All Nighter // Colby Brock

Chapter Fourty: Gone

"D-dad, he's d-dead." As the words came out of my little brothers mouth, my body froze. Everything went numb as the words swirled around my head.

My dad's dead. The man I looked up to my entire life.

"W-what?" I asked, my body beginning to shake, signalling an incoming panic attack. Tears began to swell up in my eyes, about to spill out.

"I'm so sorry Ali," he sobbed, causing me to sobb. I felt my legs give out beneath me as I fell to the floor, the hard, cold floor.

Rustling of feet and squeaking of chair legs on scraping the floor came from the dining room as everyone rushed into the kitchen.

"Ali!" I heard Colby yelled. Everything around me began to disappear, my vision becoming spotty and my hearing going quiet.

"Oh my god, Ali!" Aaron yelled.

The line went dead, I threw my phone across the kitchen with as much force as I had, which wasn't much at the moment.

Colby ran over to me and picked me up from my fetal position on the floor and sat me down on his lap so I was facing him.

"Babygirl, what's wrong? Please tell us, you're worrying us." He said softly as I sobbed into his chest, soaking his shirt with my tears.

Everyone waiting impatiently for my answer as I cried my heart out. My dad's dead. Why? How? When?

When I finally could get a breath in, I lifted my head from his chest and wiped my eyes.

"M-my d-dad, h-he p-passed a-away." I managed to get out before letting out another sob and placing my face back on Colby's chest.

Everyone went silent, I couldn't tell if they were all frozen in shock or if I had gone deaf. Colby held his arms around me tighter.

"Baby, deep breaths. In, out." He said softly in my ear, trying to slow my breathing cause at this point in hyperventilating. Aaron had ran to my room to get my inhaler that I have for when I get panic attacks like this.

"Ali, I'm so sorry." I heard Kat say inbetween my cries.

If any of you have had a death of someone close to you in your life, or if you know of anyone that has lost anyone close to them, then you know the feeling. The heart breaking, room spinning, nauseating feeling that sticks with you for days, weeks, even months.

Its unbelievable, how one minute I can be enjoying a nice breakfast with my best friends and the next, I'm finding out that my dad died.

My dad, he was my favorite person in the entire world. He taught me everything I know. How to ride my bike, how to drive a car, how to do trigonometry, how to stand up for what I believe in, how to protect the ones I love, how to care for someone. I was the bigggest daddy's girl when I was younger. I remember he would always take me to the toy store by our house every weekend and he would let me pick out any toy I wanted.

Memories like those would stick in my mind forever. Because he was my hero. He molded me into the person I am today, he made me the way I am.

We all sat there for a while in the living room, I could tell that Colby was crying because of the way his body shaked everytime he took a deep breath. I heard small sniffles from everyone else every once in a while.

Then something happened that I never though would happen. Sam hugged me, then Corey, then Devyn, then Kat, then Aaron, then Jake. We sat there in a group hug for a few minutes.

"We're all here for you Ali," Sam said quietly. I looked up from Colby's chest to see everyone gathered around me.

"Thank you guys," I tried to smile at them but I was crying to much and my face was sore and red from the tears.

"What happened? If you mind telling us, it's okay if you don't want to Ali." Corey asked.

"I-I don't know, the line went dead before my brother could tell me anything else." I wiped my eyes, trying to finally catch my breath.

I never thought that this would ever happen to me. Why me?

"I'm gonna call my mom, I need to know what happened. Col, can you come with me?" I asked as I stood up from his lap. He nodded and followed me to my room. When he stood up, I realized how red his face and eyes were, indicating that he had been crying.

I closed my bedroom door, allowing more tears to fall down my face now that I was finally alone. Well, alone with Colby's company.

"Baby, we'll get through this together, I'm so sorry." He said, holding me tightly in his arms.

I pressed on my moms contact and listened as it rung a few times before she answered. I put her on speaker cause I knew I was gonna probably end up throwing my phone again if it was in my hand.

"Sweetie," I heard her soft voice as she sniffled.

"Hi mom," More tears began to fall from my eyes once I heard my moms voice and how broken it sounded.

"I'm so sorry that you aren't with us right now sweetheart, I know how hard it is." She said.

"It's okay mom, I'm with my roommates. What happened to dad?" I asked.

"This morning someone from his troop came and told your brother and I that there was a malfunction with some of their nuclear equipment while they were testing it at the camp during training. I'm so sorry sweetie," She began sobbing.

"You were always his favorite Allison, the soldier that came this morning brought some of his things to us. You're brother and I have agreed to give you some of his belongings from the camp since you're so far away from us. We all miss him so much, even though it has been less than 24 hours." She continued on saying.

At this point, I'm sitting on my bed with Colby as I sobb into his shoulder. Hearing the way he died made this whole situation even worse.

"We aren't sure when the funeral will be, but it will most likely be back in Connecticut. That way your grandparents on your fathers side won't have to travel far."

"Mom, I'm sorry. This is just so sudden, I need time to process everything." I cut her off. When my mom is upset or angry or nervous, she tends to ramble off, that's where I get it from.

"I understand Allison, I'll send you the information when we know everything. I love you so much sweetie." She said.

"I love you so much mom," I let more tears fall down my face.

I wish I could just tell my dad I love him one more time.