Lover

Hospitals and Dreams

⚠️TW: Blood and details that might not be advised for sensitive readers.
(Also this chapter might be a bit confusing)
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I hate hospitals. Hate them so much that I want to study and become a doctor just to get hired and make hospitals better. I have only bad experiences with hospitals.

Ironic?
Extremely.
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The drive in the back of the ambulance was uncomfortable, especially on the bumps but all I really cared about was the boy with his fractured leg, lying in front of me.

Stepping out onto the ambulance bay, the paramedics quickly but carefully manoeuvre the stretchers out of the vehicle and into the Emergency Department of the hospital. I make my way inside and try to keep up with the 'ER rush' but honestly I'm a bit lost. A cluster of voices fill the air inside. One of the doctors are beckoned towards the stretchers.
"What's the situation?"
"Car accident, a woman and her son. Both patients have concussions, approximately 0.37 and 0.25 gallons of blood loss- respectively- and multiple bone fractures."
"Any ID?"
"Allison Barnes, 29, female."
"Prep them."

That conversation lasted like 30 seconds.

-"You're with the boy and the woman right?" I nod quickly. -"Follow me," she says, as I see their stretchers disappear behind two blue doors.
-"What's your name?"
"Alia."
-"Are you related to the patients?" She asks while leading me somewhere else.
"No, Mam. I was walking down the street, but I was on a call, so I wasn't really paying attention and then I heard a big crash and then-"
-"So you don't know them personally?"
"No I don't," I say helplessly, pursing my lips together.
-"Ok, no worries. Thank you for calling us when you did. They both lost a lot of blood so if you hadn't called when you did, it would have been worse."
I nod.
We arrive at the reception and waiting area.
-"Lewis! Run the system for an Allison Barnes and her son. Send the details to Surgery 4. Also, page Dr. Cheng for me." She turns to me again.
-"This is Alia. They are Nurse Lewis." She introduces us.
-"They will be asking you a few questions about the incident. But right now, you can sit down in the waiting room." She gestures to the lounge-like area and I do exactly that.
There are a few other people here but I don't care, I just slump down on one of the chairs trying to process whatever just happened. I try breathing in and out but I can't seem to relax.
I hear chatter. I hear more ambulance sirens in the distance and it feels like it's getting louder each second. The arms of the chair might as well be soaking wet thanks to my sweaty palms. Maybe if I close my eyes- Nope! That's worse. I just replay the scene of the accident again and again. Block it out, Lia. Block it out! The sight of staff pacing around the halls doesn't help either. The clinical smell of this place just heightens my anxiety. My head starts aching.

Am I experiencing trauma? No, I can't be. I wasn't even involved in the accident.
I close my eyes again.

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Accident? What accident?
Where's mom? Jaz, is everything alright? Is there something wrong with Dad?
-"It's not Dad-"

My eyes flutter open. Everything is perfect. Mom opens the door for us when Jaz and I come home from school. Dad is sitting on the couch, watching his favourite team play football. I hear the telly speak: 'and debuting for Liverpool today is Eliott Hart!' I look back over to the couch and Dad isn't there anymore.
He'll be home soon, I assume by next month.
Mum made us sandwiches too! 'I love you, my girls.' That's what she said as I took the first bite and-

I hear Jazmin apologizing for being mad at me. We're at the hospital now. 'The reason we're here, Lia, is- is because...' I take the second bite of my sandwich-

I'm at accident scene again. "Tom, I have to go." I put my phone away. I run over to the drivers seat of the car.
And there I see the most horrific sight.

She was there. And she was sad. And a single red drop of 'sweat' glides down from her head.

"M-mom? MOM!"
I try to reach for the door but I can't reach the handle. I stretch my arm out as far as I can, but I just can't reach it. I can't reach her!
'The reason we're here...' Jazmin's voice keeps saying but she doesn't finish the sentence.
'The reason we're here...' What does she mean? 'The reason we're here... It's not Dad'

Mom?

I give mom's hand a squeeze in the hospital room. She hasn't responded since yesterday. She's tired. She's sad. She's hurt. She's resting. Jazmin keeps her eyes on the heartbeat machine that makes the quick beep sounds. Suddenly, a new sound comes on. A long sound. And the line becomes straight. And Jazmin grabs my hand as the nurses come flooding in.
"Everything is going to be fine, Lia." Jaz keeps saying.
"Everything is going to be fine, Jaz."
I say.
"Everything is going to be fine, it will. It Will."

I hate hospitals.
I miss Mom.

(This last part of this chapter is basically a dream she has. It also has parts of her subconscious. And maybe even some foreshadowing)