Game on, Twombly||Stuart Twombly

Chapter Thirteen

It has been two days. 

Two days have passed since I found my grandmother lying on the floor of the cellar, bleeding for who knows how long. And she still hasn't woken up. 

I haven't been back to my room to shower or change or anything. When she was in surgery, I waited in the waiting room. And as soon as she got out, I came straight here to her room. I haven't moved from my spot by her bed since. 

Her blood still stains my jeans, itching my legs. I don't care. I need to be here when she wakes up. I have to. 

The team has stopped by to see how she is doing. I'm not a fool, though. I know that they want to know how I'm feeling. They've brought by food that I don't eat. Neha offered to get me new clothes from my room, but I told her it didn't matter. My grandmother is going to wake up soon. I don't care what any doctor says. 

Billy stopped in on his own. The team told me what happened. But right now, I could honestly care less. He came to tell me he was sorry for what happened to my grandmother and that he was saying goodbye. It was quite emotionless. I had already cried out all of my tears by then. 

Stuart sits on the opposite side of the room from me, looking at his phone. He wants to be there for me. I know he does. But right now, the only person I want is my grandmother. 

A sigh falls from the boy's lips as he puts his phone down on the table next to him, running his hands over his face. From the corner of my eye, I can see him looking at me, but I keep my eyes on my grandmother. 

He gets up from his chair, walking over to me. Stuart stands behind me, putting his hands on my shoulders. He starts rubbing them, making my tense shoulders relax a little bit. I keep my grandmother's hand firmly in mine as I let my head roll to the side. 

"You need to get some sleep, Holl," Stuart says, continuing to rub my neck. 

Not this, again. I think to myself. 

"Stuart, what if she wakes up when I'm asleep? I can't just leave her alone here. She'll be so confused," I tell him, leaning my head back against the chair so I can look up at him. 

"I'm here, aren't I?" he asks, letting his hands just rest on my shoulders. 

I give him a look. "Stuart, she's gonna be so confused. I mean, it's not like she's been in a coma for two days," I say sarcastically. 

He rolls his eyes, motioning for me to stand up. I roll my own eyes, but I do as he says. He takes my spot, grabbing my waist before pulling me back down to rest on his lap. He turns my body so my head rests comfortably in the crook of his neck and my legs dangle off the side of the chair. 

"Get some rest, Holland. I'll wake you up the minute something changes, okay?" 

Tiredly, I nod my head, letting out a nod as I let my head fall limp against his shoulder. Even in my half asleep state, I can feel his hand lace with mine, his thumb rubbing reassuring circles on the back of my hand. He presses a kiss to my strawberry blonde hair that is in a French braid, leaving his lips there for a few moments. 

"You have no idea what you do to me, Holland Brown." 

////

My eyes flutter open, to reveal an empty hospital room. 

Besides my grandmother, of course, I am the only other person in the room, lying across the cushions on the window seat. My eyebrows furrow as I look for any sign that Stuart could still be in the hospital. A small piece of paper sits on the nightstand. 

With a sigh, I stand from my spot on the soft cushions of the window seat, walking over to my grandmother's bedside. I take a look at her pale face, my mood dampening. She has tubes in her nose helping her breathe and a bandage wrapped around her head from where she was hurt. Quickly, I look away toward the note.