Chapter 22 22 The Parents
MASON
“Sit down, Mason,” Brittany snaps at me the next day around eight a.m.
I’ve been pacing the small room for the past hour at least, wanting—no, needing—either an update on Lily or, even better, to see her.
I nod and sit back down in the seat next to her and automatically start bouncing my leg up and down.
“Oh my god!” She huffs, grabbing a hold of my knee while Liam chuckles quietly.
“I swear to god, Mason, just sit still,” she hisses through her teeth, digging her nails into the knee pads.
“Can’t,” I grumble but try to stop my legs from bouncing.
“I’m going to get coffee.” She sighs, getting to her feet, while Jonah jumps to his feet and immediately offers to go with her.
“I think this is the longest he’s been in one place for,” Harry comments casually as they head down the hallway.
“Same with this one.” Liam half-smiles, jabbing his thumb at my scowling face.
“Do you think we’ll be allowed to see her today?” I ask, rubbing my dry eyes.
“I don’t know.” Liam sighs, giving me that fucking sympathetic look again. I really want to tell him to fucking stop it, but I bite my tongue. For now.
Ten minutes later, Brittany and Jonah still aren’t back, so when the elevator opens I don’t bother turning around.
Only when Harry jumps to his feet and calls out, “Mrs. Bennett,” do I whip around.
I see Brittany and Jonah both clutching coffee trays and a food bag each, followed closely by who I’m guessing are Lily’s parents.
Lily’s mom looks a lot like her. Both of them have small frames and the same facial structure, but her mom’s eyes are brown and her hair is dyed a fake blonde, clearly not natural like Lily’s.
“Oh, Harry, you’re here,” Mrs. Bennett says, taking a few steps closer to us before placing a kiss on his cheek.
“Murray has just gone to see if the doctor can talk to us,” she explains, sitting down across from me as Britt and Jonah hand out coffees.
“We haven’t heard anything since last night.” Harry sighs, sitting next to her.
“The woman on the phone didn’t say much. Just that she was in a coma.” Mrs. Bennett shrugs almost indifferently.
“The doctor will be out shortly.” A man, who I’m assuming is Mr. Bennett, states, sitting in the seat next to his wife, directly across from me.
“Hello.” He nods to me and Liam.
His eyes are red and bloodshot, like he’s either been up all night or crying. Maybe both.
“This is Mason and Liam and Brittany. And my boyfriend, Jonah.” Harry introduces everyone awkwardly, flicking his eyes between us.
“You’re friends with Lily?” Mr. Bennett asks, looking at both me and Liam with slightly narrowed eyes.
“Yes, sir. Mason met her during the summer and introduced us not long after football season started,” Liam offers up, elbowing me in the side slightly.
“You play football?” he asks, his graying eyebrows shooting up.
“Yes, sir. I’m the running back and he’s the QB.”
“I thought Oliver was the quarterback,” Lily’s mom interrupts, making an awkward silence hang between us.
“Ah, we, um…” Liam fumbles over his words.
“We go to Greendale,” I state, watching her scoff and screw her face up in disgust while Mr. Bennett nods his head slightly as if he understands everything now.
Mrs. Bennett opens her mouth to say something but is cut off by the same doctor as last night.
“Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, I’m Doctor Sarah Bale. I’ve been looking after Lily,” she states, glancing between Brittany and them.
“Yes, how is she? Is she awake?” Mr. Bennett asks, jumping to his feet while Mrs. Bennett stays seated.
“Unfortunately not. We’re going to start weaning her off the medication,” she says, raising her eyebrow slightly at Lily’s mom.
“How long will it take for her to wake up?” Mr. Bennett asks.
“There’s no set time. It could be within a couple of hours or days,” Doctor Bale explains gently.
“Well, you can call us when she wakes,” Mrs. Bennett states, hitting her hands against her thighs and standing up.
What the fuck is wrong with this woman? Her daughter is in a fucking coma, and she doesn’t give a shit.
I go to stand up to give her a piece of my mind but am pulled straight back down by Liam, who shakes his head.
“Right. Well, if that’s what you want,” Doctor Bale says, not hiding her disgust.
“No. I’m not going anywhere.” Mr. Bennett shakes his head ferociously while glaring at his wife.
“Are any of you three boys Mason by any chance?” she asks, looking between us.
“I am,” I state, jumping to my feet, my heart beginning to fasten.
“Right, you’d better come too,” she says, gesturing toward the doors she came out of.
Finally, I get to see my princess.
“Are you serious, Murray? We have a flight to catch.” Mrs. Bennett huffs.
“Of course I’m fucking serious, Heather. Our daughter is in a coma! Just go home!” he exclaims, shaking his head and turning his back on his wife.
“This way.” The doctor leads the way through the double doors and down a long hallway.
“The people that stopped to help her said she was asking about Mason and wouldn’t calm down until they told her he was coming,” she explains as Mr. Bennett and I follow.
“Did she say anything else?” he asks, glancing at me while I fight back tears again.
“She said her mom yelled at her,” she replies, stopping outside a room.
“Interesting,” he mutters before pushing the door open and going in.
I stare at the wooden door, wanting to go in and see Lily, but at the same time I’m scared.
“Everything okay?” the doctor asks me gently.
“Does she look dead?” I whisper, feeling my palms start to sweat.
“She looks like she’s sleeping,” she replies, placing her hand on my shoulder.
“Just talk to her like you normally would,” she adds before squeezing my shoulder slightly and walking off.
I stare at the door a little longer before taking a deep breath and pushing it open.