Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

“Oh daddy, you’re going to love Johnny!”, I exclaimed as he, Ada, and I drove to meet Johnny.

“Yea, he certainly is something special.”, Ada mumbled. I promptly elbowed her in the side.

“Look at you girls. Fighting like teenagers.”, dad commented. “Now, where was it we were supposed to meet your boyfriend?”

“Fiancee.”, I corrected. “And I don’t know. Here, I’ll call him.”

I dialed Johnny’s number, but he didn’t answer. “Hmm, that’s weird.”, I stated. “He always answers his phone. He’s probably still in the studio.” I glanced over at Ada for assurance, but she just shrugged. I then decided to try to call Zacky. I picked up my phone to dial his number, but before I could punch a button, we were distracted as two cars collided directly in front of us.

“Oh my God.”, Ada gasped as our dad pulled to the side of the road. He sprung from the car, and Ada and I followed him.

“Girls, stay back.”, he ordered.

An ambulance and police cars soon arrived. My dad helped them pull the victims from the cars. As the stretchers were rolled to the ambulance, I carefully studied the face of each victim. As I spotted the last one, the one in the worst condition, my heart stopped.

I clutched onto Ada’s arm, feeling my legs fall out from under me. “Ada...Ada, that’s Johnny.”

The corners of my vision started to go black, and the last thing I remember before I passed out was hearing Ada call out, “Daddy!”

. . .

“Ow.”, I mumbled, placing my hand gingerly to my head. I sat up and looked around, finding myself on a stretcher in a hospital hallway. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital, princess.”, dad answered. “You passed out and hit your head.”

There’s something they’re not telling me.

“Where’s Johnny?”

In response to my question, both Ada and our dad looked away. “Johnny was in a very serious car accident.”, Ada mumbled.

“Well, where is he?”

“He’s in surgery.”, my dad interjected. “He was in pretty bad shape when we pulled him from the wreck. Apparently, her was driving along at about sixty miles per hour when a truck ran a red light at about eighty miles per hour and t-boned him. They had to use the Jaws of Life to get him out. Last I heard, they thought he might have seriously injured his spinal cord and suffered severe head trauma.”

“Is he going to be alright?”, I whimpered.

“I don’t know, sweetheart.”, our dad replied.

“No.”, I mumbled. “No...no...no!”, I cried. “It’s not fair! He can’t die! He just can’t! I-I l-love him...” I buried my face in my hands as tears started to flow down my cheeks.

“Hayliee, it’s alright. I’m sure Johnny will be fine.”, Ada said assuredly. “I think Johnny’s out of surgery. You want to go see him?” I nodded and Ada grasped my arm and helped me off the cot. We walked through the halls until we found a nurse’s station.

“Yes?”, the nurse asked. “Can I help you?”

“Um, yes. We were just wondering if Jonathan Seward was out of surgery?”

“As a matter of fact, he is.”, she answered, looking over a chart. “But due to the seriousness of his injuries, visitors have to be one at a time and family members only.”

“I’m his fiancee.”, I told her.

“He’s in room 412.”

Walking into the room, my eyes instantly drifted to Johnny. He was hooked to so many machines and his head was swathed in bandages. I felt my legs turn to jello, and I fell to my knees. I shook my head sporadically. No! This can’t be happening! It’s not fair! I’m finally happy. Why does shit like this always happen to me?

“Hayliee?”, a soft voice asked. I whipped around and saw the guys standing in the doorway. I ran to Zacky and buried my face in his chest, fresh tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Hey, don’t worry. Johnny will be okay.”, he said.

“H-He better.”, I retorted. “B-Because I n-need him and I-I want t-to get m-married, dammit.”

“I know.”, Brian whispered. “But...you should start thinking about what you’re going to do if...if Johnny doesn’t make it.”

“No!” I shoved away from Zacky and stared hard at Brian. “I won’t because Johnny will make it! He can’t die because I-I love him...” Then I pushed past them and burst into the hallway. I slid down the wall, dissolving into tears. Again.

Suddenly, Emmy and Callie were standing in front of me. “Oh, Hayliee. We heard about Johnny and we are so sorry.”, Callie gushed.

“Are you alright?”, Emmy asked softly, lightly touching my shoulder.

I shook my head swiftly, sending my hair flying wildly. “No, I’m n-not. My f-fiancee is d-dying...t-the same w-way m-my m-mom did.” I slammed my fist to the floor, sending sharp pain radiating up my arm. “It-it’s not fair. H-He doesn’t deserve t-to d-die. He’s s-sweet and p-perfect and...God, I-I can’t live w-without h-him.”

“I know, sweetheart. I know.”, Callie whispered as she and Emmy took seats on either side of me. “Why aren’t you in there with him?”

“It-it’s so h-hard...d-doesn’t look like J-Johnny...Zacky...Brian...say Johnny...won’t...make...it...”, I heaved. “T-Too...much.”

“Umm, Emmy?”, Zacky interrupted. “Are you ready to go?”

“Sure.” She turned back to me. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll be at Zacky’s.”

“I’m going to go, too, Hayliee.”, Callie stated. “They’re kinda my ride home.”

“Okay.”, I mumbled.

“I don’t have to go if you want me to stay.”, she said quickly. “I can find another ride home.”

“No. It-it’s fine.” I shook her off. “If I-I n-need anything, I-I got Ada and-and Daddy.”

“Okay.” She stood up and walked away. “Bye.”

After they left, I stood up and shook myself up. Still crying, I walked cautiously into Johnny’s room. Once again, the sight of him caused my knees to go weak. I pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down.

“Johnny.”, I whispered, directly addressing him. “Please don’t die. I need you. Can’t you understand that?” I stopped, the bitter, salty taste of my tears filling my mouth. “Just d-don’t g-go. D-Don’t leave m-me.”

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head and saw my dad, staring at me sympathetically. “Why don’t you get some rest, princess? You’ve had a long day. Your sister and I are leaving if you want us to take you home-”

“No.”, I interrupted. “I-I want to st-stay h-here.”

“Alright.”, my dad sighed. “If that’s what you want. Just call us if you need anything.”

I nodded my head and he left. I laid my head down next to Johnny and breathed in deeply, inhaling his scent. I glanced down at the ring on my finger. If Johnny dies, what will this ring mean? Just a reminder of love lost. I shook my head angrily. No. If I want Johnny to live, I have to really want it. Pray at temple, anything and everything I can do to help Johnny live.

I rolled my eyes at myself. God, listen to me. I sound like a fucking Lifetime Movie.

“Excuse me?”, a female voice said. I lifted my head, blinking fresh tears out of my eyes, and saw a nurse standing in the doorway. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave now, ma’am. Visiting hours are over.”

“But-But I’m his fiancee!”, I shouted. “Shouldn’t I be allowed to stay?”

“I’m sorry, but-”

“Yea, I heard you. Visiting hours are over.”, I grumbled, shoving past her to exit the room. I pulled out my phone and dialed Emmy’s number.

“Emmy, c-can you c-come and p-pick m-me up?”, I said, talking through my tears.

“Sure, Hayliee.”, she answered soothingly. “But I thought you were staying there with Johnny.”

“They won’t let me stay.”, I told her. “Visiting hours are over.”

“Alright. Zacky and I will be there in about twenty minutes.”, Emmy stated. “We’ll take you home.”

“No!”, I interjected. “No. I-I can’t go back there. Not now, Emmy. I-I just can’t.”

“Okay, well you can come and stay with me at Zacky’s.”, she said.

“Thanks, Emmy.”, I mumbled. “Hurry, okay?”

“Okay.”, she repeated. “Bye.”

“Bye.”, I whispered.

I snapped my phone shut and slid down the wall. My eyes darted up and down the hall, for some reason, without Johnny, I felt like I was going crazy. It felt weird without him glued to my side. It felt like I spent an eternity sitting in the hallway, but soon Emmy and Zacky were there, and they whisked me away from the hospital, and from Johnny.

On the ride to his house, I noticed Zacky seemed...unhappy. He stared straight ahead, maintaining a death grip on the steering wheel.

Well, no wonder. One of his best friends is dying.

Before I knew it, Emmy was shaking me awake. I drowsily climbed out of the car. She led me upstairs to a guest bedroom. “I guess you can sleep here.”, she said. “Now, I’ve got to go. Zacky’s waiting for me.” She smiled deviously.

“You and Zacky sleep in the same bed?”, I asked suspiciously.

“Don’t you and Johnny?”, she shot back.

“Yea, but-”

“Yea, but nothing.”, Emmy retorted. “Zacky and I have every right to sleep in the same bed.” Suddenly, her cheeks turned red. “Besides, it’s not like we’re doing anything. I want the first time I sleep with Zacky to be special, not forced.”

“You haven’t slept with him yet?”, I pondered. “Why not? It’s so much fun.”

“What’s so much fun?”, Zacky asked, entering the room.

“Apparently, sex.”, Emmy responded.

“See, I told you!”, he exclaimed. Then he realized who it was coming from and his eyes widened. “Oh, I’ve got here about this.”

“No!”, I yelped, diving under the covers. “Leave me alone!”

“Why?”, Zacky questioned. “Too embarrassed to talk about Johnny riding you?” He acted out his question, seizing Emmy and pretending to ride her.

“Zacky, get off me!”, she squealed. He loosened his grip on her, but instantly leaned back in and kissed her.

I felt tears forming in my eyes. This completely sucked! Even through all the playfulness and joking, I still found a way to be unhappy. Before I could stop myself, I was crying. Tears were rolling down my cheeks, and I was shaking.

“Oh, Hayliee.” Emmy broke away from Zacky and sat down next to me. “Don’t cry. We were just kidding. We didn’t mean to make you cry. We weren’t calling you a slut or anything.”

“Not...that.”, I hiccupped. “J-Johnny...”

“Oh, don’t worry.”, Emmy reassured. “Johnny is going to make it.”

“You don’t k-know t-that!”, I cried. “W-What if h-he d-doesn’t? W-What will I-I do?”

“Hayliee, listen to me.”, Zacky interrupted. “Johnny will make it. Because, he loves you. God, I’ve never seen him this sprung over a girl. He told me wants to get married and have kids. He isn’t going to leave you without a fight.”

I smiled weakly. “T-Thank y-you, Zacky. I-I guess I-I feel a-a l-little better. B-But I-I’m still w-w-worried a-about him.”

“Hey, we all are.”, he said. “You’re forgetting, Johnny has been one of my best friends for more than ten years. I don’t want him to die, either.”

“I-I know.”, I whimpered. “But the relationship I have with J-Johnny is different than the one y-you have with h-him. Y-You’re just f-friends. I-I love h-him. I-I feel like I-I can’t l-live w-w-without h-him. It-if feels weird not having him next t-to me constantly. I-I hate h-having him away f-from me, w-where he c-can’t kiss m-me, or t-touch me, or b-be with m-me...I...miss...him...so...much...”

“Hayliee, calm down.”, Emmy stressed. “Why don’t you try and get some sleep?”

“She can’t sleep!”, Zacky whispered sideways to Emmy. “She’s crying too hard!”

“It’s...fine.”, I sobbed. “I’ll w-wear myself out h-here s-soon.”

“Okay.”, Emmy said. She patted my hand comfortingly. “I guess Zacky and I will go to bed and go to sleep, too.”

As they were walking out of the room, I heard Zacky whisper to Emmy, “Do we really have to go to sleep?”

When I finally fell asleep, I dreamt. In the dream, which to me seemed more like a nightmare, I was walking hand in hand with Johnny down a narrow path. Suddenly, I was blinded be a bright flash of light, and when I regained my vision, Johnny had disappeared. I searched for him frantically, eventually reaching the top of a high cliff. I glanced over the side and felt my heart lurch when I saw Johnny’s body at the bottom. I slid my foot over the side, searching for a secure foothold. Upon finding one, I swung my body over the side. But the instant I put my weight on the rock, it crumbled, and I fell. Down...down...down...

I shot up in bed, my heart racing. I reached a shaking hand over to check the alarm clock. 2:07. God, I need some fucking sleep. I rolled over on my side, earnestly trying to calm myself down. Soon, I found myself crying, salty tears rolling over my cheeks, their bitter taste filling my mouth.

Then I heard an eerie voice, surely part of the dream, whisper into my ear, “I’m always here for you, baby...”

“Johnny...”, I whimpered. “Don’t leave me.”

I cried myself to sleep, feeling Johnny all around me, suffocating me.