Run Away

John sat by her side holding her hand. Same as always.
"She never stopped thinking about you. I caught her watching videos from your shows on YouTube a few days before this shit happened." Eric half smiled.
John pictured her sitting on the computer at work watching him. It made him happy inside. At least for a minute.
"I love you Lauren. Every word I sang I thought about you. That look in my eyes is you." he squeezed her hand.
"I hope she can hear you." Eric said quietly.
"I love you." John said again, closing his eyes. 
A noise happened that they had ever heard before. A fast beeping. Missy ran in, followed by some doctors who stood over her, pulling open her eyelids and pointing their lights in her eyes.
"She's responding." one doctor said.
"Wait, she's what?" John shot up, still holding her hand.
"She can hear you. What did you say? What happened the exact moment before that went off." he pointed to the machine.
"I-I- I told her that I loved her." John stuttered. Her eyelids fluttered. 
"She's got high brain activity." came a voice on the overhead speakers.
"Who are you?" the doctor asked.
"I'm her boyfriend. John O'Callaghan."
"Okay John, we're going to stand in that booth and watch her brain activity, and you're going to talk to her." he said to John. John was terrified. He felt like a child again. He didn't want to fuck this up. He gave Eric a terrified look. He sat back down as the all the doctors left except one.
"I'm her primary doctor. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Dr. Capucilli." he smiled at John.
"Okay Mr. O'Callaghan. Go ahead." came a voice on the speakers.
"They're telling me you can hear me. I should have come sooner. You mean the world to me. I need you to open your eyes. I need you to try your fucking hardest okay. Please." tears started to well up in his eyes. Nothing.
"Please Lauren please don't do this to me. I need you. How am I supposed to keep going when the only future I saw was with you." he was crying harder now. Tears fell down onto her hand. "I love you, please don't give up on me. Open your eyes. Please." he begged, crying the hardest he ever had before in his life. He squeezed her hand. 
"I love you." he whispered. 
It was quiet for a minute. He wiped his face and looked at her face. 
"I love you Lauren." he said louder.
He almost passed out from the splitting pain in his head from crying so hard when her eyes fluttered open.
"John?" she croaked. John's heart stopped. Her doctor stood over her.
"John." she repeated, squeezing his hand. She had no idea where she was or what was going on. Why were all these strange men standing around her.
"John what's going on?" she trembled.
He stared at her dry blue lips. He didn't know what to say.
"Why does everything hurt?" she started getting worked up. Her heart rate started increasing. He pulled out a needle. 
"What's that?" she looked at John.
"It's going to calm you down." the doctor said quietly, pushing it into her arm. She jumped. He walked to the back of the room.
"What's going on?" Lauren looked at everyone around her. Her head was spinning. 
"You got in an accident." John said quietly, rubbing her hand.
"What?" her eyes widened. "Mom." she held out her other hand. Her mom walked around the bed and grabbed it.
"Eric." she smiled at him.
"Hi Lauren." he said quietly.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you I'm so sorry I always fucking leave and..." 
"John, please stop apologizing. I need to know what's happening." she squeezed his hand lightly. He couldn't talk. He sat there staring in her watery brown eyes, speechless. 
"A drunk driver hit you while you were crossing the street baby. You've been in a coma." Missy squeezed her hand.
Lauren looked at John.
"Mom who's that?" she stared at him.