Keep On Walking (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 3 of the Hardships Saga)

Chapter Forty-Seven

❝funeral (pronounced ˈfjuːn(ə)r(ə)l or fyoo-ner-uh l), noun
the last goodbye.❞

Around a week later, Ryan was allowed home, though she was still confined to her bed. The funeral for the victims was later that week. Since the hospital, she hadn't cried. She hadn't shown any sort of emotion. The school wasn't going to run for about another week, to let both the teachers and students recover.

One morning, Phoenix tugged on Elle's sleeve. "Ellie, wake up," he whispered. "Ellie!"

She grumbled. "Nick, it's freaking eight am, it's Sunday. What are you doing?"

"Mama won't get out of bed."

"What do you mean, Mama won't get out of bed?"

"I mean she won't get out of bed."

She opened her eyes tiredly. "Alright," she muttered. "Why don't you go to the kitchen and I'll make you a Pop-Tart for breakfast?"

"Okay. Can I turn on the TV?"

"Only if you've done your homework. Have you got a lot more to do?"

"No, I finished it."

"Good boy. You can watch TV, then. Where's Nita?"

"Nita?" he called, and she came bounding in. Elle smiled, scratching the top of the red brown wolf husky's head.

"Go on, now. I'll make you a Pop-Tart. Where's Robbie?"

"She's watching Sesame Street."

"Alright. Give me a moment to get dressed, then I'll make you something to eat and go look after Mama. Did Papa go to the studio?"

"He went at like, five!"

"Okay. Now, shoo."

"Okay!" He ran out of the room, and Elle rubbed her eyes tiredly.

Once she had checked on both her younger siblings and made them Pop-Tarts for breakfast, she opened the door to the bedroom. "Ma? Are you awake?"

She didn't respond. Elle moved closer and checked her wrist. Her heart was beating fine. "Ma? What's wrong?"

She sighed softly. "Oh, I don't know. Nothing. Everything."

"Are you okay?"

"Not really."

Elle climbed onto the bed and got under the covers, the way she did when she was little and everything was okay. "I'll stay with you. Pa's busy."

"Pa cancelled the tour for me. I'm so sorry, Ellie."

"Don't be sorry. It's okay."

Ryan's tried to hug her, but she gasped, flinching. "Sorry," she mumbled. "My arm still hurts."

"Don't cry, Ma," said Elle quietly. "Nick and Robbie are getting scared."

"I can't even get out of bed anymore, Elle," she breathed. "Nothing makes me feel anything. I'm so scared all the time."

"It's okay to be scared."

"I can't do this anymore, Elle."

"It's hard, Ma. But you're beautiful and perfect. You're gonna be okay."

Ryan took a deep breath, trying to stop her tears. Elle didn't say anything else, just curled up in her arms and tried to make her feel better. But it didn't work. It never did.

"Ma, you didn't eat breakfast, did you?"

"No."

"That's not healthy. D'you want me to make you pancakes?"