Down For The Count

Comfortable

Paisley's POV

Seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like years.

We were all in the waiting room, silently and nervously awaiting answers. For all we know she could be dead right now and they're just working up the courage to tell us. No one knows.

Vanessa combed her fingers through my hair as I rested against her shoulder. The cushioned chairs we were sitting in look like they would be comfy, but after sitting in them for hours, they've proved to be not so great.

I watched Lin come back over to us, holding out a water bottle for me to take. I hardly acknowledged him though, my eyes stuck on the floor as I zoned out a bit.

Lin sighed, handing the water bottle instead to Vanessa to hold onto for me as he settled into the chair on the other side of me.

The small waiting room was crowded with people. Alex's parents and her sisters, Violet and her mom, and Winter. Winter's parents weren't here, but she seemed to like it that way. She sat off to the side by herself, her eyes shut tightly as if she was concentrating on her thoughts.

Violet was sitting in the seats directly across from us, leaning against her mom the same way that I was leaning against Vanessa. She looked...miserably sad. She looked scared, and it was not a fun look to see on Vi, the normally perky and happy girl.

And Alex's family was a mess. Alex's mom hasn't stopped crying, and...and her dad looks incredibly stressed out. Although his face is emotionless, he's leaned forward in his chair, staring blankly at the ground as his leg tapped anxiously against the cold tile.

The entire family had heavy bags under their eyes, obviously not having gotten any rest for themselves since this happened last night.

The atmosphere was cold, and bleak, and miserable.

And quiet. Too quiet.

We all seemed to silently be wondering the same thing. Is Alex okay? Is she even alive at all?

The sounds of the busy hospital made my head hurt, immediately bringing me back to Mom's time at the hospital.

I shut my eyes tightly, trying to take myself elsewhere. Trying not to think about the fact that I was sitting in a hospital right now.

I've been to plenty of small clinic's and doctor's offices since Mom died, but not the hospital. My fear of doctors is bad, but nothing like my fear of hospitals, which is why it took twenty minutes for Lin and Vanessa to coax me inside.

And it's pathetic, I should've gone straight inside for Alex.

But...but they killed Mom.

Or...I guess technically Mom killed Mom.

But we went to the hospital and they promised they would fix her and they just...didn't. She walked in through that stupid glass revolving door, but she never walked out.

This is the same thing. What if...what if they break Alex?

"Are you all here for Alexa?" A voice broke my thoughts. We all looked up at a woman in a white coat, her red hair tied back.

"Alex." Mr.Bender corrected as him and Alex's mom quickly stood up to hear what the doctor had to say.

"Right, Alex." The doctor nodded in confirmation, clearing her throat as she looked down at the clipboard she was holding.

Usually you can tell if it's good or bad news by the doctor's face. It's all written in their expressions.

I'm so sorry. We did everything we could.