What She Forgot

Chapter Five

She was out of surgery now. A doctor dressed in blue scrubs came out into the waiting room, pulling his mask down from his mouth. His eyes searched the room for anyone who looked like Ariana's family. Anyone who looked related to her. Little did he know they were all in Australia.

Finally giving up, he rubbed his eyes tiredly and called out, "Family of Ariana Brooks?"

All of us stand up. Me, Peyton, Jai, and Luke faced the doctor, somber expressions on our faces. The doctor looked at us hesitantly, as if he was about to call us out on not being there for Ariana. But he took one look at Jai's shudder, Peyton wiping away tears, and Luke trying to control his breathing. He took one look at my pale face and red eyes and nodded.

He stuck out his hand for Jai to shake. "I'm Doctor Rhodes, I've been assigned to Miss Brooks."

"How is she?" Jai demanded. "Is she going to make a quick and full recovery?" 

Dr. Rhodes looked at the group of us with sad eyes. "We'll be seeing each other quite a bit."

Jai cursed underneath his breath. I could tell from his clenched fist that he wanted to hit something out of frustration. I watched in silence as Luke lead him aside to calm down. Peyton and I shared a look. I shook my head. I couldn't speak. She nodded and took over for Jai.

"What do you mean?" Peyton asked, trying to steady her voice.

"I'm afraid," Dr. Rhodes' eyes flickered to mine. "I'm afraid that Miss Brooks has fallen into a coma." 

"A- a coma?" Peyton repeated. Dr. Rhodes nodded. "No! No that can't be!" Peyton cried in despair. "Not to her, she would never let that happen to her!" 

Jai pushed himself away from Luke and stomped back over. "Did I just hear that correctly?" He demanded.

"Yes, a coma," Dr. Rhodes repeated. 

"A coma?" Luke asked.

"Yes, it is a state of deep unconsciousness that lasts for a prolonged or indefinite period. In Miss Brook's case, it's caused by a severe injury." 

We all shared a look. There was an unasked question hanging in the air. We couldn't decide if we wanted it answered or not. It would either give us immense happiness, or give us more bad news. Was it worth asking? 

I decided yes.

I spoke for the first time. "When will she wake up?" 

Peyton sucked in a breath. She wrapped her arms around her waist, holding herself. Jai clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to control himself. Luke's eyes were trained up, words whispering a prayer. A prayer that needed to be answered.

We needed for her to be okay.

"We don't know," Dr. Rhodes said finally. "It could be in a few weeks, but we think it could take longer than that."

"A few months? Tops?" Peyton asked hopefully.

Dr. Rhodes looked at us. In his look, his sad and pitiful look, we knew it would be longer than a few months. "I am sincerely sorry, but we don't think Miss Brooks will wake up." 

I stared at the doctor's face in shock. Around me, everything faded. Peyton crumpled to the ground, her pale pink dress fluttering as she fell. Her hands were covered her face, rings glinting in the dull light of the hospital. Her chest racked with sobs. 

Jai yelled and hit the wall of the hospital, leaving a dent in the wall. He hit it again. And again. Finally, he started to cry. His cries were pure heartbreak. He put his head in his hands, fingers threaded in his dark mop of messy black hair. His cries broke the heart of everyone who could hear. 

Luke wasn't much better. He fell back against the wall, stumbling until he managed to sit into a chair. He was trying to catch his breath, clearly panicking over the fact that this girl who has always been in his life was going to leave. His hands gripped the chair until his knuckles turned white, trying to grasp that maybe, just maybe, he might lose the only girl who cared about him.

Pretend the world isn't filled with living things. No living people, no living plants, no living animals. Think of the world as arts and crafts. You're building something beautiful. A friendship. You place materials, or people, together and bond them together. It builds a sculpture. A friendship. But it will not stick together unless there is glue. 

Ariana is our glue.

Without glue, a structure will fall apart. The materials will roll away from each other. They will just become mere memories. Without Ariana, our friendship will fall apart. We'll go our separate ways. We'll just become memories of something that once was to each other. 

Perhaps, that was the worst part of this accident.

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so sorry i've been MIA for almost two months! it's been pretty rough for me lately. i just went through a rough break up with my boyfriend. i couldn't get the courage to write about love when love hadn't worked for me. but nonetheless, i am better now and ready to write!

i'm really in love with this chapter. it's really depressing and sad, but i love how deep it is. who knew that goofy and funny sam wilkinson could be so in depth would his surroundings and thoughts?

lovin it!

xoxo, 

    mikailaxryan