Long Lost Everything - A Leaving Sequel

Chapter Nine: What I Could Have Told You

A month had passed since Julie canceled her date with the bottle of bleach. Everything that plagued her mind began plaguing her body; she felt exhausted every single day, and couldn't hold down the little that she ate. She had to tell him... she couldn't go on like this.

"Michael?" Julie spoke softly.
"What?"
"I have to tell you something. You're probably-" She corrected herself, "you will... get mad. I- please just... Don't hit me. I- well- I-"
"What is it, Julie? For Christ sake I'm trying to watch the game."
"I..." She was squeezing her thumb so hard she thought it might snap right off.

Knock
Knock
Knock

Their heads shot in the direction of the sound. The front door. Julie answered it. There stood two police officers; hats in their hands.
"Are you Mrs Ranmore?" The older one asked.
"Yes."
The two men shared a brief glance.
"May we come in?"

"I'm afraid we have some bad news. Your daughter was in a bus that was involved in a crash earlier this afternoon."
Julie's heart sank to her stomach.
"She's been taken to the hospital-"
"How is she? How had was the crash?" Michael asked.
The older policeman sighed, the younger one shuffled on the spot.
"Bad... the side that your daughter was on took the most impact."
"Jesus..." Michael's hand shot up to cover his mouth.
Julie couldn't say anything. She felt like she could vomit. She felt like she could collapse right there.
"I-Is... she alive?" Michael choked out in almost a whisper.
"She is. But she's been put in a medically induced coma. That's all we know. My colleague and I can escort you to the hospital."

Maxine lay unconscious. Hooked up to wires that were plugged in to scary looking machines.
Julie slowly walked to the side of the bed. She took her daughter's hand and squeezed it gently.
"Can she hear us?" She turned her head towards the doctor.
"Most coma patients can, but we aren't sure if your daughter can."
Julie looked back at her daughter. She leaned in close and stroked Maxine's hair.
"Hi darling. It's mummy." She studied Maxine's face for any sign that she might have heard her; a slight muscle twitch, the smallest movement of her mouth, raising or farrowing her eyebrows... nothing.
"You were in an accident. But... you're going to bed okay. You're okay." Julie straightened her posture. Looking to her husband, she saw tears pouring down his reddened face. He made his way to the opposite side of the bed and kissed his daughter's forehead.
"Listen to your mother, Maxine. You're okay. When you get out of here we're Al going to go get ice cream. You, me, Dean, and your mum. And your mother's going to eat her ice cream." He glanced over at his wife, "Won't you, Julie?"
Julie blankly stared at Michael. No confirmation or denial.