you would be fine but the second you heard your mom's voice you just started crying. Even though I was 18, the same thing happened. "Jack's really hurt," I managed to respond through my tears. My mom's demeanor changed. "I know, I'm so sorry honey. It's just, I can't have the same thig happening to you so I would like to know if you're traveling across states." She explained. "Do you want me to fly out?" She asked when I didn't answer. "It's okay," I sniffled into the phone. Johnson moved over to the middle seat and picked my hand up out of my lap and held it in his. "Okay honey, just keep me in touch and be safe. Call me whenever. I'll be praying for Jack." We hung up then and the car was quiet again. When we pulled up to the hotel entrance, Katherine and Mr. Gilinsky got out of the car and went to get our bags from the trunk. Johnson and I sat in the backseat for a little longer. "He's going to wake up." Johnson told me. I wasn't sure if he was trying to make me feel better or convince himself that Jack was okay. Either way, I still felt like a zombie, I was functioning but it was though someone had turned a light off inside of me, a light only Jack could turn back on.