Chapter 16

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I make the cop repeat himself at least six times before my conscience allowed me to believe that my father had been in a car crash; A serious one at that.

"Well where the hell is he?" I ask the cop, getting angry as he didn't seem to want to answer any of my questions fully tonight.

"The hospital has him in ICU. He is in critical condition and nobody is allowed into the room until he is stable." He tells me. Its sounds like he's reading this right out of a fucking book.

"Fuck that! I don't care what you say! If I want to see my own fucking father, and I will. Luke, Drive me." I say, turning to him who had been beside me the entire time.

"Riley, he just said that you can't see him, they won't let you inside the room." He tells me, giving me a sympathetic look. I don't need his sympathy, let alone want it. My father is fine. He has to be.

"Drive me." I demand, not having much patience left in me before I break with all the emotions that are built up inside me. Luke takes the sternness in my voice as a confirmation that I didn't give a fuck if I can't be in the room. I'm going to see my father, whether they let me or not.

I rush through the cold, hospital doors and straight up to the front desk, Luke having trouble following behind me quick enough. I grip the blanket around me tightly "Harper." I tell the lady and she slowly checks her computer. Could she go any fucking slower? "It would be amazing if I could see my father before I die of old age." I snap at the stupid fake blonde. I swear I could see the bitch roll her eyes behind the screen. If this was any other day, I would have made sure she never did that again, but clearly it wasn't. My father is dying in one of these hundreds of rooms. I have to see him. I have to know if this is real.

"I'm sorry miss, he's in ICU and cannot be allowed visitors, immediate family or not." She says, looking up at me and snapping her gum between her teeth.

"You know what you little-" I say losing my temper but I feel two strong hands pull me slightly back by the shoulders.

"Okay Riley, no need to go to jail for this..." Luke says, trying to calm me down but nothing is going to work. I need to see him. "Let's just sit on the waiting room, and wait until you can go inside..." Luke suggests and god, that is the worst thing he has ever suggested. I am not going to just wait. He could be dying for Christ's sake!

"Fuck this." I say, pushing past him and walking down all the halls until I read the 'ICU Hall' sign. Luke doesn't bother to chase me down the long hospital hallways. Good choice on his part, since I am not going to listen to anybody. I quickly walk past every door, looking at the little signs that reveal which patient is in the room. I stop at room 217, my eyes catch onto the first 3 letters of my last name and without reading the rest I barge into the room, what my vision came into focus on was all the confirmation I needed.

This was real.

My father really is laying in this hospital bed; Unconscious with thick bandage wrapped around his entire head. I take a step closer; feeling if I took one more this entire situation would seem even more real than it already was. His face is covered in blood, cuts and gashes. "What happened?" I say to myself as a barely audible whisper is released.

I swallow the enormous knot in my throat that formed since the police officer told me what had happened.

"Hey! What are you doing in here!? You can't be in here!" I hear a deep male voice say behind me, rushing into the room with a clipboard in hand along with a pale yellow folder.

"He- He's my father." I stumble on my words. 'Pull yourself together Riley,' I tell myself as I feel tears prickle at my eyes.

"Miss, you have to leave." The doctor loosens his deep tone a bit, sounding more sympathetic. Why is everyone giving me their sympathy? I don't need it, nor do I want it.

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