𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃'𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃

twenty-two

𝑻𝑾𝑬𝑵𝑻𝒀-𝑻𝑾𝑶

—

𝒋𝒐𝒉𝒏𝒏𝒚

i feel myself wake up slowly with a killing headache. every noise was faint, and my vision was blurry. as my vision cleared up, and sounds become more clearer, i see a woman standing before me. "are you okay?" she asks, but i looked around confused. on the concrete was mackenzie, unconscious with lauren trying to wake her up. "john-" she says as she sees me try to sit up. "mackenzie." i yell before feeling myself fall unconscious once more as i became one with the ground.

when finding consciousness again, i open my eyes to find myself on a hospital bed with my mom sitting beside me. "mom?" i say slowly as i wake up. i realize i was in the hospital and the image of mackenzie bleeding popped in my mind. "mackenzie?! where's mackenzie?!" i start to yell as a headache starts to form. "baby come down. she's at her room! but you need to rest, she'll be fine." my mom tries to calm me down as i lay down, trying to calm myself down. "how's lauren?" i sigh, "she's fine. she's with your dad."

"wait what happened?" i questioned. "you guys got in a a car accident. someone sped down to you guys. but it wasn't your driver's fault because they ran a red light." she answered, but didn't seemed like she was finished. she sighed once more. "what is it mom?" i shifted, and looked at her. "uhm, the car hit mackenzie's side of the car more than yours or lauren's. so she was injured more." "w-what?" i shot up. "so she's still unconcious, and we still don't know if there's anything else wrong with her." her voice cracks as she starts to tear up. "wh- what, mom? i need to see her!" i yell, trying to get up.

all of the calm turned to panic once more. "no, johnny! she's with her mom! please just relax!" i sighed and slowly fall back asleep.

𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒏

"how are you feeling?" the nurse asks as she wraps a bandage around my bleeding arm. "fine- better." i answer. "how's my brother? and mackenzie?" i question. "the people with you?" i nod, and she sighs. "your brother is fine. as with ms. ziegler," she hesitates "i don't know anything yet. i'm sorry, but have hope, okay?" she answers, and i nod again. she smiles at me before leaving the room.

i tap on my knee anxiously and find myself starting to overthink. i start to tear up, and eventually sob into my hands as i was alone. i hear the door open and i quickly wipe my tears. "what's wrong, honey ?" i see my mom and dad walk in, and i start choking up again. i couldn't make up what i was feeling. guilty? mad? worried? i tried to calm myself down but felt myself panic.

i feel my eyes fill with tears as everything becomes blurry and a sharp ring became louder than everything. i feel my mom calm me down, but i couldn't. i couldn't breathe. i feel faint and dizzy. i didn't know what to do, so i try to close my eyes as i cradle myself back and forth.

"lauren, i need you to open your eyes and tell me three things you see." i hear my nurse say from beside me, and i gulped, "uh- i see f-flowers, the- the window, a-and t-he tv." i stammer and feel myself shaking a little bit less. "okay, how about two things you can hear?" she asks. "uhm, th-the machines, and uh, you." i list, my vision growing clearer. "one thing you can touch?" i hear and feel my knees on my chest and my arms wrapped around them. "my legs." i answer and calm myself down. "good. lauren, you're experiencing a panic attack and i want you to focus on your breath."

so i did. i calmed myself down as i feel the warmth of my mother's hand rubbing on my back as my nerves start to settle down.

"i'm going to check on johnny, okay?" i nod and lay comfortably on the bed. she leaves my dad and i silently seating there. "dad, do you know if i can walk around?" i finally ask and play with the blanket. "you can, but the doctors insist for you to rest for a day." he answers, and i nod.

we talk even more before my mom, melissa, and a limping johnny enter my room. a doctor follows behind them. and i sit up, hugging melissa and johnny. "you okay?" he whispers into my ear. "as long as you are." i smile as we pull away.

"melissa wanted me to tell you, so here goes." the doctor says as melissa starts to tear up. "uhm, i thought i could handle being here, but i can't." she chokes up before leaving the room. "let's continue." the doctor sighs. "the accident caused a lot of damage for mackenzie, and she has fallen into a coma. we don't know when she will wake up. we also don't know if she'll have amnesia." he explains. "w-what?" i let out. "we don't know, not until she wakes up. i'm so so sorry." he continues. "thank you, doctor." my mom says before he smiles and leaves.

we fell into a silence. but one thought filled my mind.

will she remember me?

[906]