Golden Rain [COMPLETE]

°•° 4 °•°

As promised, Sav brought me breakfast a few hours later. She didn't stay long since she said she had to get to class, but I was appreciative nonetheless.

But it was still hard to eat and so I mostly just sat in the waiting hall and drank the strong coffee that she had given me along with the prepackaged cup of Coco Puffs and a banana. The hallways were mostly quiet since it was just past seven in the morning, so I was alone, my thoughts starting to drown out the rest of the world again. While Sav had distracted me for a while, it hadn't lasted long.

My phone chimed with a notification and I stared at it on the side table for a long time before deciding to look at it. While I really didn't feel like seeing another text from Mora, it might have been my parents.

It was neither. Just Rico.

Hey, dude. You wouldn't happen to be coming back to classes today, right?

I sighed as I typed back, No. Kaybree is still in the hospital.

The bubbles danced for a moment before his reply came in. That sucks. Have you talked to her since a few days ago?

No.

Dang.

Yeah.

The conversation died with heaviness, but Rico quickly started it up again, like he did so easily. Do you need me to bring you some deodorant or something? Or at least cologne. Because, c'mon man, I'm sure you reek.

I snorted with an eye roll. I'm sure I do. But I'm fine. I'll let you know if anything changes.

He sent a thumbs up and then disappeared.

I threw my phone back on the magazine table and leaned back in the chair. I knew my parents would be here sometime within the next hour. That was the time they always came. At least they were predictable.

I wasn't sure if I liked predictable.

I sat still for another half hour, or it could have been shorter, could have been longer. I wasn't quite sure. I was too tired to keep track. But when the same nurse who had escorted me to see Kaybree before tentatively looked through the double doors at the other end of the hall, I was instantly on my feet.

"Any news? Am I allowed to see her finally?"

The nurse looked at me guiltily. "I'm sorry, no. But, um..." She looked around, almost making sure that we were the only ones in the vicinity. She swallowed and stepped closer. "Technically, you aren't allowed to go see either of them, but..."

She didn't continue as she looked up at me with pitying eyes. "But?" I prompted.

With a deep inhale, she said, "You've been here for so long, I hate to not let you see or know anything so... If you promise not to tell anyone that I did this, I might let you see... see the baby, if you wanted. Behind the glass, of course. But it still might be some consolation?"

Slowly, I processed what she was saying and nodded. "Yeah, I want to. But why not my sister?"

"She, um..." She gestured vaguely with her hands, before looking guilty again. "She might tell."

I understood. Kaybree could talk and accidentally slip up while Abigail... definitely couldn't.

My heart throbbed with pain.

"Okay. I'll take anything I can get."

She nodded quickly and then spun around. "Follow me."

I nervously trailed after her as she pushed through the double doors, scanning around cautiously as she shuffled down the hall. I tried to stay close, keeping her quick pace.