The Smallest Coffins.

8

Jaylenn's eyes open to a bright light shining in her eyes. "My dad," she says immediately and when she does a firm hand grasps onto her's.

"I'm here," her dad says. "Right here."

"Don't leave me..." she says.

"Never," he says. Jaylenn looks down and sees that one leg ends right above the knee. The doctor who's leaning over her with the flashlight stands up.

"Jaylenn, good you're talking," she says once the two finishes their conversation. "I'm going to give you some bad news,okay?" the brown haired woman asks. Her hair is pulled tightly into a bun. Her face is tanned and freckled. Jaylenn nods quickly, fearing it might be about Ryland. "We had to amputate your left leg."

Jaylenn reaches down and pulls the blanket off her legs. Her eyes start to burn and she reaches down to touch the white bandages covering the stump that used to be her leg. She flinches a bit. "It hurts," she mutters.

"That's called phantom limb pain. We'll get you some Tylenol," the doctor says.

"And Ryland?" Jaylenn asks as the doctor turns away.

"I'll let your father tell you okay?" she says then walks away.

"Dad?" she asks immediately. "What happened to Ryland. He's okay right?"

"Honey, Ryland had hit his head really hard. He hasn't woken up yet, there's no sign of him waking up any time soon," he says. Her heart drops to her feet and her heart monitor picks up speed. "Honey calm down you'll get a nurse in here".

She remembers the fact Jacob is still on the fifth floor, psych. "What about Jacob?"

"He's saying that Juliett did it," he says.

 
"She did! She was mad because we don't know who killed her," she says. That's when it hits her. She does know who did it. "Wait no dad I think I realized who did it." The door swings open and Jackson walks in.

"You really did it huh? You couldn't let one person be unhurt in this?" he asks his sister. She wants to say something back but all of the memories of him sneaking into her room at night flashes into her head and she looks away without a word. 

"Can you make him leave Daddy? Please," she says with her voice shaking. She hadn't called him "daddy" since third grade. An anger never felt before rises in Justin, when the realization hits.

"You did it?" he asks standing up with calm anger. Jaylenn would have preferred him screaming, the whispering calm was way worse. Jackson rolls his eyes. "How many..." he whispers, putting a hand on the back of the chair he had been sitting in. "How many girls have you hurt?" he yells and throws the chair at Jackson.

Jaylenn frantically feels around for the button to call the nurse. "You killed my little girl! And lemme guess. You raped Jaylenn too? Right? And you had both of them so scared out of their minds they couldn't believe it was you. Am I right Jaylenn?" He looks at me. I nod my head. I finally find the button and press it multiple times.

"Why are you lying like that?" he asks. Multiple nurses run in.

"Y'all better take him before he's leaving here dead," Jacob yells. "He killed my baby!" he yells louder. They haul him out while calling the cops as well as security.

Jacob leans over Jaylenn and kisses her forehead. "I'm so sorry I never knew," he says then begins pleading for forgiveness.

"Dad, listen. It's okay. Okay?" I say.

After a few hours of talking Jaylenn looks at her father. "Can I go see Ryland?"

"Yeah the cops need to talk to me anyways, I'll go get a nurse," he says then walks out of the door. She starts preparing herself to see Ryland covered in wires.

"He probably doesn't have on his glasses," she says out loud then laughs. "Once again great thinking Jaylenn," she says.

After a few moments a nurse walks in to take her. "Ready to see him?" Jaylenn immediately nodded her head. The nurse puts her into a wheelchair.

The nurse takes her down to the end of the hallway and to the elevator. She presses the fourth floor which is ICU. When the elevator stops the nurse pushes Jaylenn down to the last bed.

A boy with rusty hair pulled back into what looks like a shower cap, is lying in the bed. He has on a gown which is visible since only the bottom of his legs are covered by a blanket. An older looking doctor walks over to Jaylenn.

"Hi, are you the girlfriend?" she nods slowly. "Your dad has been up here a few times to check on him. Has he explained everything?"

"Yeah pretty much. Uh do you know where his glasses are? Could I have them?"

"I'll get a nurse to bring them to your room, okay?" the doctor with the brown eyes says.

"Thank you," Jaylenn says. She pushes her closer to Ryland and grabs his hand. She kisses

his hand and smiles. The doctor standing at the end of the bed chuckles a bit. "What is it?

"His heart skipped a beat when you kissed his hand," he says. "I don't remember the last time I saw that if I'm being honest.

"Oh," the girl blushes. After a few minutes the doctor walks away and Jaylenn starts talking to Ryland. "They have Jackson. He's put away. That means Juliet is finally in peace. Right?"

In the next blink there are doctors surrounding the couple. Ryland's heart monitor is making a rapid noise. A nurse comes from behind Jaylenn and pulls her away. "No! What's wrong with him?" she yells.

"It's okay let's go take you back downstairs."

"No!" she yells again.

Once back in her room doctors come in and sedate Jaylenn so she would calm from her hysterics. Everything goes black as she feels her dad's hand wrap around her's.