Chapter Fifteen
Tommy
“Hi everyone, sorry for the wait. I can imagine you’re all eager to see Maya. She is all settled now, if you would like to go and see her,” An older nurse tells us. She reminds me of a cute, stereotypical grandma.
About bloody time!
We jump to our feet, hurrying towards the door, following the nurse.
The girls in the front are deadly silent as they traipse behind her.
I don’t think I ever seen the three of them so quiet.
The girls had described the scene multiple times: the chaos, the panic, the sheer amount of blood.
The thought of it made my gut twist even more than it already was.
As we reach the door, the nurse turns to us. “Please understand, we’ve cleaned her up as much as we can without making her more uncomfortable. She’s still asleep, but we like to think that when patients are like this, they can still hear us. So, keep talking to her and keep it light.”
She smiles softly before opening the door. Fallon, Blair and Gracie are the first to go inside, heading straight over to her bedside. One of them gasps on a sob, but I couldn’t tell you which one as my eyes are laser-focused on Maya. Unable to look away.
She looks so defenceless, almost as if she is just in a deep sleep.
She is covered in bruises, her arm in a cast, being supported by pillows.
Her hair hangs in wet strands around her face from where they must have tried to clean her up.
Remnants of blood still stain her scalp.
At closer inspection, I can see the dressings on the left side of her head, the other side from where I am standing.
“Girl, you scared the shit out of us. Only you could still look this hot after doing a round with a car,” Fallon speaks, trying to sound light-hearted. All you can hear is the pain in her voice.
Gracie is leaning into Maya, stroking the back of her hand. “Come on, queen, you can’t sleep all day. We need to tell you all of the gossip you’ve missed, and how fit your doctor is.”
My parents speak to her in hushed voices.
Telling her mundane stories from the days before, as if they were sitting on the couch at home.
About how many eggs the chickens had laid and how much honey they managed to sell.
Just anything to keep on talking, so she knows she isn’t alone. I love them for it.
I notice out of the corner of my eye that Blair has retreated to the back of the room.
Stood silently, fidgeting with her hands whilst staring at Maya.
Lucy must notice too, as she goes over and takes her hands in her own.
She whispers in her ear, to which Blair shakes her head, becoming more visibly upset.
She hyperventilates, struggling to grasp each breath.
Lucy tries to calm her down, but fails. My mum heads over to intervene and helps her out of the room.
“Bro?” Max comes to stand beside me, shoulder to shoulder. “Go to her.”
“I don’t think I can.” Unsure of why. Not wanting to go against her wishes, but also wanting to fuck it and run over to her, scoop her up in my arms and keep her close. I feel desperate. To hold her, feel her, know that she is okay and still here.
“Tommy?” Fallon has an indescribable look on her face, with tears shining in her eyes. “I know, okay? I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. I told her not to tell you her feelings, but I’m guessing she did?”
Regret.
That’s the look I can see on her face.
“We’re not getting into this now, Fallon,” I say with a blank expression.
I missed out on so much time with my girl, all because of my selfish sister. Right now isn’t the time to talk about this. My anger is too raw; I’m struggling to contain it as it is.
If only Maya hadn’t been so scared of losing Fallon, then I could have had her sooner. Fal would have got over it, and everything would have worked out. What the fuck did she say to Maya to make her feel so scared to confess to me?
If we had been together, maybe none of this would have happened in the first place. I know I’m being irrational, but thinking straight isn’t something I can do right now.
“Come and speak to her. I’ll head out to check on Blair,” She tells me, then leans down to kiss Maya on the cheek. Gracie, following her lead, does the same. Max must have followed them out, too, because the next thing I know, I’m alone with Maya.
Now that everyone has left the room, it’s as if my senses have gone into overdrive. Picking up on the things I hadn’t before. The repetitive beeping of machines, the scent of antiseptic, the chill in the room, sending goose bumps scattering up my arms.
But the only thing I can see is Maya.
I take a seat at her bedside. Even as banged up as she is, she looks beautiful. For a moment, I just sit, conjuring up the courage to speak.
“Hi baby, if you didn’t want to see me tomorrow, you could have just said.
There was no need for all these dramatics,” I try to say in jest, but all I can feel is emotion crawling up my throat.
I’m struggling to battle the urge to scoop her up into my arms, even just to remind myself she is still here.
“I was thinking I could walk you through what I had planned for our next date. The one after our night in your house. This way, you have something to look forward to when you wake up. I need you to wake up Maya.”
I clear my throat, keeping the sentiment at bay.
“I would have picked you up at six, even though I would have wanted to get you sooner to keep you for longer. I would have taken you to your favourite restaurant, the one we had at our meadow. Carbonara for you, of course. After dinner, I would have taken you for a stroll along the river, wanting to take you to a bar for a dance. However, knowing us, we wouldn’t have made it that far.
We would have spent the time catching up on all the moments we missed out on.
Then, when the night was finishing up, not wanting to let you go, I would have explored every part of your body.
Needing to know every single part of you, body and soul. ”
I will give her so much more than just a date; I’ll give her everything.
I ramble on, talking about random shit. Anything and everything that comes to mind, just on the off chance she can truly hear me. She needs to know she isn’t alone. I’m here and always will be.
After a short while, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Turning, I see it's Max, with Lucy close behind him.
“Tommy, it’s time to go. The nurses said we can come back later. I made sure to get all the visiting hours for you.” The look of sympathy on his face. “You need some rest, bro, you’ve been in here for hours. We will head back with you later,” I know that he’s right, but I don’t want to leave her.
Leaning over her, I press a lingering kiss to her temple, then rest my forehead against hers.
“I’ll be back later, baby. I love you.”
We exit the room and are greeted by her friends. The sisters are standing close, looking drained from the past twenty-four hours. Fallon, however, is staring at me like she doesn’t know who I am anymore. Did she hear me speaking to Maya? Not that it matters, everyone knows now anyway.
I go to walk past her, not really in the mood for her shit right now, when she grabs my elbow.
“Tommy, I am so sorry. I wish I had known how you both felt about each other. I wouldn’t...”
“Wouldn’t what?” I demand. “Told her to stay away from me? Scare her into thinking she would lose you if she were to be with me?” The situation has infuriated me to the point I can’t look at her right now. “I fucking love her, Fal!”
Max interrupts us then. Thank fuck. If I carried on, I’d say something I would later regret.
“Listen, it’s been a long arse night, and we all need a breather. Come on, Lucy and I are coming to stay at yours so we can rush back if need be. Girls, why don’t you all do the same? She is going to need you strong.”
“Come on, girls, let's go to our place. We’ve been awake for way too long and won’t be in any fit state for when she wakes up. I’ll make us some chai tea before we get some sleep. Meet you all back here at two?” Gracie says, facing us, trying to ease the tension.
They’re right. It’s been one hell of a night. We turn to leave, heading towards the exit, when a shrill cry pierces the air.
Nobody moves.
The only noise you can hear is that of a woman, choking on sobs as she falls to her hands and knees.
“He’s gone. My boy. He’s gone!” she wails.
Then the corridor is in chaos.
Gracie rushes to the woman, holding on to her shaking frame. Blair buries her face in her hands as she sobs. Staff rush over to help the grieving woman. But Fallon… Fallon stands deathly still for a minute, as if confused about what’s going on. Fuck, I don’t know what’s going on either.
Then she cracks. An earth-shattering shriek comes from her as she screams a name I haven’t thought of once since being here.
“Harry!”