Summer Waves and Crashing Days

Amber’s Point of View

After Blake and I left the garden area of the hospital, I went to once again wait in the waiting room for my turn to see Sophia. After what felt like eternities, but was really just about two hours, Matt finally came out and merely nodded at me, telling me to go.

I knew he couldn’t form words, because of the tears that silently rolled down his face, and his red puffy eyes, so I got up and went in the direction he came from. I heard him sit down, and I imagine he sat next to Blake, because moments later I heard Matt start to sob quietly, and Blake whisper comforting things to him.

When I finally reached Sophia’s door, I stood there, looking at the door, knob in hand. I took a deep breath, held it, and opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it behind me.

I walked forward so that I could see her past the curtain, and sat down in the chair that sat next to her. One of her arms was in a sling, she was bruised, and her head bandaged, it broke my heart to see.

I just stared at her pretty face. She had always been prettier than me, even though she never saw it that way. I smiled as memories of when we were younger filled me, and tears filled my eyes as I silently pleaded with God to let her live, so that we could make more memories.

“Oh God, Sophia.” I choked out, my head falling onto her stomach as I sobbed.

Then I tilted my head, still laying on her stomach, and looked up at her sleeping face.

“Sophia, why?” I pleaded with her. “Why did you have to go? Why didn’t you tell me, so that I had a chance to stop you?”

I knew it was pointless asking her all these things, knowing she couldn’t answer, and probably couldn’t even hear me, but a small glimmer of hope that still resided in my heart for my best friend hoped for her to flutter her eyes open, and to answer me. To say some smartass remark about how the lighting of the hospital was awful, or to tell me that to stop crying, because it made me look like shit.

I chuckled a little at that, because it was so something that Sophia would say.

Then I sobered up, sat up straight and looked down at her.

I thought about the fact that if Sophia and I had never gone to Florida in the first place, we wouldn’t be here, but I couldn’t make myself regret that, regret meeting Blake and Matt, and I knew Sophia wouldn’t regret it either.

Then with a sigh, I stood up, leaned forward kissing her forehead gently, and walked out, throwing an, “I love you, Sophia.” Behind my back.