The Way We Get By

8 // Liam

The fluorescent lights of the hospital are burning my sleep deprived eyes as the clock on the waiting room wall reaches past five in the morning, making it almost two hours that we've been at the hospital.

The coffee in my hand has gone cold, and the old nurse at the desk has been watching me for the last hour, probably wondering why I look so incredibly fucked up.

My eyes are red and watery from the amount of sleep-deprivation my body is under, and not even this cup of cold, shitty, hospital coffee can turn my sluggish mind into something functional.

I feel my eyes begin to close for what must be the tenth time, although this time around, I actually consider letting myself fall asleep. I've been trying to stay awake and wait for Ramona to be done in the exam room with Lucy and the police, but I may be getting to the point where staying awake is not an option anymore.

It wouldn't hurt to take a quick power nap.

"Liam."

I jolt awake when I hear Ramona's voice, peeling my eyes open to the curse of the bright, hospital lights.

"Mmhmm. I'm awake," I mumble, although I'm not entirely sure if I did just fall asleep.

I look at the clock to see that ten minutes have gone by since the last time I checked. I may have fallen asleep, despite my best efforts to stay awake.

"We're almost done," Ramona says, standing above me with a sympathetic look on her equally exhausted face. "The police are just finishing up taking Lucy's statement."

I nod, putting my coffee down on the small wooden table next to me. Ramona takes a seat on the other side of the small, side table, sighing into the cushioned seat with droopy, baggy eyes.

"Well don't you look hot," I tease, the both of us laughing as we try not to fall asleep in the comfort of the plastic hospital chairs.

"Oh, god, it's been a long night," Ramona groans, rubbing her eyes as she recovers from our brief laughter. "Too long of a night."

"Agreed. I think it's nap time."

I close my eyes, settling into the chair and leaning my head against the wall behind me.

"U-uh. Don't you dare fall asleep on me."

I peek an eye open and look over at Ramona, who's trying just as hard as I am to stay awake. But her face is unimpressed, and I just know she'd be folding her arms across her chest with a sharp glare if she had the energy to do so.

"If I can't sleep," she begins, pointing a lazy finger towards herself. "You can't sleep. Someone's gotta be awake for Lucy when she's done."

"Then you can do that, Mona. I'm going to sleep."

I close my eyes again, getting ready to welcome the blissful peace of sleep and ignore Ramona's irritating 'both of us or none of us' rule. Just because she has responsibilities doesn't mean I don't get to sleep.

Lucy won't let me near her anyways, so it's not like I'm of any use at the moment.

"Mr. and Mrs. Rivera?"

Again, I'm forcefully woken up by another person standing above me, although this time it's not Ramona. It's a nurse, and beside her, a police officer.

"That's us," I respond, making myself sit up in my chair despite my body's attempts to cry out for sleep. Ramona's in the same boat as me, tired and desperately wanting nothing more than to sleep for a minute or two.

"Lucy's finished her exam. She's getting dressed now, but we're providing her with hospital clothes. The police took her nightgown and slippers for DNA examination," the nurse explains, her short, black curls, making her looking like a roaring twenties flapper.