Running With Lions

Lavin watched through the glass wall as the doctor performed his daily routine checkup on her grandfather. Peter was standing beside her while Gen and Alex were off getting them coffee from the hospital cafeteria.

Lavin crossed her arms around her chest and sighed heavily. "It's been a week and a half, Pete. Why hasn't he woken up?"

She watched Peter shrug in the reflection, his hands in his jean pockets.

"I dunno, Lav. I'd be smarter than that doctor if I could tell you that."

"Coffee with three lumps of sugar for Lavin-"

"Black for Pete."

Alex and Gen had returned.

Lavin welcomed the warmth of the Styrofoam cup as she wrapped her icicle fingers around it. She took a careful sip and thanked her youngest brother.

"Any improvements?" Gen asked.

"We'll know when the doctor comes out," Peter answered, taking a seat in the row of seats along the white wall. He pulled out his phone and happily exclaimed that Ben had won his polo scrimmage against a local university team.

The happy news brought their attention away from their sick grandfather for a few moments and returned soon enough when the doctor apologized for interrupting.

Lavin took in Dr. Roren's white lab coat and stethoscope around his neck. Their grandfather's clipboard in his hand as if it were just an extension of his arm.

They looked at him eagerly, hoping for something good.

"His Majesty's breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure are all normal. They've been normal for several days now. I'm going to talk about it with some of my colleagues and perhaps try to bring him out of the induced coma," Dr. Roren said, shuffling through the papers on the clipboard.

An excited cheer emitted from both Lavin and Gen; a flabbergasted "Really?" had come from Alex.

Dr. Roren chuckled briefly and then returned to his solemn professional ways. "Don't get too excited. It's up to him if he actually wakes up."

"Oh," Alex said, sounding deflated.

"Now, if you'll excuse me." Dr. Roren gave a shallow bow and disappeared behind the nurses’ station.

___

The doctors had agreed it was best for Sebastian to be woken up. Lavin, along with the rest of her family, were back in the waiting room for the umpteenth time.

It would take about an hour for the barbiturates to wear off and after that, Dr Roren explained, the true waiting game would begin.

Ben was the last to show up at the hospital, refreshed and excited about his team winning their scrimmage earlier today, and had happily retold the most exciting moments of his match.

Queen Lucy had even squealed with excitement when Ben exaggerated a fight that occurred between him and one of the other team's players. He had almost been thrown off his horse, which, for him, was not very common.

They passed the time by catching up. Gen was telling them about school, Alex about his university applications, Aunt Evelyn about her clothing line, Peter and Uncle Rodger about their business.

Lavin took notice that they all avoided questioning her about her black eye was nearly faded
by now. Something that she was grateful for.

Her father, Fredrik, noticed Dr. Roren as he came through the waiting room doors. "Any news?"

Dr. Roren nodded. "Sebastian is awake."

Lavin had jumped from her seat along with her brothers and cousins.

"When can we see him?" Aunt Evelyn asked, looking the most eager.

"Not yet. We're going to do a few brain scans and see exactly how much damage his brain has received, if there is any," Dr. Roren told them.

"Can't you tell us more?" Lavin's mother, Temperance asked.

"Well...I really shouldn't..."

"Oh, please!" Aunt Evelyn nearly shouted.

Dr. Roren folded. "He's very groggy but has managed to ask us a few questions. But that is all I will tell you now." He left the waiting room before they could extract any more information from him."
___

Ben's arm prickled with pins and needles. It was entirely numb from Lavin having fallen asleep against him. She was nearly close to snoring and Ben was about to shrug her away when he saw her phone in her hand.

Ben saw the picture of Lavin and Harry from last New Year's Eve and Harry's name blink across the screen.

He looked from the phone to the rest of his family. Her mother and father were deep in a quiet conversation while his aunt and uncle talked with Alex. Gen was typing up a paper for class and Peter was playing on his phone...probably that obnoxious game with birds that were very upset with a bunch of pigs.

Ben looked back to the phone. It went off again.

Should he look? Should he...?

He shook his head, thinking better of it and pulling out his own phone and quickly texted Harry:

I SWEAR I'M NOT A CREEP. JUST SAW THAT YOU TEXTED LAV. SHE FELL ASLEEP ON ME IN THE WAITING ROOM. WHAT'S UP?

It took only a second for Harry to reply: I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW SEBASTIAN'S DOING. SHE TOLD ME HE'S AWAKE.

YEAH, WE'RE WAITING ON TESTS TO SEE ABOUT BRAIN DAMAGE. QUICK QUESTION...ARE YOU AND MY SIS BACK TOGETHER?

It seemed to take Harry a bit longer to answer this one.

THERE IS NO SIMPLE ANSWER TO THAT, MATE.

YEAH, Ben texted. YOU TWO WERE ALWAYS WAY TOO COMPLICATED FOR ME TO HANDLE.

Lucy had come into the waiting room now, distracting Ben from his phone. She was smiling; and, it wasn't some feeble half-smile that she had been wearing for nearly a fortnight.
Ben shook Lavin awake and noticed that the rest of the family had directed their attention to Lucy.

"He's going to be okay. He's having trouble with his right arm and leg but the doctors think he'll be able to make a full recovery. The only thing is that he isn't thinking very clearly and has trouble stringing together sentences. They say this is normal for stroke patients but it should subside with some speech therapy and time."

"No way!" Alex exclaimed.

Aunt Evelyn rushed towards Lucy and hugged her tight. And there were jubilant expressions radiating off Gen and Peter but it was Ben who saw Lavin quickly texting Harry the news before she rushed to Lucy and asked when they could visit him.