Not All Happy Endings

6: Road to Recovery

POV: Mason

After I woke up from my nap, I got a call from Hazel's Mom. 

"Hey Momma,'' I said, not looking forward to the conversation ahead. "Mason, you didn't respond to my text last night and I got an email from her teacher this morning saying she wasn't at school. Care to explain?". She sounded mad, and it was only going to get worse. 

"Before I do, you have to promise me you won't freak out ok?'' I said, hoping this wouldn't be as bad as I thought. "I'll try, but I make no promises." She said, less mad, but more impatient. 

"Yesterday after school, there was a fight in the parking lot. Hazel was not injured but the fight was about her so she was pretty worked up about it. I'll explain more about that in a minute. The point is, we both fell asleep then Jackson and Taylen came over and we started watching a movie. They left, and then my dad came home," I paused, reliving that night in my mind. 

"I'm still listening." She said, waiting for me to continue. 

"He was drunk," my eyes started welling with tears. "and when he gets drunk, he gets abusive.'' I said, my voice shaking. "Mason, oh my God" she gasped, worried. 

"He only does it when no one is home, but since Hazel was here, he hurt her, to get to me.'' I said, sobbing now. "I tried to protect her, I promise i did!'' I said, all but yelling into the phone. 

Tears were cascading down my cheeks and running down my neck. "Mason, honey, why didn't you tell me? I would have done something about that a long time ago!" she said, more worried than angry now. 

"I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want my mother to know, but she left 2 days ago. he blamed it on me, which is why he started hurting me in the first place." my voice was nothing but a whisper now. 

"I'm on my way right now! I'll be there as fast as I can!" she said, quickly, hanging up the phone. I let it drop to the bed, and put my head in my hands, trying to stop the tears from flowing but they wouldn't stop. 

I felt like Christina in that one episode of Grey's Anatomy, when she couldn't stop crying and yelled "somebody sedate me!". remembering Hazels laugh as we watched that on the couch together made me smile. She always seemed to make me feel better even if she wasn't here. 

Around 10 minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. I looked up to see Hazels mom, her eyes full of worry. "I'm so sorry Momma," I said, the tears starting to form again. "I did everything I could! All I wanted to do was protect her, but it just made it worse!" 

She walked over to me and embraced me in the biggest hug I could've ever imagined. She stroked my hair saying things like "i'ts ok Mason" and "i'ts not your fault" and my favorite one "She's going to be ok". 

After a few minutes of this, there was a light knock on the door. We both turned to see the same nurse from earlier. "Hi," she said cheerfully. "You must be Hazels Mom?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, my name is Amy." she said, calmly. 

"Hi Amy, I'm Pheobe", she said, holding her hand out and holding mommas. "Let me tell you, this one over here." she said, pointing a finger towards me, "has been asking nonstop how Hazel is, or if there are any updates, or things like that." when she had finished, they both looked at me, smiling. 

"That's my boy" momma said, putting a hand on my cheek. "speaking of, are there any updates about Hazel?" she asked, her smile faltering. "Yes actually, that's why I came here. She is out of surgery and is in recovery. Now, she'll be asleep for a while, and there is a chance she won't wake up, due to brain damage, but we'll just have to see as time goes on. Let me just warn you, this won't be easy, for her or for you, so we have to be strong and supportive of her, ok?"