"Let me go! Get the fuck off me!" I yelled before taking one last look at her as they shut the door behind them.
"Travis… let them do their job please." My uncle told me with tears in his eyes.
"No! Fuck you all. Let me in!" I was still in their grip and they wouldn't let go. "I said fucking let me in!"
"The doctors have to do their job, sir." One of the nurses said.
"And my job is to protect her!" I yelled.
Tyler and Tate came up to me and grabbed me so the nurses could let go and go back in her room. As the door pushed open, they were still working on her.
"Damnit!" I yelled as they grabbed me and pulled me away from the door.
I looked at Elena and Emma next to my uncle and Trevor. They were both crying and Emma was bent down with her head between her legs.
"Let's go, brother." Tate said to me while walking further down the hall with Tyler and me.
"I can't leave her no! Let me go!" I tried turning around to walk back but they wouldn't let me. I gave up trying.
We walked outside in the back of the hospital where nobody was. It was just a closed in area with no windows or anything. Just an outside spot.
Tate shut the door behind him as we all walked out.
"Why the fuck won't you guys let me in?!" I yelled motioning my hand towards the door.
"We need to let the doctors do their job Travis." Tyler said calmly while standing near Tate also blocking the door.
"We need to let the doctors do their job." I said mocking them all. "Everybody needs to stop telling me that!"
"That is what they are doing, Brother." Tate said sadly.
"I need to go back in there!" I yelled pacing back and forth. "I need to go in there! She needs me! She, guys she needs me. I'm supposed to be the one to protect her. I, she, she, she has to make it. She has to… ugh I'm so fucking sick of crying!” I yelled out.
"It's okay." Tyler told me nodding. "It's okay."
"I can't lose her." I fell to my knees as my voice cracked. "I can't lose her. I'm in love with her."
"We know you are." Tyler walked up to me and sat on the ground next to me. "We know." He said while placing his hand on my shoulder.
We just sat there in silence as my brothers were staring at me waiting for me to break... again.
"I can't breathe. There's a, it's like a, something is…is on my chest and it's, it’s, it’s pushing me down hard. I can't breathe." I said gasping for air. I got up fast and ran to the other side from where they were. I threw up. My hand was pressed to the building as I was throwing up in the corner. I felt like I was vomiting up my insides because I haven’t eaten anything. I can’t even think about eating anything.
"My boys." I turned around to see the door open with my mom standing there.
"Mom?" I walked over and she came out and shut the door.
"Hi baby, come here." She said while pulling me in for a hug. My head rested on top of hers and her arms were squeezed tight around me. I needed her. "They got her back." I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding.
"They got her back." I repeated happily.
"Are you ready to go back in?" Tate asked as mom and I pulled out of the hug.
"I've been ready to go back in before we even fucking came out here." I replied coolly while walking back in.
"Fucker." He mumbled under his breath.
"Language boys." Mom scolded.
"Sorry." Tate and I said in unison.
As we walked back near the room, we saw everyone waiting.
"Is she okay? How is she?" I stumbled out.
"She's okay Travis. She's still not woken up but she's stable again." Elena said.
"Anymore news?" I asked her.
"Not yet." She replied sadly.
I nodded and grabbed a pair of gloves and a gown and pushed the door open. The nurse in the corner smiled at me and I gave her a small smile back. I pulled a chair over to her bed and sat down on the chair. I held her hand, leaned over and rested my head on the bed next to her chest.
Five days later
Dear Anastasia,
Five days… five fu̶ c̶k̶i̶n̶ g̶ ̶days… still no change. Sorry this is your journal so I won't swear. Now I made it messy by crossing it out. Well I hope you'll laugh when you wake up and I hand this to you so you can read it. I haven't left the hospital. I've been using your room to shower and my brothers went home and took me back new clothes and my toiletries.
Paul was released from the hospital and he comes here daily to see you. He feels guilty. I would too but, he has nothing to feel guilty for.
Elena left once to go home and get her clothes and stuff. She called me on the way there and the whole way back every five minutes. I don't blame her.
Emma goes to her classes and then back here. She doesn't go in her dorm room anymore. Ethan went in there to grab her clothes and stuff. She won't even step foot in the building because you aren't there with her. I'm writing in your journal because you can't. Ethan grabbed it for me because I asked him to.
My uncle, mom, and brother come daily too, to check on you. Penny even comes daily.
The three of us shower here and sleep here. We are here 24/7 praying for even the littlest change. But every single day, we wake up to nothing. Just you in a bed, not moving, not breathing on your own. Emma, Elena and I talk… but it's just small talk. We are just so focused on you that it gets silent a lot.
We'll keep praying and hoping for a change. I love you more than words can ever describe Anastasia.
Love, Travis
Chapter 32
Travis POV
Six Days Later
I hear mumbling…
"Anastasia? Anastasia! You're awake! Thank you thank you thank you for coming back to
me." I jump out of my seat and run to the side of her bed. I kiss her forehead and squeeze her
hand while smiling. I bend down and give her the biggest and tightest hug. I can't believe she's awake. She is awake!
"Travis?" I hear. I shift in my seat. I looked towards the nurse, but it wasn't her that spoke. It was Elena.
"No no no… Is she awake? It was just a dream…" I looked down to the floor as my eyes watered.
"No sweetie she's not." she said. "I just want to tell you that I'm going to the cafeteria, do you want anything?"
I shook my head no.
"Travis, you need to eat something. You've lost weight and you haven't eaten in days." She's right. I've lost 8 pounds and I have eaten anything for five days, or even more. I don't even know what day or time it is anymore. I just sit here waiting for the littlest twitch or breath from her. "I'm going to get you something. I am making you eat. Ana wouldn't want you like this."
"She's not here to see it." I spoke softly.
"Well, when she wakes up, she will know you lost weight and I can already hear her stubborn voice speaking to you."
"If she wakes up." I corrected her.
"We need to be positive, Travis." She whispered as if she's trying to convince herself the same thing. "I'm going to get you some food." She sniffles and walked out of the room, which left me and Anastasia alone.
It's been 11 days. 11 fucking days. I just need to hear her voice. I need to tell her I love her. She doesn't deserve this. This should be me in this bed. Instead, it's her fragile small body. I hope she can hear us when we talk so she knows we are here, right by her side.
We haven't lost her anymore… she's stable. It's just a matter of waiting. The doctor said that she may wake up, she may not. Those are the worst words you could hear coming from a doctor talking about your loved one. I don't know how doctors do this job. How are they okay telling families such bad news? I wonder if they have a class in medical school on how to break the news to their patients families?
"Come in." I spoke quietly after I heard a knock on the door.
"Hey… How is she?"
"Aren't you getting tired of asking that?" I gave her a small smile.
"No because
one day I'm going to ask and you're going to tell me that she's awake and doing great." Emma told me while going on the opposite side of Anastasia's bed.
"I don’t know, Emma." I whispered while looking at Anastasia.
"Travis, stop. Just stop okay? We all need you to be positive here. We can't have you throwing negative comments all over the place because it isn't fucking helping the situation." Emma stated rudely.
"How can I not? She's been laying here like this for 11 days, Emma. 11 god damn days! How can you all tell each other to be positive? Nothing has been positive since she got into the accident. So how? How the fuck can I be positive?" I say a little louder than I should have.
"Mr. Coleman…" the nurse spoke.
"I know I know." I said as she started writing on her chart again.
"Travis, look. I get it okay? I do. But being positive is the only thing we have left to do. She deserves that. She doesn't deserve us being negative and wondering “if” she will wake up. We have to be positive because she needs us to be positive and tell ourselves AND her, to be positive and that she can get through this and she will." Emma looked at me with her arms crossed and sitting back in the chair.
"Okay." I stated.
"Okay. Now be positive." She nodded and touched Anastasia's hand.
"Yeah." I said flatly while looking at Anastasia. "She's so beautiful."
"That, she is." Emma smiled. "She sure as hell doesn't deserve any of this." Her smile faded. "Did the police come and say anything else?"
"They found the white car but it wasn't registered to a name and no fingerprints were found. The only evidence was comparing their bumper to Anastasia's side of the car."
"Damnit… Who would do this?" She questioned.
"Believe me. I would like to know because they are fucking dead."
"Travis…" she started but I cut her off.
"What? You don't think they should get what I do?" I asked her.
"You don't do that anymore, remember?" She reminded me.
"I can easily go back. Stone can be back in a split second and he's ready to attack after that accident. If I find out who, Emma, they are fucking dead." I look at her.
"Travis…"
"No. No I don't want to hear it. It's final and that is what is happening. I have my security guards lining the hallway leading up to this room." I stated strongly.
"I know you do. So, let them and the police do their job." She spoke sternly.
The door cuts off our conversation… thank you door.
"You're here." Elena looked at Emma and smiled. "I thought your class didn't get out until 12:30?" She questioned her confusedly.
"I decided to leave early and come here." She told her.
"Okay, well I got you a burger with fries and, I also got you a steak sandwich. You need to eat. Even if it is little by little, I am making you eat." She told me sternly and I nodded.
"As for you, I got you a chicken sandwich with chips, along with some hummus and pretzels. I knew you'd be here soon so I got you lunch too." She smiled towards Emma while handing her a bag.
She had a third bag that I'm assuming is hers. We each opened up our bags and they started to eat, but I had a few bites and felt nauseous so I needed to stop. I closed up the container and left it on the table. Elena took a deep breath and looked at me sadly. I gave her a small smile and sat back down in my chair next to Anastasia's bed. I'm staring at her like I have been these past 11 days. I decided to grab her journal and open it up to a blank page.
Dear Anastasia,
11 days. I didn't swear this time in your journal, which you will be proud of. Look, I'm trying to be positive here okay? I really am. It's just so hard to see you like this in a bed with tubes everywhere and your eyes closed. I wish you were just sleeping, but they call it an Anoxic brain injury coma. I guess it's about lack of oxygen to the brain for more than a few minutes. They aren't sure if or when you will wake up.
I've never had more fear in my life. I will find the person or the people that did this to you. I will kill them. I promise you that nobody will ever lay another finger on you again. I will never let that happen again. You mean more to be than any other person. You know what... I'm going to find them myself. I haven't left the hospital in 11 days but I will leave. I'm going to find them myself. Love, Travis
"Girls, I have to go." I closed her journal and stood up. "You're leaving?" Elena asked shocked at my words.
"Yes. I'm going out." I said while walking up to her and giving her a hug. "I'm wondering if I can have a key to your house, please?"
"Sure? Why's that?" She questioned.
"I'm going to see if there's anything in her room that tells us who could have done it."
"Here are my keys. Let me know when you get there." She said and handed them to me with no hesitation. "Travis…" Emma dragged out.
"I will be back as soon as I can." I ignored her and walked out of the room. I disposed the gown and gloves and made my way out of the hospital. My car is still in the same spot that I left it when I rushed in the hospital not knowing what happened. Here I am 11 days later, still not knowing what happened and what is going to happen.
The engine roared as I turned it on. I backed out and drove off. I plugged in my GPS to her house and was on my way.
What felt like the longest drive, I finally got to her house. I walked to the front door and opened it. This house is small, but really cute and cozy. Maybe that's why Anastasia was so shocked that my house was big? My suite is the size of her whole house. I take a step forward and step on something. I look down and find an envelope. Just a plain white envelope that's sealed. I place it on the foyer table. Now I just need to find her bedroom. The first door I open is a bathroom. The second one I open is, I'm assuming her bedroom. Light purple walls with a white bed spread and a fake wood floor… definitely. Her room is spotless. Not one thing is out of place. I go for her desk, scrummaging through papers carefully and making sure I put them back exactly where they were. I searched her room and couldn't find anything. Defeated, I walk down the stairs and go to leave but remembered the envelope. I picked it up and looked at it.
"It's invading privacy, Travis." I tried convincing myself. Hell, I'll just open it. There was only an index card that was blank on one side, when I flipped it, there was writing.
Travis- I knew you would come here soon. You're probably asking who this is… it's the girl from the diner.
"Girl from the diner, what? How'd this girl know I'd be here? Emma." I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and dialed Emma's number. She picked up on the first ring.
"Hello?" She spoke quietly, probably in the room with Anastasia.
"Emma, listen to me. I need your help. Anastasia and I went to the diner a few weeks ago, there was a girl there. The one at the party where you got into a fight and one of my men broke it up. She has a high pitch voice, loves pink and always wears high heels?" I hurriedly spoke.
"Her name is Darcy." She spoke with venom. "Why?"
I held onto the index card and locked the front door and hurried to the car.
"Travis?" Emma questioned.
"Emma, I think she did this." I spoke and then hung up. I pulled out of the driveway and drove as fast as I could back to the hospital.
Chapter 33
Finally made my way back to the hospital with the note tight in my hand.
"Hey…" I said to Emma and motioned my hand to come here.
"Are you sure? Darcy is a lot of things but do you think she's smart to pull this off?" Emma said with her arms crossed.
"Look." I handed her the card. She took it and gasped.
"But you went to her house. So why was the card there and how'd she know that you'd be the next person to go there?"
"I'd like to know the answers to that too." I took in a deep breath.
I put the index card in my wallet. I gowned up and went inside by myself.
"I'm going to go on a bathroom break while you're here Mr. Coleman." The nurse stood up.
"Call me Travis and take your time." I smiled to her while sitting down on a chair near Anastasia's bed.
I gave her a kiss on the cheek and held her hand.
"I don't know if you can hear me Anastasia but I think I know who did this and they will pay. I promise you. You are strong and you will get through this, okay?" No response.
I laid my head down on the bed near her hand and held it tightly as I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up by the feeling of someone gently squeezing my hand. I moved my head up quickly to look at Anastasia with her eyes still closed.
"Anastasia? Can you hear me?" Where is the nurse?
"Anastasia?" Another twitch.
"Anastasia… squeeze again if you can hear me baby." A gentle squeeze.
"Oh my god. GUYS ELENA AND EMMA GET IN HERE NOW!" I yell towards the door while still holding her hand.
"What's wrong?"
"Is she okay?"
"What happened?"
"She moved!" I yelled excitedly. "Well, she twitched. But she twitched after I talked to her and asked if she could hear me!"
"Nurse!" Emma opened the door and yelled. "She moved!"
The nurse and doctors came running in. One of the doctors checked a machine that her breathing tube was in.
"I have to ask you three to kindly leave and we will get you when we can." He looked at us.
"What? No. What do you mean?" I questioned.
"We are going to see what's going on and we can't have more people in here than what is needed. We will come get you as soon as we can."
I let go of her hand and kissed her on the forehead.
The three of us all walked out.
After what felt like forever, three doctors and two nurses came out of Anastasia's room.
"What's going on?" Elena asked while we all got up and ran over to them.
"She isn't awake but she is breathing on her own. We took her off the ventilator. We also noticed there is a slight bit more of brain activity on her scans." One of the doctors told us.
Eyes For You (Chasing Tomorrow Book 1) Page 17