The Secrets We Keep: A Choni Story

Chapter 16

I think this is the longest chapter I've written I was going to split it up into two chapters but I decided against it. Enjoy!

She's dead, she's dead, she's dead. She couldn't be dead we hadn't lived our lives together yet, we were meant to live our lives with each other in them. She couldn't be dead I wouldn't accept it.

"No!" I yelled.

"Cheryl, she has no pulse," he explained shakily.

I ran over to the bathroom and started doing CPR. "She will" I huffed between chest compressions, "How long for the ambulance?" I asked.

"5-10 minutes," he replied, "Cheryl?" he called.

"What Jughead?! I need to focus on the CPR," I said after giving her mouth to mouth.

"You need to see this, I'll do the CPR," he said.

I got up and Jughead knelt down and began doing the chest compressions. I walked over to where he was and I saw what he was talking about.

"Jug, I don't think I should read it," I said.

"Well, if she doesn't make it you should," he said.

"She's going to make it!" I yelled back.

I heard sirens in the distance. Soon enough there were paramedics in the trailer. I took the letter addressed to me and I got in the ambulance as they wheeled Toni in on a gurney. Jughead rode behind us on his bike. I followed the paramedics out of the ambulance and into the hospital until I was stopped.

"Ma'am you can't go in there," a nurse said.

"Oh, okay," I said feeling defeated.

I collapsed to the floor unable to hold back my feelings. I sobbed so hard. I felt someone pick me up and bring me to the waiting room.

"Cheryl," I looked up and saw Betty, "You need to be strong for her, she'll pull through she's a fighter,"

"She wrote me a letter, Betty, why only me?!" I asked.

"Probably because you're the most important person in her life and maybe because she thought you'd be the only one who cares," she answered.

"Should I read it?" I asked.

"Probably, because there will be answers and you will understand why she did it," she responded truthfully.

"Family for Topaz?" she asked.

I stood up instantaneously.

"She's in recovery room 315, we had to pump her stomach, she wasn't breathing for about 4 minutes, she's not awake but try talking to her keep it positive," she said.

I looked back at my friends who were all gesturing for me to go in and see her. I took a deep breath and went into Toni's room. She looked so peaceful, despite all the tubes coming out of her and her being tied down to the bed.

I sat in the chair next to the bed, I took Toni's hand in mine.

"Toni, please wake up, there are so many people who love you, I love you so much, I just want you to be okay," I cried.

There was nothing.

"Toni, if you wake up, we can get married and have kids and live our lives together, grow old together. That's what people who are in love do. I love you, Toni Topaz so so much, more than you'll ever know, would you like to have those things?" I asked smiling at the thought of getting married to the love of my life.

"Hey," Toni croaked out.

I looked up and saw Toni looking at me smiling.

"Oh my God, you're awake," I said shocked.