Stella Lawrence~ GMW

Chapter 21

Topanga POV~

As I followed Jake to a small office in the hallway, I couldn't help but feel my heart in my stomach about how the girls looked at me when I said Stella would be fine. I looked over to Jake who's eyebrows were furrowed with concentration or concern, I couldn't tell.

"So can you tell me now?" I asked quietly.
"Just in the office, its surprising for me and I don't even think you know." He said slightly amused about the topic. We walked in and he sat across from me and opened a file,
"Did you know, Topanga, that you are not actually Stella's biological sister?" He furrowed his eyebrows even more. I let the information process and came to the realization that I was not aware of this...

"No, I-I didn't know." My eyes widened at the thought of Stella being adopted.
"Can we call your parents to confirm?" He asked tentatively.
"Yes! Of course." I pulled out my phone and called my mother.
"Yes Topanga?" I heard her sweet voice.
"Hello mother, I know you're in Europe. I just have a few questions." I quickly put her on mute, told Jake that they were not aware about the situation at hand and he nodded and promised he wouldn't give it away, or mention it.
"Very well Topanga. Make it quick."
"I'll cut right to the chase- did you know Stella is not my biological sister?"
"I-how- Topanga we wanted to tell you. But we didn't know how you'd take it."
"That Stella is adopted? Mom how could you not tell me this? I don't even remember you adopting her." I face palmed,
"How is it possible that I don't remember I have exemplary memory."
"Oh honey, you were just too young. How did you find out anyway?"
"Stella's doctor asked her to do some blood work and as it turns out we don't share the same type of X and Y chromosomes." I tell her quickly.
"Oh yes. We just heard a knock on the door and a woman left her on our doorstep. So we figured we'd get to keep her. We simply just made it legal." She explained. Jake made a signal, I put her on mute and looked over,
"Ask her if she knew that she had extra chromosomes in her DNA, like just floating around."
"Did you also know Stella has extra chromosomes just floating around her DNA?"
"We have been told, yes. We figured it's why she's so smart."
"Hmm okay mom. Well that was all, if I need more answers I'll call you."
"Okay sweetie, see you soon." I hung up and turned to him with a look.
"Is that all?"
"No, Stella- she isn't showing any healing with the medicine that Dr. Palmer gave her. She seems to stay in the same level of coma that she fell into.
"She hasn't shown any signs of getting better or worse?" I ask worriedly.
"Exactly- she seems to fell the need to keep herself there. We don't quite understand it. It's like-"
"Hypnosis." We both said with our eyes wide.
"You think my sister could be hypnotized?" I asked incredulously.
"No. I think she thinks that. You said that she's stubborn enough to know when Josh is not here correct? Well, I think this may be the protesting of her subconscious to get Josh here."
"But she's angry at Josh." I stated flatly.
"Well, yes. But that doesn't mean she stopped loving him."
"No- but there is now at I'm letting him anywhere near her."
"Maybe just a recording that can snap her out of it and let the medicine do it's job." He persisted.
"I'll admit: I like your dedication to help my sister. But this is Josh we're talking about. If he goes in there, your cousin will go in there too. Even if this were to work, one sound from that girl and her body will shut back down."
"Yeah I know. That's why I am going to get Josh alone."
"You're telling me that you can do that?"
"Oh totally. All I have to do is send my cousin for food." He said smirking.
"Come on, Topanga it's the only way she'll let herself heal. You said it yourself: she's stubborn and would gladly lay her life down to get Josh down here. Now that he is, we need to prove it. Comatose patients can hear and smell, their subconscious tells them what is familiar and what is not. It'll be simple." Jake pleaded, maybe this was our only shot, long shot, but a shot in all.
"Fine. 3 minutes, that's all unless we see progress."
"Yes! Thank you. Hopefully this does work and that I do know her well enough."
"Jake, didn't you all go to the same high school in Philadelphia?"
"Maybe, I was only there for senior year anyway." He said and opened the door to lead me out and proceed with the plan.
We looked over and saw the gang huddled in one corner on the opposite end of Josh and his girlfriend. I looked over and saw my daughter's lip bleeding.
"What, the hell happened to you?!" I exclaimed.
"Mom, she insulted aunt Stella, I wasn't gonna just sit back while she continued so I launched myself at her and I think I broke her nose but she did hurt me."
"Riley!" I looked over to Josh's girl and back at my daughter, "when we get out of here, when Stella wakes up, remind me to take you out for ice cream." I wink at her and turn to Josh, proceeding the plan when I realized Jake was still there.
"Josh, I have decided that you can go see my sister. However, it can only be you, and you alone." I looked at his eyes and saw relief. Jake stepped forward,
"Hey cuz, do you think you can go get us some food for lunch?"
"Sure thing! I'll be back in a few." She got up and left. Everyone let out a breath of relief and happiness.
"Finally!" I turned and saw Maya fist bump the air. I smiled and turned to Josh,
"Guys I know you don't like her but I do. So can you at least try to be nice?"
"After she insulted Stella when she's in a coma? I don't think so. I'm even debating whether or not to tell her we aren't actually cousins." Jake said strained.
"She's not your-"
"No. She isn't. Now please follow me. We don't have much time before she comes back." Jake ordered.
They walked away and I slowly turned and got to her door. I saw Jake watching through the window with sad eyes,
"You stepped back didn't you?"
"Huh? I don't know what you're talking about." He said, the sadness gone.
"You stepped back for Josh. Because you knew he loved her and she loved him."
"Huh. Way to- uh poor salt into that wound."
"Sorry, I just- I see the way you look at her. It's the same way Shawn looks at Katy, how Cory looks at me. But it's also the same way Josh looks at her."
"Josh is with Lucy now. And once someone's with her they have to fake their deaths to get away." He laughed.
"So you admit your feelings for my sister?"
"Yes. This is me confessing. However, I can never be with her."
"Why not?" He smiled and peered over at the two people in the room.
"Because Stella will never stop loving Josh. No matter what he does, or doesn't." The sadness returned but was gone as soon as it came. He walked in and checked her vitals. They were rising.
"What did you say?" He said worried, his eyebrows furrowed as did mine.
"I'm not gonna ask again Joshua." He stepped forward.
"I just said sorry and that I still loved her as a friend." He said, his hands going in the air as is to surrender.
"Jes- Get out. You have to get out now." He said as he saw her body visibly shaking with her vitals spiking.
"God- Topanga get him out of here!" He ordered.
"Get out. Get out now or I'll show just exactly what I learned when I trained with Stella." I said lethally.
"Oh my-" I heard a flatline. I whirled towards Jake with tears in my eyes.
"What-" he interrupted me by pulling out a walkie-talkie,
"Dr. Palmer, Strange. My girl just flatlined."
I felt tears fall down my face.
"Your girl? She's nothing yours." I turned towards Josh who had spoken.
"Out. Now." I growled. And he left without question.
"Tell me you can bring her back." I ask crying.
"We have seven minutes before the brain goes." I heard a strange, different voice say.
"Keep her heart pumping." A familiar voice said, Dr. Palmer. Jake immediately started to do CPR. A nurse brought in a machine that had two handles, a defibrillator. Jake stopped and grabbed the two handles. I turned towards the window and saw the girls front and center of the gang watching.
"No- go back!" I yelled and went to close the blinds.
"No! Let us watch!" Riley said and I nodded.
"Jake." He turned to me, I pushed down the agony I was feeling and pulled myself together. These girls needed me to be strong
"They're counting on you to bring their aunt back." I checked the timer, we had 5 minutes left.
"Oh, I'm bringing her back." He said and started to rub the two handles. Dr. Strange was still checking her brain activity.
"4 minutes." He yelled at the same time Jake yelled,
"Clear!" He put the two handles on Stella's chest and she shook.
"Turn the voltage higher." He rubbed some more and again yelled clear.
"Oh my God, oh my God. Please, give her back. You can't take her." I say softly to not distract anyone.
"Again!"
"2 minutes!"
"Sir if we go any higher we can possibly fry her and the entire electricity circuit." She informed.
"I don't care! I'm not giving up on her yet!" He yelled as he did every thing he could for my sister. I frantically looked at Cory for some support, but I saw my two girls staring in horror, watching their aunt die. I felt arms grab me and pull me to the side. I turned and saw Cory with red-shot eyes and tears spilling and I held on tighter.
"She's got this. It's her choice, Topanga." He said and I turned towards the gang as they all cried, Josh looked like he was about to die along with her. But then I saw Jake, doing everything he possibly could for my little sister; even as tears fell he continued.
"I don't care! Higher!" He screamed.
"1 minute!" I turned to the defibrillator and saw that it was at 360 J.
"No! Higher." He commanded. The two doctors turned to him.
"Do you think she-" Dr. Strange started,
"One way to find out." Jake snapped.
The voltage was now 500 J, he was gonna fry my sister.
"45 seconds."
"Got it dude."
"30."
"Not helping." And with that he hit her with the electricity.
He body jumped and shook.
"0 seconds. She's gone." My heart dropped as if it weighed 1000 tons. My body filled with ache of the agony in my heart.
"No." Jake denied, wiping his tears away.
"Jake," Dr. Palmer started,
"She can't be." He whispered, "not her. I won't lose her."
Beep, silence, beep. Everyone turned toward the machine and towards Stella, I lift my eyes towards my baby sister. Her hand shot out towards Dr. Strange and shocked him. In a split second, the room went from silence, to a beep, to a flatline once again.

I fell to my knees, not able to handle the pain. Cory hugged me tighter as I weeped. My girls sobbing in each other's arms.
"I'm calling it." Dr. Palmer said, grief filling her tone.
"Time of.. death," she hesitated and looked at her watch.
"3:16 AM, June 7th, 2017." She let her tears fall. I couldn't think of how I'd tell my parents. Dr. Strange looked over at us and leaned against the wall. Everyone was silent.
I turned to Jake who was holding my sister's limp hand and was silently crying with love and anguish in his eyes. I walked over to him and put my arms around him as he cried with me. Both doctors stepped aside and let our family in to say their goodbyes.