Run Away

~
"Johnnnnnnny." she smiled, poking his chest. 
"Hmmmmmm." he rolled over, still half asleep. 
"John, wake up. I want to see Montana!" she grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
He looked at the clock in the hotel room. It was 8 am. It was the summer of 2008.
"I can't believe you actually came on tour with me after my omlete plea. I would have retracted my invitation if I knew you were going to wake me up at 8 am every morning." he grinned.
"That's not nice." she smiled and bent down. He gazed into her big brown eyes. It was his favorite show. 
"I'm coming." he rolled out of bed and put some clothes on. 
They hiked up to a mountain peak where you could see the whole city. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. She was the perfect hight. Not as tall as him, but not short either. Just another reason why she was perfect.
"We've been together for two years now," she started, grabbing his hands on her waist, "and I just wanted you to know something. John Cornelious O'Callaghan the fifth, I'm in love with you." John's heart fluttered. 
"I love you too." he kissed her neck. She loved when he kissed her neck. 
"I mean it. I was so terrified to tell you. I knew it would be perfect up here. Quiet, and alone." she snuggled her face into his.
"I LOVE THIS GIRL!" John yelled over the cliff.
"I LOVE THIS BOY!" she giggled.
~
He woke up alone. The coldness of their bed made him shutter. His phone rang. It was Lauren's mom. He stared at it, terrified to answer. It went to voicemail, then rang again. She was calling back. 
"What if she woke up?" he felt hope rise in him as he quickly answered the phone.
"John." came the sad voice at the other end.
"Hello Missy." John hoped for the best news.
"I'm so sorry. The doctors pushed the date up to tomorrow. They said there's just no hope. We've agreed on tomorrow. Can you come?" Missy started sobbing.
John's heart sank. He felt sick to his stomach. He ran to the bathroom and threw up. 
"John, are you okay?" she asked, worried about him. She loved John. He made her daughter so happy. 
"I'm fine. I'll be there in a minute." he hung up and brushed his teeth. He was going to see her. It was now or never. This was it. His beautiful girlfriend was gone. He picked up his phone and called Garrett. 
"Hello?" Garrett's small voice answered.
"I'm going to the hospital. Get everyone together. They're pulling the plug tomorrow." John said bitterly and hung up. He didn't have time to sit and chat. He threw on the outfit she loved. Her favorite outfit. His black skinny jeans and his Tom Petty shirt. He covered himself in Echo Blue, her favorite scent, and grabbed his keys. He felt strength in himself, but knew that was going to be short lived. He made the painful drive to the Phoenix hospital, parking in the visitors parking lot and standing in the lobby. Garrett, Jared, Kennedy, Pat, Trey, and Eric walked in.
"Eric." John looked at his best friend.
"Now's not the time for a 'how have you been.' Let's go." Kennedy put his arm on John's back and led him to her room. The door was closed. 
"Okay John. We're going to wait out here until you're ready for us to go in." Jared said. They had planned on this in the car. 
John opened the door and walked in, almost colapsing at the sight of her. Pat pulled the door closed as John walked up to her pale, broken body.
"Hi baby." tears welled up in his eyes.
Her face was lightly scratched up and she had casts around her upper arm and leg. He could see the padding from the bandages around her stomach. Her lips were blue. It was worse than he had imagined when he heard about it on the phone. 6 broken ribs, a broken arm, a broken leg, and brain damage. They told him even if she did wake up, she might have temporary memory loss. Why hadn't he come sooner? He grabbed her hand, running the tip of his pointer finger across her fingers.
"I'm so sorry. I need you. I need you to wake up. I need you and I to live our life and grow old and die together on our own little island. I can't breathe without you Lauren please." he begged her, squeezing her hand. She laid there with her eyes closed. He bursted into tears and kissed her hand. 
"I'm going to get everyone. We're going to sit with you." he walked over and opened the door. Everyone stared at him. Jared pushed through and wrapped his arms around John who bursted into a fit of sobs. He couldn't breathe.
"All we have left is hope." Jared said quietly in John's ear. They piled into the room pulling chairs up and sitting by her. John took his spot next to her again, grabbing her hand. 
"Everyone is here baby." John said quietly. They all watched their broken friend stare at the one he loved. 
"This isn't fair." Garrett started quietly crying. They sat in the silence listening to the machines make noise. 
"I love you." John said.
Her mom walked in a few minutes later. "We have some brain activity boys." she smiled.
"What does that mean?" John asked, staring at her. 
"I have reason to believe you showing up has made her stronger. They're giving it another two weeks. If nothing happens after that..." she trailed off, "But we have two weeks."
John didn't feel any different. He didn't feel like they had taken a step forward. He felt like everything was worse. He had the sudden feeling that he wished she would just let go. The fight inside had to be terrible and he couldn't handle knowing she was struggling. Begging her to hold on was selfish. 
"Missy, we'll all be here for this long fight." Kennedy smiled.