Over the Edge

Ch.30-Time Lapses

4:26am

The waiting room of the hospital was empty, the air heavy. Emma’s parents remained at the station, choosing to be with each other at the moment. I had wanted to come. Somebody had to, even if she wasn’t open for visitors. I sat in the stiff chair flicking lazily through the offered magazines. Not out of interest, but to busy my hands. I didn’t care in the least what was written inside.

There was a nurse clicking away at a computer. We were the only two in the room. Some of the lights had flickered off, switching to the generator-run ones to save power.

I flopped the magazine back on the end table, dropping my face in my hands.

Oh, Emma.

~*~

5:30am

It was still sufficiently dark. The clock on the opposite wall ticked away annoyingly, each one seeming to pound straight through my head. The desk lady had switched shifts a half-hour ago.

I couldn’t seem to stop my leg from bobbing anxiously up and down. I could tell it was irritating the new desk worker, but she didn’t say anything. She just cast occasional irked looks my way. Pleasing her, however, wasn’t exactly at the top of my list.

Seeing Emma was.

 Seeing her alive.

~*~

6:14am

I felt like my eyes were drying up. I had resorted to pacing around the small waiting room, having lost feeling in my legs four times. Nobody came out to update me on her progress. Nobody even emerged from the room. I had never been a nervous-habit kind of guy but I found myself gnawing down on my thumb nail.

It was hell.

Long, drawn-out minutes of hell.

~*~

7:42am

When normal morning hours rolled around more people frequented the hospital. I hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep the night before and I was sure you could see it on my face.

There was still no news of Emma.

I jumped when I felt a touch on my shoulder. Lack of sleep tended to make me jumpy. I snapped my head up and saw Judy standing there, a soft smile on her face. I was so exhausted I couldn’t even work up any animosity toward her. “Why are you here?” I croaked, throat cracked and dry.

“Your father was going to come but I offered to go instead. He’s going to be speaking with Emma’s parents.”

I swallowed hard. “What do you want?”

She lowered into the chair beside me. “To know how you’re doing. Are you okay?”

I squeezed my eyes shut, running my hand over my hair. “Some perverted sociopath drugged Emma up with the intent to kill her, Judy. Do you think I’m okay?”

“No.” she smiled sadly. “I guess it was a stupid question.”

I grunted.

“I phoned the school and told them you wouldn’t be in today. News of this hasn’t quite gotten out to all of Heart yet but I’m sure it will come as quite a shock when it does.”

“Well, that’s what we get for living in a small town where nothing ever happens.”

“It will be hard for Emma when she wakes up.”

“If she wakes up,” I couldn’t help but add under my breath.

“Rhys,” she said sternly, resting her hand on my arm. “You mustn’t think that way. Emma is strong. If you hold onto your faith she will pull through.”