7. Chapter 7
Jake
Time seems to move differently here; it feels like I’ve spent weeks waiting, when in fact it’s only been hours. Checking my phone, I see an incoming call from Wren, and I step out of Lottie's room to answer.
“Hey, I’m here,” she says.
And as I turn around, I notice her coming out of the elevator with a mountain of a man covered in tattoos, who I’ve never seen before. I hang up as she comes running toward me, and we collapse into each other's arms—our tears soaking us both.
“Oh my god, Jake,” she sobs. “What if she doesn’t wake up?”
I need to try and be the positive one here, even though the thought has crossed my own mind. “She’ll wake up, I’m sure of it. She won’t leave us like this,” I grit out, pulling her to me tighter. “Come on, let’s go see her.” I begin steering Wren toward Lottie’s room.
“I’ll just go grab us some coffee,” the giant says, and before I have time to even ask who he is, he’s gone.
“Sorry about him. That’s Sawyer, my uhm boyfriend.” Is she trying to convince me or her? “It’s new,” she tacks on.
Entering Lottie’s room, the beeping from the machine continues and I let the sound wash over me. Wren gasps at seeing the state of her best friend, which breaks me again; it’s like I’m reliving the horror for the first time.
“I’ll give you some privacy, I’m going to give my mom a call.” I nod at Wren, who scoops Lottie’s hand in hers as she cries next to the bed.
Taking a seat in the small waiting area—that’s thankfully empty—I dial the one person I need most in this world. I don’t care how old you are, a guy always needs his mom. She answers straight away, obviously waiting for an update.
“Jake, sweetheart, what's going on? I’m getting in my car to come down there,” she says, brokering no room for argument.
“She’s in an induced coma and they don’t know how long it’ll be until she wakes up,” I sigh, yanking at my T-shirt. The damn thing feels like it’s strangling me round my neck. Everything feels so damn constricting. I can’t breathe.
I tell her about Lottie’s parents, and my mom breaks down. They were good friends, trusted us to take care of their baby, and now we’re all she has left.
“You need to stay strong, Jake; she’s going to need you when she wakes up.”
“If she wakes up, what if she doesn’t?” Yanking at my hair, I start pacing the room as I talk.
“Jake Nathaniel Smithson, don’t you dare think like that, you hear me?” My mom may only be 47, but she is a force to be reckoned with.
“Sorry, Mom, but if you could see what I’m seeing, you wouldn’t feel very positive.
” My nose is tingling, and my eyes are burning; a fresh onslaught of tears is on its way, and I need to get off the phone so I can cry in peace.
Flashbacks of being in this very same hospital with my dad flood my mind and a strangled sound leaves my mouth.
“Do you need me to bring you anything? A decent coffee, some fresh clothes?” she asks, and I can hear the jingle of keys in her hand.
“That would be great, Mom, thanks. Wren arrived not long ago either with her new boyfriend. Could you bring something for them too?”
“Of course I can, sweetheart. I won’t be long; Alyssa will stay here with Bella so she’s not alone.”
“Thanks, Mom, appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, honey, I’ll see you soon, ok? I love you.”
I pace around the waiting room for a few more minutes, gathering myself before I go back to Lottie.
Straightening my shoulders and cracking my neck, I head back inside the room to be with my girl.
Within half an hour, my mom is here with coffees, pastries, and clean clothes for me. I swear this woman was a ninja in her past life. How she managed to do all that and drive here in thirty minutes is seriously impressive.
Once she’s set everything down, she engulfs me in one of her tight mom hugs to the point I’m struggling to breathe.
She’s nearly a foot shorter than me, but she’s as strong as an ox, I’ll give her that.
We stand holding each other for a long time; I can’t bear to let go of her.
My eyes are squeezed shut so tightly that, when I open them, stars flood my vision.
The hope this was a bad dream is long gone. I’m in my own personal nightmare.
After she’s given Wren a hug, my mom moves over to Lottie.
I can see she’s battling to keep her emotions at bay, always wanting to be strong for everyone else.
She kisses Lottie on the head and takes her hand, leaning in close, she whispers.
“You need to fight, sweet girl, my Jake needs you. I fear if he loses you, I’ll lose him in the process.
Please, Charlie, I need you to be strong now and fight with everything you have to come back to him. To us.”
She wipes her eyes and moves back over to me. “It’s getting late, I’m going to head back home and check on Bella, ok?”
Nodding, I give her a final squeeze, “Ok, Mom, I’ll see you later. I love you.”
“I love you too. Bye, Wren, it’s a shame we’re not seeing each other under better circumstances. And Sawyer, you look after her.” Mom raises her eyebrows at him.
“Will do, ma’am,” he says to her as I catch the look of horror on her face at the term.
“Please call me Hannah, I’m way too young to be called ma'am," she scoffs.
“We’ll see you soon, Hannah,” Wren says, pulling my mom in for one last hug before she’s out the door.
“So…what do we do now?” Wren asks before sitting down.
Taking the seat next to her, elbows on my thighs, I turn to look at her. “For now, we wait.”