Corrupted hearts || 1

31

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE ❦ AURELIA
My father overdosed, he's hospitalized, and currently, we're sitting in front of his room, doctors come and go out of it, and nurses comfort us.

My leg continues bouncing uncontrollably and my eyes well with tears, my phone rings in my hand, Elias's name flashes over the screen and I swallow the lump down my throat.

I click the decline button and rest my head back, Dylan is silent beside me, we barely exchanged any words together, and each of us is clouded with his own thoughts.

As much as I'm angry at Dad for not trying, for us, I love him, I'm scared of what can happen to him right now, I can't fathom losing him,

Fear itches through my body and my tears fall freely down my cheeks, a sob rises up my throat but I swallow it down, then another notification pops up.

Vibrating in my hand, I look at the texts through blurred vision.

Elias: Talk to me if you want.

Elias: I'm right here.

Elias: you're not alone.

His texts don't help with my overload of emotions, I sniffle, trying to ignore my chest tightening as I type in with trembling hands.

Me: what if he doesn't survive it?

The possibility of it breaks me, it wrecks me from the inside, I didn't even say goodbye.

Elias: Everything will be okay, sweetheart.

I can almost hear the tone of His assuring words, it sends a kernel of comfort through my body, his name flashes across the screen again and I swallow the lump in my throat as I accept his call.

Placing the phone on my ear as I stand up, walking away from Dylan, "Aurelia." His familiar voice meets my ears and my tense muscles ease, "Hey." I whisper, my voice trembling as I try to suppress the emotions erupting inside of me.

My eyes continue flitting to the room my father is in, but no one comes outside, he's in the ICU since he overdosed, that's where most people with drugs in their system stay to have intensive care for the matter.

"Talk to me, sweetheart, I hear you." He says with force, wanting me to listen, I swallow down the knot in my throat and try to think of anything to talk about as a way of distraction, "My hair is dying right now, I need to braid it." I let out of nowhere.

"Yeah? What else?" He asks, probably not actually interested in my dying hair, just wanting to get my mind off this, "I thought you were a psycho when I first met you, it's weird that you're comforting me now." At this point I'm just mumbling random stuff, he doesn't complain.

"It's a shame that you don't anymore." His sarcastic words almost make me smile, "I didn't meet with mom yet, she said she'll come here in an hour." I offer lightly under my breath then add, "Is it selfish that I'm overthinking how our meeting will be while my father is quite literally on the verge of dying?" My voice cracks.

"It's not your fault that your mind can't shut out, you're not selfish, Aurelia, a selfish person wouldn't think so." He insists firmly and I sigh, breathing out as I try to calm my breaths, my tears are now dry but the sudden urge to cry hits me harder when I find a nurse exiting my father's room.

My legs uncontrollably lead me towards her as a doctor follows, dressed in blue scrubs, Elias's next words don't even meet my ears coherently because my mere attention is on the doctor.

Who breathes out slowly, meets my eyes then a soft smile spreads over his face, "He was lucky enough to survive, he'll have to stay here for a couple of days to run tests and—-" the rest of his words tune away as my heart beats loudly in my chest and relief fills my bones.