Not Weak, Just Stronger

Chapter 58: Don't Try To Fix Me, I'm Not Broken

A/N: Writing this whole chapter made me feel brain dead—like I wasn't even really writing it and I had no idea what was going on throughout the whole thing. I apologise if it sucks.

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Camila took care of Clara first. The paramedics came with the police. They found her in the bathroom and bought Camila's story about Clara feeling sick and asking to use the bathroom, Camila not suspecting anything until she noticed Clara was in there too long, then asking Clara if she was okay before she opened the door and came across her lying there unresponsive. The paramedics attempted to see if she could be resuscitated but quickly realised it was useless. The coroners zipped up Clara's body and moved her to investigate the cause of her death but Mike and Chris had to be called first and informed. Camila put on a good show, she really did. Hyperventilating, pretending to freak out and lose her mind over what kept happening in her home—over what she was going to tell Lauren, and expressing great guilt and sympathy was a piece of cake. But deep down, Camila knew she wasn't going to keep this to herself forever. Eventually she'd have to tell Lauren. This wasn't a secret she wanted to keep.

One of her concerns was someone notifying Lauren about her mother's death just after she woke up from her coma. Hopefully they'd all agree to keep it hidden until Lauren got a little better and wasn't at risk.

When the paramedics offered and took Camila to the hospital to see Lauren, she ran into that place like her life depended on it and didn't even bother leaving a 'thank you'. It wasn't even a competition anymore; Camila's heart won the race against her feet speeding through the halls of the hospital to get to Lauren's room. Her thoughts ran a mile a minute and she kept switching between what just happened with Clara and what Simon just told her. If Lauren forgot her best friends, did that mean she forgot about her too?? She prayed it wasn't true—that Lauren wasn't capable of forgetting her wife. It'd break her heart if Lauren forgot their wedding and all that they've been through together. It'd devastate her beyond belief.

Camila reached Lauren's room in the ICU and halted in the middle of the doorway. Simon, Kehlani, a nurse, and a doctor was standing around Lauren's bed. Lauren was being questioned but she looked very scared and confused. Camila could see the agony on Lauren's face; she didn't want to be there and she didn't know why she was there. Even worse, Lauren apparently didn't know any of them. Man, did it feel incredible finally seeing her awake, though.

"Amor!" Camila called out and ran to Lauren's bedside, unable to contain herself and hold back. She hugged Lauren but Lauren didn't hug her back.

"Ah, Mrs. Cabello-Jauregui! You're back. Mrs. Jauregui woke up just a couple of minutes ago, she responded exactly how we anticipated. Her vitals are normal, thankfully no seizures, she did have a meltdown and some confusion, she can speak but not too well, and I'm afraid Mrs. Jauregui does show signs of—"

"Amor, do you remember me? Do you know who I am?" Camila lightly stroked Lauren's cheek, silencing the doctor with her finger. She focused on those emerald eyes she's been dying to see for three weeks and cried on the inside; there was a redness around them and uncertainty. Lauren furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth—struggling to speak because her throat felt like it was a tire that was burning out on a hundred degrees concrete floor. "Mi amor, por favor, contestame. Recúerdame?" (My love, please, answer me. Remember me?)

"Camila—"

"Shh, Simon," she told him. She wanted to hear Lauren's voice and only Lauren's voice.

Lauren slowly blinked and brought her hand up with a little difficulty. She hooked her arm around Camila's neck and pulled her close, holding Camila against her chest. Her voice was hoarse and a little above a whisper when she said, "O-osito."