Christen's POV
I met Erin at the hospital and I knew she was trying to stay calm but she was screaming on the inside. I paced around the waiting room and my heart would jump whenever the double doors would open.
"What did she look like?" Erin asked and I shrugged my shoulders as I sat next to her in the waiting room.
"It didn't look good at all." I tell her, not wanting to get that image of Kelley stuck in my head all over again. I let out a sigh as I buried my face into my hands. This was my fault. I should have paid attention but I didn't and she pushed me away to keep me safe.
She saved me and I couldn't save her.
We were waiting for hours and still no doctor came to approach us. Kelley's parents were going to be flying in tomorrow and it made me anxious. All of this was making me anxious.
I handed Erin a cup of coffee and she took a few sips before setting it down on the table next to her.
"It must be really bad if it's taking this long." Erin says quietly. Her eyes were on the floor. Her and Kelley were so alike in so many ways. They both furrowed their brows when they were deep in the thought. They had the same eyes and a lot of the same thoughts.
The double doors opened for like the hundredth time and my started racing as the doctor started to approach Erin and I. We both stood up as the doctor, who was wearing a surgical gown, approached us. She let out a sigh and took off her scrub cap.
"Are you both here for Kelley O'Hara?" She asks
"Yes, I'm her sister." Erin says and she nods her head. For a doctor, let alone a surgeon, she seems quite young.
"I am Dr. Allison and I performed surgery on her. We did everything we could but for now, she's stable. She's in the ICU. She suffered an intraventricular hemorrhage which is bleeding into the ventricles of the brain. We were able to stop the bleeding in her brain. We won't know what the effects are until she wakes up which we also don't know if she will. She also suffered two broken legs with significant signs of nerve damage. We repaired those as well. You can go see her if you would like."
"Will she be able to walk, after all of this?" Erin asks.
"It's hard to tell. But we will be monitoring her very closely." She says. She excused herself and walked away. I let out a deep breath, not even realizing I was holding my breath the entire time she was talking.
I follow Erin into a room where Kelley was. She was hooked up to so many different machines. Both of her legs were wrapped in large casts and her head was wrapped as well. I walked onto one side of the bed and Erin the other. As I got closer, I realized she wasn't breathing on her own. Smears of her dried blood were on her face and her lips were chapped.
"I'll leave you two." I tell Erin. I leave the room and tears poured out of my eyes as I sat against a wall and brought my knees to my chest. It was just a matter of seconds before everything changed. We were just talking about my boy drama and then all of this happened.
Hours ago, she was walking and perfectly fine and now... now we don't know if she'll ever be able to walk again.
It all felt like survivors guilt. With all of the things Kelley and her family have been through. It should have been me. This should have not happened to her. Of all people, why her?
"Are you okay?" I hear someone say. I look up and see a nurse holding a cup of water out for me. I take it and give her a weak smile.
"Is that your friend in there?" She asks and I nod my head. "I'm sorry to hear. She's a fighter that one. Surgeon said she coded multiple times but still pulled through."She tells me.
"You think she'll make it?" I ask her.
"We aren't sure. But we have a great staff here... she's in good hands. Believe it or not, your support as a friend can help her recover more than a family member." The nurse says. She squeezes my shoulder before walking away.
Erin walked out of the room and her eyes were red. I walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to sit on any of her wires. I let out a sigh as I reached for her hand which was still warm.
I studied her freckled face and wondered why the worst things happen to the best people. None of this was fair, none of this was right.
"I'm sorry."I whisper, not knowing if she could hear me or not.
