Chapter 2
Suddenly, I heard the door behind me open, and I turned to see my parents walking back into the receptionist area. Their faces were somber, and my heart sank. I knew that whatever the doctor had told them, it wasn’t good.
“Ava is…” I started to say, but my voice trailed off as my parents approached me.
“We need to talk,” my mom said, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded, feeling a sense of trepidation wash over me. What was going on with Ava? And why did my parents look so worried? The last time they had looked this way was when she got missing so what must have gone wrong. I felt a knot in my stomach as I wondered what could have happened to Ava. Even though Ava is not my best person, I would never wish her ill or dead.
“What is it?” I asked, my voice shaking slightly. “What’s wrong with Ava?”
My mom took a deep breath before speaking. “The doctor said that Ava is in a coma,” she said, her voice trembling. “You know she lost consciousness at the party, and really hit her head against the glass table, that stupid boyfriend of hers could not even save her, such a coward.” She sneered.
I felt like I had been punched in the gut. A coma? Ava? It didn’t seem real. I kept thinking that this was some kind of cruel joke, that Ava would wake up any minute to taunt me that it was one of her pranks to show she’s more important than me.
But as I looked at my parents‘ faces, I knew that this was no joke. Something was seriously wrong with Ava, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread.
“My darling” I narrowed my eyes and looked up at my father in surprise, he has never used the word for me in like ten years so why now.
“We need your help dear”
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I heard my father’s words. “Dear“? He hadn’t called me that in years, not since I was a little kid. It was always “kiddo” or “sweetheart” or just my name, but never “dear“.
It was a term of endearment I grew up to know that he reserved for special occasions, or when he was trying to convey a sense of seriousness or urgency but used it for Ava all the time. And as petty as it may sound, I had always felt jealous of that. ‘Now is not the time to get jealous girl‘ I scolded myself.
I looked up at him, searching for answers. What did he mean by “we need your help“? What could I possibly do to help Ava? I am just a teenager, after all. Right?
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
My father took a deep breath before speaking. “The doctor said that Ava’s condition is… complicated,” he said, locking eyes with me before continuing. “They are not sure what caused her to fall into a coma or made her lose consciousness in the first place but they are running some tests to try and figure it out.”
He paused, staring at my mum then back to me.
10:30 Thu Jan 1
Chapter 2
“Hut in the meantime, they need someone to be with her, to talk to her and try and stimulate her brain activity,” he continued. “And we were thinking… maybe you could do that for us please.”
I felt a surge of surprise and uncertainty. Me? Be with Ava? Talk to her? I didn’t know if I was ready for that. Ava and I hadn’t exactly been close in recent years, and the thought of sitting with her in a hospital room, trying to talk to her while she lay unconscious, was very uncomfortable.
But as I looked at my parents‘ faces, I knew that I couldn’t say no. They were counting on me, and Ava needed my help. Maybe it’s time I can prove my worth and make them love me the way they love her. So I took a deep breath and nodded.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll do it.”
My father’s face lit up with a mixture of relief and gratitude. “Thank you, sweetie,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. “We will go talk to the doctor and get everything set up. You can go in and see Ava as soon as you’re ready.”
I nodded, my heart swirling with pride for being helpful. I was going to do this, no matter how hard it was. I was going to be there for Ava, even if it meant facing my own uncomfortable feelings.
As my parents went to talk to the doctor, I took a few deep breaths and tried to prepare myself. I thought about all the times Ava and I had fought, all the times we had disagreed on everything from when we were kids to now young adults. But I also thought about the good times, the times we’d laughed and joked and been there for each other when younger. There wasn’t much of those but hopefully, we will have those kinds of memories again.
I took one last look around the hospital room and made my way to Ava’s room. The door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open slowly, my heart pounding in my chest.
The room was dimly lit, with only a few machines beeping softly in the corner. Ava lay in the bed, her face pale and still. I felt a pang of sadness as I looked at her, I really wish that things could have been different between us.
But as I approached the bed, I saw something that made my heart skip a beat. Ava’s eyes were closed, but her hand was lying on top of the blanket, her fingers slightly curled and on her wrist, she was wearing a silver bracelet with a small charm in the shape of a sun.
I felt a lump form in my throat as I recognized the bracelet. It was the one my paternal grandma had promised to give me since I was little. She had promised to give it to me on my eighteenth birthday but here it was fitting perfectly on my sister’s wrist. I gulped down my spit as my heart pulled hurtfully at this new knowledge. Ava was always going to take anything I wanted with no stress and hard work done.
18:38 Thu, Jan 1
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
