Shortcake - A Richpez Story

Chapter 14

Omniscient Point of View

The waiting room was silent at people started filing in. Word had gotten around that Joey got in a car crash. It wasn't his fault, everyone knew that. He...just wouldn't. The only person who knew why Joey left in the first place was Rob, who was determined to keep the reason a secret. Why? Because he knew that there would be self blame involved. Yes, lots of blame.

Lauren looked both sick and...empty. that was the only accurate description of her, but everyone was glad she finally got over her stage of constantly throwing up, at least for now. Jeff put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. She didn't react.

"Lauren," he said.

She tore her eyes away from the hallway and looked at him, her eyes dull. That was kind of scary. Lauren wasn't one to show her emotions, but she would usually be crying by now, just like everyone else. Everyone else had tears in their eyes, buried their faces in people's shoulders or their hands, hugging others, desperation and sorrow and hope flooding all of their eyes.

But not Lauren, who was now begging Jeff to let her stay. Well, more so shaking her head. She didn't say anything. She couldn't get the words out. There was a sickening feeling in her stomach, a feeling that prevented her from thinking clearly. A sneaking suspicion, a feeling of dread that is was she that had caused him to get into an accident. That fear clogged her mind, suffocated her beyond belief. She would never be able to live with herself if....

Kendall, who had grown fond of Joey, was shocked to have the distressing news reported to her. StarKid had completely changed her life, and if one of them somehow passed...it would be absolutely devastating.

Curt felt the same way. Joey was one of the most selfless people he'd ever known, and working with him on Spies are Forever had really increased the bond that they had.

As for the entire team of StarKids, they were all devastated over the fact that goofy, selfless, big, charming Joey that everyone loved now lay on an operating table.

People left and came, some stayed and others didn't, unable to bear the stress and pain of the situation. Lauren stayed. She didn't leave once, not daring to leave.

"Lauren Lopez?" A woman with a nametag reading 'Dr. Andrews' calls.

Lauren jumps up and hurries towards the woman, panic clear in her eyes. She struggles to make herself calm, taking deep gulping breaths. Her hands shake as she dissapear with Dr. Andrews.

The remaining StarKids watch with worry as their heartbroken friend descends down one of the lonely hallways of the hospital.

Lauren's POV

My heart hammers in my chest as I follow this woman into Joey's room.

"So, he lost a lot of blood, but luckily the only real damage was to his arms. He has a small sprain in his wrist, and his arms got some serious gashes, hence the blood loss. He was really lucky that the veins got cut the way they did, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to stitch him up. His abdomen is a lot better than we thought, and we didn't end up performing surgery, however, we did give him some sedatives and pain relievers, so he should be awake soon. Just be aware that he will be pretty drugged up," the woman explains.

She gives me an explanation of things he can and can't do, and despite her agreement on him being able to rehearse for most things, I don't want him to. I don't want him to get hurt. I'm so afriad, afriad that any wrong movement and he could spiral. All I remeber about visiting Joey is the pain in my chest as I screamed for help. The uncontrollable sobs that shook my entire body, the desperation that clawed it's way into my voice, the shrill cry of alarm that made my throat raw with pain. I felt like dying myself. The suffocation of pure, agonizing terror, of pain, of desperation. Not even on my own death bed, because of Will, had I felt this way. I remember someone leading me out, giving me some water, and later someone giving me a tight hug. No one knew just how bad the situation was, how he practically bled to death right in front of me, how his heart had stopped because the bandages around his arms couldn't stop the blood from flowing. The brilliant red of bloodstained hospital sheets will ever be engraved in my mind, the way his skin was pale and sickly against crimson. Red is supposed to represent love, lust, but in my mind, it will forever remind me of death.