✔ LITTLE MARA! ― (BRANDON ARREAGA)

thirty seven

I was awaken by the sound of constant beeping. A groan left my pale chapped lips as I reached blindly around me. Stupid alarm won't go off.

"Woah, calm down." I slowly opened my eyes and seen a woman with dark, almost black, hair tied back into a tight bun. She had a dark complexion, or maybe her pastel scrubs just made her appear darker than she actually was. She stood to the left of me fiddling with something. My eyebrows were in a permanent furrow as I looked all around me.

Pale beige walls surrounded me, a single baby blue and white line went around the entire room right in the center of each wall. Two medium sized windows were on either side of the large wooden door. My eyes trailed over me and plain white cast covered my right arm, from my knuckles to my elbow, and an IV was placed in the other arm. I glanced to my right and seen a giant teddy bear sitting in a plastic blue chair. My lips parted as I tried to remember what happened but each time I continued to draw completely blank. I swallowed hard as I glanced back over to the woman, "What happened?" I asked barely recognizing my own voice.

"You got in a car accident last night." She said, sympathy in her crystal blue eyes as she looked at me.

A car accident? I was with Brandon last night. "What about Brandon? The other person who was in the car with me?" I asked, almost tearing up at how bad my throat hurt. "Please tell me he's okay." I pleaded, my voice going higher in volume towards the end.

"He's in a lot worse condition than you, but he's still alive if that's what you're worried about. Dr. Graves will be with you in a few moments to tell you everything else you need to know." She said, crossing her arms over her slim torso as she sent me a small smile and left the room.

I should've asked her for some water. I need to see Brandon. I need to make sure he's alright. I let my eyes trail back over to the teddy bear and reached over with my cast-covered arm and grabbed it. I rubbed the fur on the over-sized bear and a small smile fell onto my lips.

"Ms. Mara, how are you?" I pushed the teddy bear out of my vision and seen a man standing at the end of my bed. A white trench coat covered his body and a pair of teal blue scrubs covered him from head to toe. He looked as if he were about to go into surgery or something. "I'm Dr. Graves, your doctor." He said, outstretching his hand to me as he moved to stand next to me.

I placed my hand in his hesitantly and shook it firmly, my cast-covered arm still wrapped around the teddy bear's neck. "Ah, i've seen you found the bear." He said tapping the nose of the bear, "You could probably call that your life-saver now." He said, making my eyebrows furrow. His eyes trailed over the clipboard in his hands.

"What do you mean?" I croaked out, making his eyes glance up to me.

"Well, Ms. Mara, the only reason you're not in the same condition as your friend is because of that bear." he said, making my eyes trail over the bear.

"What type of condition is my friend in?" I asked slowly, truly scared to find out the answer.

He glanced down to his wrist and slightly pulled the sleeve back to uncover a platinum colored watch, "A few broken ribs and slight head trauma. He hasn't awoken yet so until then we just have to wait and see what else has happened." He said, making my heart nearly drop.

I wanted to ask if I could see him, but he picked up the clipboard that he had laid on my bed and placed it back on the back of my door, "I'm truly sorry Ms. Mara, but I need to go. Doctor stuff. I'll be back on a couple of hours to check back up on you. If you need anything, just call on one of the nurses walking around here." he said, sending me a small pity smile.

I sighed and hugged the bear closer to my small body. My babies. I need to call my mom. Does she even know that i'm in a hospital? I looked around me in search of a telephone. I reached up carefully and grabbed the white phone hanging up behind the bed. I dialed my mother's phone number and placed it to my ear. She answered on the second ring, "Hello?"

"Mom," I started, almost immediately being cut off by a shriek I could only recognize as Lorenzo. A faint smile fell onto my face as I continued to hear my mom shush him.

"Liliana are you awake? Your father and I were by there earlier this morning and you weren't awake. I'm coming right now." Before I could even respond she had ended the call. I let a sigh fall from my lips as I placed the phone back onto the hook.

I really need some water and Brandon right now. A nurse in baby blue scrubs walked by and I tried to fan her down, "Ma'am!" I exclaimed making her come to a halt and glance through the window the the right of the door.

"Yes?" she asked, sticking her body halfway into the room.

"Can I get some water?" I asked her as polite as I could. Hospitals just make me annoyed for some reason. The people working could be so so sweet and I would still be annoyed. Don't even question it any further.

She nodded and left to go get it. She returned a near five minutes later with a white foam cup in her hands. She handed it to me and I thanked her quietly, taking a sip from the cup. The cool sensation made chill bumps arise on my skin as it ran down my sore throat. I continued to take small sips until it was all gone.

I waited in the quiet room for a mere thirty minutes before my mother burst in with a baby carriage in one hand and a diaper bag slung over her opposite shoulder. My brother walked in behind her with another baby carriage and followed her to the couch, placing Elena next to Lorenzo. They were both quietly snoozing and a small quietly graced my lips.

"Oh, my baby." My mother said, walking over to me and kissing my forehead over and over again. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes trailing over my arm.

"I guess." I whispered, glancing over to see my brother. He looked nervous. "Have you seen Brandon yet?" I asked, staring at him. After a moment of silence, I glanced up at my mom and she seemed to be avoiding my eye contact. "What's wrong? Someone tell me something." I said, my voice becoming stronger. "Please, just tell me." I said, my voice cracking near the end.

I knew it was something bad and I knew it had something to do with Brandon.

"Uh, Brandon doesn't know who you are or any of us are." Nick said quickly. I almost didn't comprehend the words that his lips spoke at first, but as soon as I did, Lorenzo began crying.