I Desperately Need You

The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed. And on the end of it, were Kristen’s folded up pajamas. I jumped up and ran to the door, wrenching it open so quickly that I scared a passing nurse.

“Where’s Kristen?” I asked breathlessly.

“Who?” The nurse asked, turning to face me.

“Kristen Reynolds.” The nurse smiled patted my shoulder.

“There’s no need to worry sir, she’s in the operation room. And so far, everything is going wonderfully.”

I instantly breathed out and nodded in thanks, before going back into the room. For a while, I just paced, and then I went into the bathroom where I did whatever I needed to do, and brushed my teeth.

Then, I waited some more.

“Justin?” A soft voice called out. I looked up from my shoes and saw Kristen’s mom standing in the doorway. She walked in and smiled, before sitting on the bed next to me. “We were going to wake you, but Kristen said you needed to sleep.”

I nodded and then stared off at the wall. “She really cares about you, you know.” I nodded again, and looked up at her with a smile.

“I know” I whispered hoarsely. Her mom laughed, and took my hand between hers, rubbing it gently, soothingly.

“Sometimes, I think she cared more about you, than us” She laughed again, tears in her eyes.

“You’re talking like she’s gone, Mrs. Reynolds. She isn’t gone. She’s going to be okay.” I said, trying to be as soothing as her. I don’t think it worked though. She just shook her head.

“When Kristen was little, she used to take motion sickness medication. And it would knock her right out, while it would merely make others drowsy. Sometimes, it would be hours before we could wake her up. Her body has always been… Weaker than most”

“So are you saying that you don’t think she can fight back against the knock-out gas, or whatever?” I asked, now beginning to worry. But the rubbing continued, and I felt myself relax again.

“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I just… I don’t want to be too positive. It’s kind of like Christmas morning. I always told Kristen never to get her hopes too high—“

“Because the more she expected, the less satisfied she would be. My mom told me the same thing when I was younger”

“Before you owned the world”

We both laughed, but both were forced.

When Kristen’s mom sighed, I looked over at her. “I hope you didn’t make her any promises you couldn’t keep. She’s had so many people just… walk out on her. Having you do the same, would break her.” I put my free hand on top of hers, and gave both her hands a gentle squeeze, only just noticing that she was shaking.

“I promised her I wouldn’t leave her. And I can keep that promise. I have no plans of breaking it.”

“So you’re saying it’s her breaking that promise we should worry about?” she smiled. I tried my hardest not to hear the double meaning in her words.

“She wont. She wouldn’t do that” I said confidently. She nodded, and we both sat there in silence, until we heard the clicking of shoes coming closer, and both our heads snapped up.

When Dr. Benson walked in, my heart fluttered. When he didn’t immediately smile, my heart dropped.

“I have some… Good, and bad news” Didn’t they always come together?

“Y-yes?” her mother asked. Dr. Benson sighed and walked closer.

“The surgery was successful, but—“

“But?!” I interrupted. He gave me a pointed look, and then looked back and forth between the two of us.

“But her body had some difficulty shaking off the unconsciousness, and it appears that she’s fallen into a coma…”

The smashing of my heart could most likely be heard throughout the entire hospital. Mrs. Reynolds collapsed against me, her head falling into my lap while sobs emitted from her throat.

All I could do, was sit there in complete shock, with my mouth hanging open.