Sequel: Back 2 Good ›
Status: Finished! Look for the sequel soon! :)
Mutiny Below
Confiding
Natalia
We'd been waiting for such a long time. I was worried that Jayce wasn't going to even wake up at all. The doctors hadn't been out to tell her family anything and John looked as if he might go crazy. Nick did too, but he tried to hide it from everyone.
Gemma was staring at Eric and me with a huge, goofy grin on her face and I was seriously beginning to question that girl's sanity.
I left the waiting room to go down the hall to get coffee for Nick and Eric because the both of them looked like they were about to drop. I'd just grabbed three cups from the stack when I heard footsteps coming up behind me. John stopped when he got to where I was standing and turned to look down at me but I went on about my business, filling the first cup with the dark brown liquid.
"I don't understand."
I stopped to look up at him and the look on his face just made me want to cry. "Understand what?"
"How this happened."
"Oh."
"I mean, why was she heading back toward Tempe at 5 in the fucking morning? God, if she was on her way home, I'll never forgive myself."
I could feel my chest tightening. Poor thing thought maybe she was coming back to him when in reality, she was on her way to cheat on him. I really didn't like Jayce at the moment.
"John, if she was, it's not your fault."
He shook his head at me but didn't reply. He just stood there staring down at the empty cup in his hand.
"Nat, I don't know what to do. She's not waking up." His voice cracked and he sounded so pitiful.
Without thinking, I set down the one cup I'd already made and stepped forward, wrapping my arms around his waist. He seemes surprised for a moment but then his arm went up and he hugged me back.
"She will. Just give her some time. She's going to be fine, I know it."
She better be. If she ended up dying or something, leaving both John and Nick this distressed and upset, I wouldn't know what to do.
"I hope you're right."
"I am."
Eventually, I dropped my arms and awkwardly went back to pouring coffees. I had to pour out the first cup because it had gotten cold then poured two fresh ones, all while John just stood there watching.
"Well, I should probably get these back to Nick and Eric."
He nodded, looking away from me. "Right."
I turned on my heel and walked down the hall back to the waiting room. I handed Nick his coffee and gave Eric his as I sat back down.
"It's about time, Nat. What took you so damn long?" Nick asked.
John came back inside as he asked and I was susre he'd suspect something but he didn't even notice him.
"Shut up and be grateful that I even went to get you coffee."
"You didn't go for me. You went for Halvo," he shot back, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, well he asked me very nicely."
"Thanks, Natalia," Eric said, as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek.
I felt myself blushing but I looked pointedly at Nick. "And he also said thank you."
Nick shook his head. "Thanks, Natalia," he mocked.
Eric gave him the finger then went on drinking his coffee.
I began picking at my dark blue nail polish until the door opened and everyone's heads snapped up to see the doctor coming into the waiting room.
"Well, she's just woken up. She sustained some minor injuries, like some fractured ribs and a sprained wrist but the concussion was what we were most worried about. She seems to be remembering things well so that's good. We'll of course need to run a few more tests but we should only be keeping her a few days at most. You may go in and see her now but-"
Jayce's brother jumped up from his chair before the doctor finished his sentence.
"We'd prefer you only go in two or three at a time."
With that, the doctor left the room and Jayce's mom and sister got up to go see her as well.
The rest of us just waited. John sat on the edge of his seat, ready to jump up and run to her room as soon as possible. Nick still leaned his back against my legs while Eric tapped a random beat against my forearm, which was draped over the armrest into his lap and Pat sat perched in the chair on Eric's other side. Garrett, Jared, Kennedy, and Gemma were all piled on the floor because of the chair shortage.
Jayce's sister returned very soon, motioning for John to follow her. He practically lept from his seat and quickly followed her out of the room.
Another ten minutes passed before Jayce's brother came back. "Alright. Who's first?"
Gemma scrambled to her feet, pulling Kennedy with her. "Me! I'm fucking going now dammit!"
Adam chuckled as he led Kennedy and Gemma out of the room but Jared and Garrett got up as soon as the door shut and left the room as well.
Pat, Nick, Eric, and I just stayed where we were. At least four people were already in there so four more would be too much.
Garrett and Jared returned to the waiting room not long after. "You guys can go in if you want."
Eric and I looked at each other before standing to our feet. Pat lead the way down the hall to Jayce's room, making sure to knock on the large wooden door before going in. Eric took my hand in his as he followed Pat inside and I kept my eyes on my shoes so that I didn't have to make eye contact with her. Gemma and Kennedy said goodbye and left so that the rest of us would have room, passing by nick on their way out. He'd barely even stepped into the room when Jayce's heart monitor started beeping rapidly.
John leaned down closer to her face and ran his thumb over her forehead. He pushed the button for the nurses three or four times as he softly called her name but she didn't answer him.
A young nurse came into the room, checked the machines, then began to try talking to her. Still, Jayce didn't say anything. It was like she was in a daze. The nurse gave her more medication and then her eyes slowly began to close.
The nurse assured John that she was just stressed and needed to rest more. Then she suggested that all of us being there overwhelmed her so we turned to leave, with Pat leading the way. Eric and I followed Pat down the hallway but when I turned around, I noticed that Nick hadn't come out too so we stopped and waited for him. When he emerged, he looked more disappointed and concerned than ever. I laced my arm with his and we followed Eric out to the car.
Now that Jayce had woken up, I think we all felt a little more at ease. There wasn't anymore worry or sadness. Well, except on Nick's part. He didn't say an entire word on the way to Panera. After we ate, we went back to the hospital. We went back to the waiting room and found Pat and Garrett thumb wrestling while Gemma and Kennedy made out in the corner. We all sat down in the empty chairs but almost as soon as we sat down, Nick nudged me.
"What is it?"
"Can I talk to you?"
"Really?"
He gave me a look. "Yes, Natalia. Now come on."
I got up and followed Nick out of the waiting room. He walked down the hallway a good ways before he stopped and turned back to me.
"I don't know what to do, Nat."
"About what, specifically?"
"She was on her way to meet me, Nat! She called me at five in the fucking morning, asking me to meet her at some hotel. And she said she loved me! I go into her room today and her heart monitor beeps like crazy? That wasn't a coincidence and I know it. But then he's in there with her, all loving and caring. And she's laying there letting him hold her hand and of course I'm thinking she's going to stay with him. And then she nods at me. She fucking nods at me like she knows what I'm thinking! Which means, yes I'm right? She's going to stay with him?"
"I'm sorry, Nick. I don't know what to tell you."
"Nat, she told me she loved me. She called me, not the other way around. She wanted to see me. And now she wants to stay with him? What, because he's in there by her side, holding her hand? I would do it if I could but I can't because I'm not her boyfriend! I can't show the world how I feel about her and how much I care about her. It's just not fair."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and he buried his face in my shoulder as he returned the hug.
"I'm so sorry, Nick. I love you, you know."
"I love you too, little sis."
As I stood there still hugging him in the middle of the hallway, I was reminded of this morning when I was in the exact same position with John. This made two people I was trying to console today. And all because of Jayce.
I really resented her.
We'd been waiting for such a long time. I was worried that Jayce wasn't going to even wake up at all. The doctors hadn't been out to tell her family anything and John looked as if he might go crazy. Nick did too, but he tried to hide it from everyone.
Gemma was staring at Eric and me with a huge, goofy grin on her face and I was seriously beginning to question that girl's sanity.
I left the waiting room to go down the hall to get coffee for Nick and Eric because the both of them looked like they were about to drop. I'd just grabbed three cups from the stack when I heard footsteps coming up behind me. John stopped when he got to where I was standing and turned to look down at me but I went on about my business, filling the first cup with the dark brown liquid.
"I don't understand."
I stopped to look up at him and the look on his face just made me want to cry. "Understand what?"
"How this happened."
"Oh."
"I mean, why was she heading back toward Tempe at 5 in the fucking morning? God, if she was on her way home, I'll never forgive myself."
I could feel my chest tightening. Poor thing thought maybe she was coming back to him when in reality, she was on her way to cheat on him. I really didn't like Jayce at the moment.
"John, if she was, it's not your fault."
He shook his head at me but didn't reply. He just stood there staring down at the empty cup in his hand.
"Nat, I don't know what to do. She's not waking up." His voice cracked and he sounded so pitiful.
Without thinking, I set down the one cup I'd already made and stepped forward, wrapping my arms around his waist. He seemes surprised for a moment but then his arm went up and he hugged me back.
"She will. Just give her some time. She's going to be fine, I know it."
She better be. If she ended up dying or something, leaving both John and Nick this distressed and upset, I wouldn't know what to do.
"I hope you're right."
"I am."
Eventually, I dropped my arms and awkwardly went back to pouring coffees. I had to pour out the first cup because it had gotten cold then poured two fresh ones, all while John just stood there watching.
"Well, I should probably get these back to Nick and Eric."
He nodded, looking away from me. "Right."
I turned on my heel and walked down the hall back to the waiting room. I handed Nick his coffee and gave Eric his as I sat back down.
"It's about time, Nat. What took you so damn long?" Nick asked.
John came back inside as he asked and I was susre he'd suspect something but he didn't even notice him.
"Shut up and be grateful that I even went to get you coffee."
"You didn't go for me. You went for Halvo," he shot back, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, well he asked me very nicely."
"Thanks, Natalia," Eric said, as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek.
I felt myself blushing but I looked pointedly at Nick. "And he also said thank you."
Nick shook his head. "Thanks, Natalia," he mocked.
Eric gave him the finger then went on drinking his coffee.
I began picking at my dark blue nail polish until the door opened and everyone's heads snapped up to see the doctor coming into the waiting room.
"Well, she's just woken up. She sustained some minor injuries, like some fractured ribs and a sprained wrist but the concussion was what we were most worried about. She seems to be remembering things well so that's good. We'll of course need to run a few more tests but we should only be keeping her a few days at most. You may go in and see her now but-"
Jayce's brother jumped up from his chair before the doctor finished his sentence.
"We'd prefer you only go in two or three at a time."
With that, the doctor left the room and Jayce's mom and sister got up to go see her as well.
The rest of us just waited. John sat on the edge of his seat, ready to jump up and run to her room as soon as possible. Nick still leaned his back against my legs while Eric tapped a random beat against my forearm, which was draped over the armrest into his lap and Pat sat perched in the chair on Eric's other side. Garrett, Jared, Kennedy, and Gemma were all piled on the floor because of the chair shortage.
Jayce's sister returned very soon, motioning for John to follow her. He practically lept from his seat and quickly followed her out of the room.
Another ten minutes passed before Jayce's brother came back. "Alright. Who's first?"
Gemma scrambled to her feet, pulling Kennedy with her. "Me! I'm fucking going now dammit!"
Adam chuckled as he led Kennedy and Gemma out of the room but Jared and Garrett got up as soon as the door shut and left the room as well.
Pat, Nick, Eric, and I just stayed where we were. At least four people were already in there so four more would be too much.
Garrett and Jared returned to the waiting room not long after. "You guys can go in if you want."
Eric and I looked at each other before standing to our feet. Pat lead the way down the hall to Jayce's room, making sure to knock on the large wooden door before going in. Eric took my hand in his as he followed Pat inside and I kept my eyes on my shoes so that I didn't have to make eye contact with her. Gemma and Kennedy said goodbye and left so that the rest of us would have room, passing by nick on their way out. He'd barely even stepped into the room when Jayce's heart monitor started beeping rapidly.
John leaned down closer to her face and ran his thumb over her forehead. He pushed the button for the nurses three or four times as he softly called her name but she didn't answer him.
A young nurse came into the room, checked the machines, then began to try talking to her. Still, Jayce didn't say anything. It was like she was in a daze. The nurse gave her more medication and then her eyes slowly began to close.
The nurse assured John that she was just stressed and needed to rest more. Then she suggested that all of us being there overwhelmed her so we turned to leave, with Pat leading the way. Eric and I followed Pat down the hallway but when I turned around, I noticed that Nick hadn't come out too so we stopped and waited for him. When he emerged, he looked more disappointed and concerned than ever. I laced my arm with his and we followed Eric out to the car.
Now that Jayce had woken up, I think we all felt a little more at ease. There wasn't anymore worry or sadness. Well, except on Nick's part. He didn't say an entire word on the way to Panera. After we ate, we went back to the hospital. We went back to the waiting room and found Pat and Garrett thumb wrestling while Gemma and Kennedy made out in the corner. We all sat down in the empty chairs but almost as soon as we sat down, Nick nudged me.
"What is it?"
"Can I talk to you?"
"Really?"
He gave me a look. "Yes, Natalia. Now come on."
I got up and followed Nick out of the waiting room. He walked down the hallway a good ways before he stopped and turned back to me.
"I don't know what to do, Nat."
"About what, specifically?"
"She was on her way to meet me, Nat! She called me at five in the fucking morning, asking me to meet her at some hotel. And she said she loved me! I go into her room today and her heart monitor beeps like crazy? That wasn't a coincidence and I know it. But then he's in there with her, all loving and caring. And she's laying there letting him hold her hand and of course I'm thinking she's going to stay with him. And then she nods at me. She fucking nods at me like she knows what I'm thinking! Which means, yes I'm right? She's going to stay with him?"
"I'm sorry, Nick. I don't know what to tell you."
"Nat, she told me she loved me. She called me, not the other way around. She wanted to see me. And now she wants to stay with him? What, because he's in there by her side, holding her hand? I would do it if I could but I can't because I'm not her boyfriend! I can't show the world how I feel about her and how much I care about her. It's just not fair."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and he buried his face in my shoulder as he returned the hug.
"I'm so sorry, Nick. I love you, you know."
"I love you too, little sis."
As I stood there still hugging him in the middle of the hallway, I was reminded of this morning when I was in the exact same position with John. This made two people I was trying to console today. And all because of Jayce.
I really resented her.
