Keeper's Oath

Chapter 2: The Visit

An hour later, Melanie had dropped the two off downtown. Hope had decided to hang around downtown later while she waited for Eve to get off work. She was a waitress in one of the restaurants that was close to the hospital. Peter had volunteered to keep Hope company then but she still wasn't sure. Though, Peter could take them home so they didn't have to rely on Melanie who might be in a bad mood.

Hope reminded herself to text Peter later on.

They were still a few blocks away from where Melanie had dropped them off. The morning was cold but at least the sun was making it slightly warmer. The snow was starting to melt but there was talk of getting more snow later on in the evening.

The tiny flower shop sat a few feet away from one end of the hospital. There was also a bakery nearby. Hope sniffed the air, she could smell the fresh bread and sweets being baked.

Eve's stomach growled right next to her.

"You should have eaten something before we left." Hope told her concerned which made Eve laugh.

"Hah! I'll just get something from the vending machine when we get into the hospital." Eve held her head high taking in the bakery's smells. Even if Hope had eaten that morning, the smell was making her hungry again. It was still too early for it to be open.

The flower shop was just around the corner now. There weren't that many people out this early. Few cars pass them by. Other than that, they were the only ones walking around. The sidewalks were covered with snow that had been walked on.

The two went into the flower shop and bought a bouquet with red roses and a few sunflowers. They also bought a light pink glass vase to go along with it even though Hope knew Pat had one in her hospital room. Just something different, she thought.

Walking out into the cold again, Hope zipped her black jacket's zipper so it covered her neck. Her long brown hair was getting wavy again, she made a note in her mind for Eve to straighten it later on when she wasn't busy.

Without a word, Eve took off towards the hospital She walked slow enough so Hope could keep up with her as she was carrying the bouquet in her hands carefully. There could be ice hidden under the packed snow. Neither one of them wanted the bouquet to be ruined. In a way, it was Patricia's Christmas present.

Hope wished that she could give Patricia something else than flowers. Only if she was awake... only if the doctors could figure out what was wrong with her. They just knew she was in a deep coma. Thankfully she was alive. But, was that kind of a life worth living? Just sleeping and not being awake at all.

Hope and Eve got to the hospital and signed in as guests. They then proceeded to go up the elevator to where her room was located. Along the way there were patients in wheelchairs with their nurses walking around in the early Saturday morning.

Patricia's room was one of the last ones in the hallway. There was a wide window at the end. The walls were a weird seafoam green color that always put Hope off thinking it would be white. Most of the rooms were closed or the doors cracked slightly. Patricia's room at the end was fully open.

Once they got to the doorway, they knew why. There were few doctors and nurses around. They looked up from Patricia once they entered.

The doctor was going to say something but the nurse walked to them.

"Wh-what's going on?" Hope stammered looking at their faces expecting bad news but their faces didn't give out their feelings.

The usual nurse that Hope and Eve knew the best was the one who walked towards them. She had a smile on her face. She was one of the younger nurses in the building, her blonde hair was tied back into a neat ponytail.