Drawing Hope In Progress (5H/you)

Chapter 74

Dinah's pov:

I wake up as I hear Y/n's name being called. I move to sit up and stretch my neck after leaning it on Lauren's shoulder. We all rise simultaneously, and I hook my arm around Kardel's shoulders as we make our way to follow the nurse down the familiar whitewashed halls.

"Y/n is doing just fine. Her hands took like damage but nothing that couldn't be stitched for time to heal."

We continue down the hall pausing at room 5H.

"Will she be able to leave today?"

The nurse nods and gives us a warm smile as she opens the door. Jylie and Halle rush in beside her bed immediately. Kardel hides his face in my shoulder as we walk in.

Her hands are bandaged up, along with a few on her wrists and up her forearms. She is sat up in her bed, crisscross applesauce just staring blankly. I take a deep breath to try and hold back the tears.

Her small body turns slightly to embrace Jylie and Halle, but even they noticed she wasn't all there in the room with us. That a piece of her is missing.

I pause in the opening of the room, trying to listen to the doctor. Kardel keeps his head on my shoulder as I rub his back. I feel another hand slip in mine and see Ally with tearful eyes stand beside me. We look at each other for a moment and I see the despair I feel rise in the tears that brim her eyes.

"must insist she take the antidepressants that the last doctor wished her to go on." The doctor's eyes sweep through all of us while he speaks. "It's a once a day pill, and it should help her hormones and moods even out." I take a deep breath as I imagine trying to get the young girl to take a pill she desperately does not want.

"We will try our hardest doctor." The doctor shakes his head at Normani, "I will not let her leave unless I get a definite yes." We all look at her and then to one another knowing how tough this will be. We all silently agree we will work on it and Normani turns and nods her head. The doctor releases a sigh and turns to Y/n, "okay, I ask for you to wait outside in the hallway while she gets ready to leave." He shifts to start to the door, "it will be only a moment and then you are free to go." We all file out into the hall and huddle as we wait. I see a flash of something on Halle's face as her jaw tenses up, she's holding a quietly sobbing Jylie in her arms. We make eye contact and I see the flash again. I stand still worried as I try to relax Ally and Kardel.

Like the doctor said, a moment seemed to pass and the door is opened again with a small standing Y/n, bandages and all, her eyes to the floor.

Lauren and Jylie make their ways first to Y/n and hug her body which barely moves to reciprocate. They look at each other with worried glances and then each delicately take a bandaged hand to lead her down the hall. Kardel moves to hug Halle, the flash of something becoming more consistent.

We make our way through the white halls. And out the doors. I continue to side glance Halle trying to read the flash. We make our way outside and go to say goodbyes and Halle snaps.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT." Kardel tries to hold one of her arms as she points at the four of us. "You were supposed to PROTECT her, NOT hurt her!" I feel jaw start to drop, pulling Ally close who is close to tears at this point.

"Stop Halle, they couldn't have known." Jylie tries to reassure her but Halle continues. "LOOK AT HER JYLIE!!! THEY BROKE HER... SHE IS BROKEN!! MY... OUR BEST FRIEND IS BROKEN." Tears start to stream her face as Kardel wraps his arms around her.

"It's not their fault honey. It's the men who did this to her, not them." Jylie cradles Halle's face in her hands, brushing off the tears with the pads of her thumbs. "Please honey, Y/n will be alright. We ALL will make sure she is alright."

Everyone's attention shifts as we hear Lauren shush a now shaking Y/n. "S.. sorry." A small squeaky rasp slips from her lips. I can feel us all melt and relax at the small interaction with the shattered girl. "Shh shh shh... it's okay bug. You're okay. Not your fault. Sh sh... it's okay." We all surround Y/n in a hug, simultaneously releasing a sigh.

After moments of staying together, we split and all apologize to one another. I hug Halle who cannot stop crying. "It's okay Hal, we all understand. It's not your fault. We all care a ton about her. We will keep her safe." I feel her nod into my embrace and we separate.

They make their way to the parking lot as our limo pulls up, the waving and byes don't stop until we are in the limo and off to the bus.

I hug the younger girl in comfort as she quietly sits on my lap. Ally beside me delicately observed her bandaged hand, while Normani plays with her hair. Lauren is sitting opposite of us, biting her lip with anxiety. I nod slightly to her and receive a nod in return.

Out of all of us, Lauren is probably the most emotionally attached to Y/n out of all us, and with her specifically having friends in the past who have dealt with depression she probably understands the most.

"We're going to be okay." I rock Y/n back and forth lightly trying to lull her to sleep, "we will be okay, honey."

I feel her weight change as she leans more into me and drifts asleep upon my lap.

As we're all sure she is asleep will look between each other and land on Lauren. "What are we going to do differently?"