Lacing the Lost Stars

Twenty Eight

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Aviana

"Paraplegia, leg paralysis"

Those moments in life when specific words are spoken and taken into context, revealing something utterly stomach-dropping. Making your head feel light and hands tingly.

His head lay on my lap while we waited patiently to be called inside.

I sat in the same chair that made me feel numb, except this time there was an extra weight on me with his hands gripped tightly on the back of my thighs, his hair fluffed up near my chest and his sniffles every now and then which was an indirect request for me to play with it.

Time didn't seem real, it didn't seem to be passing correctly in the way I wanted it to.

"Kiro Hale."

The first voice heard in the past hour, was a blessed sound.

He stood almost immediately before she finished hid last name, I inhaled deeply, my nose went cold and I could feel the sharpness of tears prick the corner of my eyes.

I blinked up at him, he was facing me as if he refused to even look at her door, he had been avoiding looking at it since his parents were called inside. I noticed the blurriness of his vision as if I could feel it myself, he wanted me to come with him.

I took ahold of his hand, finally standing up.

We followed the nurse inside until we came face to face with Blair's bed.

I swallowed the lump at the back of my throat harshly, commanding myself silently not to burst out in tears after seeing her.

Mr and Mrs Hale were at the foot of the bed as if they were about to leave. I could tell from the wet marks on both of their tops that they had spent a while crying.

I sucked a breath, turning my head to my best friend who lay very still on the bare bed, her head slightly tilted upwards by the raised bed frame and her expression blank.

"You two can spend some time with her, we'll be back," Mr Hale spoke yet his gaze was fixated on his daughter the whole time, his voice was cracked and small, like a broken whisper.

The room was quiet after everyone left, I turned to Kiro who was still facing her despite their gaze not meeting. His lips were parted, like he wanted to speak but couldn't get the words out.

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to magically whisk away to the beach house where everyone was happy, where Blair was screaming at all of us to get ready for dinner. I didn't need to open them to realise it wasn't a dream, I was still standing in the hospital room of my best friend.

A small tear ran down my cheek, nothing was going to be the same anymore.

I bit my lip, taking small steps closer to her bed until I reached her side, kneeling down near her on the floor.

"Blair," her name alone was difficult to say for the first time, I looked up at her carefully, taking hold of her hand as I rubbed my thumb against the top of it. "It's gonna be okay."

Her skin was pale and having black hair made her look even paler, beneath her eyes were dark and hollow. Yet she still managed to look so beautiful.