We Won't Back Down

Chapter Thirteen.

Maxwell Green.

I was pulled out of my sleep by the song “There for you” roaring to life from Sheila’s phone. That meant that her sister Athena was calling. She was sound asleep and never moved an inch. So I leaned over her and answered it to see why the fuck she was so kindly calling at 4:44 in the damn morning.
“Hello?” I said groggily into Sheila’s phone.
“Max? Where is Sheila? I need to talk to Sheila!” She spoke quickly and with urgency. Athena almost sounded frantic, as if there were something very wrong.
“She’s asleep. What’s going on?”
“There’s been an accident and it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry Max, I never meant to do this to him. Craig and I had a fight and then I was walking down the road and didn’t see the car coming. He pushed me out of the way and… just get to hospital!” She was crying so hard and hyperventilating so much that it actually came out as “There’s bweenaccidnt *gasp gasp* all fault. I sosowery Mass, I nev *gasp* mean tada vis ta em. *crying* Cweg amb eyes a fight amb *snort gasp* why wus wakin down the road and *gasp gasp gasp gasp* didn’t see tha c-car com-com-coming. *giant gasp gasp gasp* He p-pweshed out tha way amn… *gasp gasp* just get to the hospital!” Then she hung up on me and I just stared at the phone to process it all.
All I knew is that, it had to be a real emergency for Athena to be crying that hard, she barely ever cried in the first damn place.
I reach over and started shaking Shelia awake, failing miserably as she grumbled, getting this adorable look on her face and rolled away from me. I groaned and started shaking harder and harder, but no luck was coming my way, this woman could sleep through the fucking zombie apocalypse if you’d let her. Just don’t let her know…she hates zombies.
“Shelia, you are going to hate me for this, but I’m picking you up and taking you to the hospital.” I muttered, walking over to her side of the bed and picking her up bridal style. I grabbed up a fleece blanket, wrapping it around her so she was somewhat decent, though she was in a tank top and boy shorts.
She’d thank me later.
I walked down the stairs and managed to open the door to the outside and my car with her in my arms. She barely stirred or moved a muscle as I sat her down in the front seat, buckling her in and getting in the driver’s seat. I turned off the music and AC, taking off down the road, probably breaking all speed laws in our area.

AT THE HOSPITAL.

“God damn this woman still isn’t up.” I muttered to myself and decided that I was tired of dealing with Sleeping Beauty over here. I opened up the windows, turned on the AC and played some old style Avenged Sevenfold, watching as Shelia jumped damn near out of her seat.

Shelia Elwell.

“Ahhh!!” I yelled, waking up disoriented cold as fuck with loud music playing my ear. What the hell was going on? More importantly, why I was being woken up by cold things and loudness?!
Looking around I recognized the area around me to be a vehicle, or more descriptive, Max’s car. Outside the windshield displayed the scenery of the hospital, a giant, scary looking building that was too big and insidious for its name surrounded by eerie shrubbery. I slowly turned my head to the left only to find Max sitting in the driver’s seat with a teasing grin locked on his amused face.
“What. The. Actual. FUCK Max?!” I shouted over the blare of the radio, lurching forward to turn it off, as much as a shame turning old school Avenged Sevenfold off is.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Before you go bat shit crazy on me, there’s something you need to know.” He said leaning away from me and throwing his hands up.
“You have exactly 30 seconds before I pee in your shoe. Go!” I said with wide eyes on him.
“Your sister called and she was hysterical and crying. She said there was accident. Something about Craig and a car!” I heard the words he spoke to me, but whether or not I could process it as real was another a matter entirely. I stared at him for a few seconds.
“Why the fuck are we still sitting your car then?” I said, yanking the passenger door open and getting up faster than humanly possible. Everything was a blur from the car to inside of the hospital. I completely left Max to eat my dust and before I knew it I was standing in front of the bewildered clerk behind the desk of the intensive care unit gasping for air.
“Craig Mabbitt…” I panted. “Where is he?” I asked staring into the very soul of the girl behind the desk.
“I’m sorry ma’am but unl…”
“Look, I’m cold, tired, and don’t want to be told to wait in a waiting room. That is our friend in there and we demand to go in and see him!” Max butt in and I looked over at him, seeing him only in a pair of shorts, trying to stop myself from staring at him.
“He is this way.” She said, eyes widened from his sudden outburst and I grabbed his hand for support as we followed. We entered the hospital room to find Craig on the bed with a breathing tube, his face had some mild bruising and his arm, leg and torso seemed to be wrapped in a cast and he seemed so miserable. Of course, he was asleep, but he just looked so miserable laying there and I heard Max almost stop breathing next to me.
I looked right next to Craig’s bed and found Athena lying there, hair mated to her face as she had her arms and head on the bed, make up dried on her face, she for sure had been crying. She thankfully had gotten some sleep and didn’t stay up worrying the entire time.
I let go of Max’s hand and walked over to her, getting on her level and shaking her lightly.
“Thena, come on wake up for me.” I whispered and her lashes started fluttering, before she opened her eyes and they were bloodshot. Once she comprehended who had woken her, her eyes started filling with water and she started crying and I pulled her into me. “Shh, it’s ok, I’m here now.”
I hated seeing her like this, she was the one person I couldn’t handle seeing cry, because she was the one that was there for me when I was crying.
“It’s all my fault.” She whispered, wiping her eyes and nose, “If I hadn’t run off down the road listening to my music and he followed me.”
“You went out in the pouring rain listening to your music?” I asked, looking at her seriously, “How many times have I told you…ugh, it’s a good thing he did, because if he hadn’t you would have been dead.” I muttered, biting my lip. “You owe him a lot, I hope you know that…he’ll make it through, he’s a fighter.”
“Sheila… I’ll never be able to repay him for this. I’m going to owe him for the rest of my life.” She said holding back more tears. She turned to the unconscious Craig and whisper “Why?... Why did you save me? Dumbass.” She said and leaned over the edge of the hospital bed to gently grab his hand and she placed a soft and meaningful kiss on his fingers.
“Oh come on Athena. You know exactly why he did it.” I stated, never taking my eyes off her. She turned back toward me listening intently.
“W-what do you mean?” She said, her chin quivering a little with overwhelming emotions.
Max put both hands on my shoulder as I opened my mouth to say something and pulled me back behind him.
“Sheila. You should go to the cafeteria and grab yourself a muffin or something.” Max sounded distant and eager to get rid of me. Perhaps he wanted to talk to Athena alone. I was a little skeptical to allow such a thing. I might have to kick his ass if he said or did something to upset her further. I realized that this was his best friend who was like a brother laying there broken in a hospital bed. But I could see the unbearable burden of the guilt that Athena felt.
“But Ma-“ I started to protest before he threw up a hand to silence me.
“GO… to the cafeteria Sheila. Athena will catch up with you shortly.” He stated with dominance over the situation. I looked at him shocked at how he was talking to me, he looked so serious and I grabbed my blanket.
“Fine…I’ll go.” I whispered, anger overwhelming me and started walking down the hall. I had swiped Max’s phone and decided it was time that everyone knew where we were. I dialed his mom’s number and it started ringing.
“Maxwell Scott Green, do you know what time it is?” she sounded angry and I looked at the phone shocked. “Hello?”
“Mrs. Green, its Shelia.” I stated biting my lip.
“Shelia? Why are you calling me from the other room?” she asked, I could hear her shuffling in her bed to sit up.
“We aren’t there…Craig was in an accident and we are here with him, we are at the Southern Hills hospital.” I stated paying for a giant chocolate chip muffin and sat down. “Please just don’t scare the nurse like your son did, she should be compliant by now.”
“I’ll get the boys together and be there as soon as I can.” She said and hung up. I looked down at the muffin and tore a piece off, choking it down as I started crying. I started crying and put my head on my arms, why did this have to happen? Things were just start…what was I talking about? This whole year had been complete shit so far!
I started sobbing and I felt someone sit next to me and bring me to them, hugging me. I looked up to see Athena and she just hugged me closer, crying along with me. We knew we were drawing attention to ourselves, but at this point, I don’t think we really cared. I could have lost another sister and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.
“What did Max tell you?” I asked, through crying and pulled away from her.
“Basically, just that it was my stupid actions that caused Craig to be here. That I owe him my life and need to get my shit together and be more responsible. He said I almost killed his best friend.” She managed to say calmly, only to cry harder after she had finished her statement. If it wasn’t true, I would have gone in there and kicked Green’s ass. But the reality of the situation was fact. Mind you, he didn’t have to be such a dick about it. But I understood why he was so angry with Athena. When your best friend is laying in a hospital bed unconscious, the first thing you’re looking for is someone to blame.
I just pulled her in to me and hugged her tighter until she cried herself out and leaned away, staring vacantly down the hall. “Is this… my fault Sheila?” She asked me after several minutes of silence.
I sighed, “Athena… No. It’s not your fault. You weren’t the one who decided to drive drunk in a thunderstorm. But you do need to take more responsibility for your actions. I know that’s the last thing you wanted to hear from your own sister. But Craig… you’re really fucking special to him. He saved your life. Let’s just say that next time you guys have a fight, stay away from asphalt, okay?”
Athena said nothing for several minutes after that. We sat in silence again. Then she rose from her seat and wandered down one of the hallways of the hospital. I sighed and continued eating the muffin, finding I had no taste for it at the moment and wrapped it back up, before laying my head back down.
I must have fallen asleep, because I was getting shaken by someone and I looked up to see a pair of green eyes staring up at me. A part of me wanted to say they belonged to Jacky, but I knew better and smiled at Max weakly.
“Hey sleepy head, everyone is here and mom brought you clothes for you and Athena so you can change into these.” He said handing me a shirt and pants. I nodded and thanked him, handing him the muffin and finding the bathroom. I was trying not to be upset, but it was hard after everything that had been happening. I was getting to the point where I couldn’t handle it anymore.
I quickly changed into the clothes and walked out of the bathroom, sitting on the chair across the hall. For some reason, life just liked to throw these curveballs and I just didn’t know how to handle them.
I put Max’s phone in my cargo pants and found mine in the same pocket and opened it and found that I had a message from my…from my mother?
I read it quickly and cursed to myself.
Of all times to be getting this message with all the other bullshit that had been happening.

To: Shelia.

From: Mom.

We are coming home, the house better not be trashed or else.