~Gajeel~
I was out the door before mom could even finish speaking. “Levy’s in the hospital!” was all the more answer I gave Natsu and Lucy as they ran after me, asking what had happened. Knowing it was reckless, but not having time to care, I jumped into my car and sped towards the hospital.
“Mom!” I shouted, running through the lobby and into the emergency waiting room as soon as I threw my car into park in front of the emergency room doors.
“Gajeel!” She cried, breaking down as I wrapped my arms around her.
“What happened?” I asked, fearing the worst. “Where’s Levy?”
“They just took her back for surgery,” she answered, her tears adding to the wetness on my shirt from the rain. “They—they said something about internal bleeding. I got here right after they took her back, and they wouldn’t let me see her.”
“She’s gonna be fine,” I tried to reassure her. “Levy’s gonna be fine, Mom.”
“But what if she isn’t?” She clutched my shirt as her cries turned to sobs. “What if this is punishment for all those years ago?”
“Listen to me,” I snapped, meeting the woman’s bloodshot eyes, “Levy is not going to die, ya hear me? No one is being punished, because Levy is going to be fine!”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, nodding as she reached up to cup my face in her hands. “I should be the one being strong for you right now, not the other way around.”
I wasn’t aware of the tears stinging my eyes until she wiped one away and sat me down on a chair beside of her. Her arms barely went around half of me, but she pulled me against her side and held onto me tightly while we waited for the doctors to tell us Levy’s condition.
It was several hours later before anyone in a doctor’s coat came into the waiting room. By the time one finally did, nearly everyone had arrived and was waiting with Diane and me.
“Mrs. McGarden?” The doctor asked, looking around the room. Both Diane and myself stood and went to her, anxiously waiting for the news. She looked at me, frowning slightly before turning back to Diane. “Is this—”
“Next of kin,” she said, waving off the doctor’s concerns, “how is Levy?”
“She pulled through the surgery,” the doctor said, “but she slipped into a coma while in recovery. We were on our way here to tell you about her successful surgery about thirty minutes ago when it happened. We stabilized her for now, but I can’t say whether or not she’ll wake up from this.”
“What room is she in?” I asked.
“132,” she answered. “We’re limiting her visitors to just her immediate family for now, until we know if she will remain stable.”
I rushed off in the direction of Levy’s room, not caring what else the doctor had left to say. I needed to see her. Levy, please be alright! You have to wake up!
I stopped dead in my tracks when I reached her room. The urge to vomit was growing steadily as I stared at the sleeping form on the bed. It was hard to believe it was Levy. If it hadn’t been for the unmistakable blue curls spread over her pillow, I would have gone back to the doctor and asked her if she was sure this was Levy’s room.
Bandages covered nearly her entire face, and the parts that weren’t covered were a deep purple color from the bruises that must have extended underneath the bandages. Her left arm was in a cast, as well as her left foot, and I could see a thick gauze over her left eye that was held in place by even more bandages.
