Halfway Dead

Chapter Seven

                                                                                      Rykers Pov:

I get a call from our school, wondering where Amelia and I have been, because we have been gone the same amount of days. "So I guess you haven't heard? Amelia got into a little... uh.... accident I guess you could call it." I clear my throat. "Oh I'm sorry to hear, is there anyone who could pick up your work or are you guys going to do it all online?" Lisa, the office lady asks. "Well shes not well enough to do any work right now, but once she is I'm sure we will figure something out." I say not wanting to put up with the school's bull shit right now. "I will call you back once everything is well. Or why don't you actually call Amelia's mom, I bet she would know more than I would." There is a bit of silence. "Well okay, take care now. Bye Ryker." I hang up before she says anything else. "What was that all about?" My cousin Kate asks. "Just the stupid schools shit." I reply with a sigh. "Well now that that's over with, you should help me clean up this room." As I start following Kate I speak out, "Couldn't you like, get in trouble for this? Like me, helping you, clean a patient germ infected room?" Kate whips her head around. "Do you really think the staff care? We take the help we get. So what if it's asked from family by family?" She smiles this evil grin knowing that no matter what shit I give her, I'll always help. "More like demand rather than ask." I say, slightly under my breath. "Excuse me?" We both laugh. Kate and I have always been really close. She has been more like my older sister than my cousin since the accident a few years back. "Move your ass a little faster, the room is right around the corner." Kate picks up her pace. We take a few more steps then turn right. Room 216. I get a chill as I walk towards the room. I don't think Kate realizes the number. I freeze in the doorway. "What, are you scared of germs now? I don't think you will be when your tongue is halfway down Am-" I cut her off. "Shush." I say changing the subject from Amelia. Kate has always known that I've liked Amelia, even since before dated her. But that's not the point. 216. This room. The memories this room holds... "Earth to Ryker! So are you coming in or what?" It felt like I was spaced out for an hour. "Uh, yeah I'm coming in." I slowly step into the room. The layout is the same. I mean, I don't think that hospitals rearrange their rooms, but it just feels so surreal being back in here. Like you don't think that you would purposely revisit a place that took so much away from you, but here I am, doing exactly that. 

Two years ago, right around Thanksgiving break, my sister Rylie and I were walking around town just hanging out. I remember talking about ice cream flavors, and that mint chocolate chip and cookie dough are obviously the best. We were crossing the street, there were no cars coming at all. When Rylie was half way through the street, a car flew out of nowhere, speeding, and hit her. She flew at least 20 feet. No one knew what the car looked like, so the son of a bitch that murdered my sister is still out there. Rylie and I were rushed to the hospital. I was fine, but I was freaking the ever loving fuck out. My sister, my built in best friend, died in front of my eyes. In room 216. 

I think Kate finally realized what room we were in when I was kneeling next to the bed, crying. I didn't think that this would affect me this much. "Go, go take a walk, or shower, or go into the ally and smash things. Go collect yourself. I'm so sorry that I didn't realize." Now she is kneeling beside me, rubbing my back. I take three deep breaths. In through my nose, out through my mouth. I get up, walk out of the room, out of the hospital, and start running. 

I've been running for approximately thirty minutes. I end up on the Willow Bridge, looking out at the sunset. This is the abandoned bridge that Rylie and I used to come to all the time to skip rocks. I pull out my phone and take a picture of the sunset over the Berklee River. "God I miss you Ryles." I say out loud, to no one, then I head back to the hospital.