B.R.O.N.X. (Justin Bieber Fanfiction)

"If I had the chance, I'd take it all back and make it right."

Justin

Everything hurt. Trying to open my eyes, to move my hands, to part my chapped lips. Light stabbed the back of my eyelids and I wanted to wince, because it had been dark for so long, but I couldn't even do that.

After the light came the sounds. There was a constant, rhythmic bleep, and then another irregular, windy sound, like pages being turned in a book. There wasn't really a discernible smell, save for a faint waft of coffee. I felt neither hot nor cold, but my bones were heavy.

I tried to focus on my hand, the way I'd moved it before when I'd squeezed Brooklyn's hand. I had no idea when that had been. Hours, days, weeks ago? My fingers felt stiff as I tried to fold them and then stretch them again. My skin hurt when I did that, so I guessed there was an IV there. At the pain, my head seemed to clear a bit and lolled to the side, trying to get away from the brightness of the sunshine.

I heard a loud gasp.

I finally got my eyes to open. I blinked several times until my vision was clear enough to make out the person sitting beside me. There was a magazine discarded on the couch where she'd previously been perched. Now Jazmyn stood very still, a hand cupping her mouth as her big eyes stared at me in bemusement.

I opened my mouth to try to say something, but no words came out. My throat was dry and I felt like moving another muscle would send me back into unconsciousness. I felt exhausted even after having been sleeping for God knows how long.

Eventually, Jazmyn lowered her hand, and her look turned from disbelieving to angry in a matter of seconds. "You asshole," she said, not kindly. "Don't you dare close your eyes again. I'm going to get the doctor and Mom. If you so much as fall back asleep..." Her voice was hard and unyielding, like she really was mad at me, but her eyes shone with tears and her hands were trembling at her sides. She didn't even finish the sentence.

I was stunned into silence—not that I could have talked anyway—having expected a warmer welcoming. I hadn't imagined Jazmyn would be too happy with me, but being called asshole beat any other expectations.

She left the room before I could do anything besides stare at her in shock, scurrying down the corridor, calling my mom's name. I was pretty sure the whole hospital figured out I was awake.

My mom came into the room not a minute later, tears rolling down her cheeks, looking every bit as shattered as I felt. A man dressed in a white coat followed after her.

"Mom," I rasped out, trying to swallow some saliva to alleviate the scratchiness in my throat. It barely came out, but she started crying hander, delicately wrapping me in her arms as she hugged me to her, murmuring. I didn't complain when her weight pressed against what I presumed was a wound in my chest, even though it hurt like hell.

"Oh, dear God," she was saying. "You're awake. My baby. Thank heavens." She pulled away from me, hastily wiping at her makeup smeared eyes. She looked like she'd just arrived at the hospital from work ten minutes ago. The relief in her expression and her words made my chest hurt for a completely different reason than a physical wound. Jazzy had been right. It was obvious I had hurt her immensely.

"Sorry to interrupt the mother-son moment, but I need to check a few things." The doctor that had come after my mom cleared his throat, walking around the bed to where all the machines attached to my body were. There was one showing my heartbeat. That was the only one I could tell what it was for. The rest just made noises and were connected to my body via tubes. I preferred not to look down underneath the stupid, nearly sheer gown I was wearing. Who knew what other injuries I had and how nasty they looked.

Mom only took a step backward, still holding my hand and talking, while the doctor checked the machines and listened to my heart with a stethoscope. "I was so, so worried, Justin. You've been in a coma for nearly a week." Her voice shook, her blue eyes glassy and big and scared.