Into the Crowd. ✔

CHAPTER 21

Graham and Rebecca has been gone for an hour and in all that time Maddie was pacing up and down. Stewing on the news her father dropped on us. On some occasions I thought she would say something, but she pulled back every time. Even I was stunned silent.
"I can't believe he did all those things!" Maddie finally yelled out in frustration.
"Can't say I’m not surprised." I murmur truthfully, running my hands up and down her arms trying to calm her down.
"Yes, it’s cruel, but…”
“There is no ‘but’, Maddie. What he did was unforgiving. What he did to me and my brother out of spite? He ruined our lives and I know I can never move on from that.”
"And my mother played along every step of the way." She sighs dropping her head to my chest.
"I can't believe I am saying this but, I think he was telling the truth about the cancer."
"Me to… Josh, I don't know what to do! There's Taylor and now it’s the major bomb my parents just dropped on me. On us…" I press a kiss to her lips. It's been so long since I last had the opportunity to actually kiss her and feel her in my arms. There was too much going on around us. Her hands slips up, up against my chest and around my neck. She opens up and I got the first real taste of her love in days. We kiss through our longing and hurt and for a moment just focus on us, as a couple. Maddie pulls away, but kept her lips merely a touch away.
“I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve been here all along, Maddie.”
“I know, but it feels like I haven’t kissed you in weeks, get to touch your skin.”
“We’ve been busy.” She kisses me again, gripping the hair at the back of my neck. She sighs into my mouth and let the kiss linger for one more minute. Resting her head back against my chest she stares out to where Taylor ‘sleeps’. I rock her back and forth when I felt her tears staining my shirt. Just a slow flow, but sadness none the less. The door behind me flew open, cracking against the wall. Vicky came into focus. Her facial expression filled with dread and shock.
"There's been an accident!" We were out the room in a second, thinking that something happened to one of our friends.
"What happened?" I ask Vicky, grabbing onto her elbow to stop her from running of without telling us what the hell was going on. She ignores me and went straight to Maddie.
"Maddie, there was an accident. Your mom and dad…”
"No. No. No. Are they?"
"A kid ran in front of their car. He's in the ER and it’s not looking good." Vicky manages to choke out.
"Vicky, stay with Taylor until we get back." We didn't even wait for Vicky to answer before we rushed down the hall down towards the ER. We tracked our way down flights of stairs, there was no time waiting for the elevators. Rebecca was pacing the floor, her arm in a sling, but the moments she saw her daughter she rush over crashing into Maddie’s body. She held on and cried for long moments. Maddie slowly but surely brought her arms around Rebecca. Graham came over looking like shit with no indication on his body to let us know he was hurt. He was shaking and shaking like a man who did something terrible.
"What the hell happened?" Was the first thing I said when he saw us standing there with his wife.
"We…we were driving to our lawyer's office when suddenly out of nowhere this kid came running across the road... There was no time to react." He stuttered when he told me everything that happened.
"It's bad. Really bad. His head broke most of the impact. They don't think he is going to make it." The police showed up minutes later asking to speak to Rebecca and Graham in private. We waited a few minutes to find out if there was any news, but we went back upstairs after a while. Maddie was crying silently in the chair next to Taylor's bed. I held her for a moment letting her absorb the news about another family losing their young child, an accident which her parents played a role in. I don't know what to think.
“How can something like this happen, Josh?” Maddie whispers, but kept her eyes on Taylor.
“It was an accident, sweetheart.”
“My dad had done a lot of things, but this?” She looks up at me, tears in her green eyes.
“An accident, Maddie. Your dad are a lot of things, he’s a jerk, manipulative, but he is not a murderer.”
“You’re right,’ she reaches out to run her fingers through Taylor’s locks. Soothing herself in the touch.
“The poor family… He was there one moment and the next moment he was gone.” Tear were rolling down her cheeks onto the bedding. I slowly walk up the other side of the bed, taking Taylor’s hand into mine.
“Taylor honey… The brain is a mysterious organ, so I don’t know if you can hear me or not. We’re here baby girl, your mum and I, we’re here with you every second of the day. I know it hurts, you’re tired I know that, but please don’t give up. We need you, right here next to us. I miss you. We miss you. I need to know that you’re still fighting, but when you feel like you can’t fight anymore? It’s okay… It’s okay baby…” I cradle her hand against my cheek, letting her feel the heat of my skin mixed with tears and I lay my head on the bed beside her hand. Listening to the silent beat of the monitors. A couple of hours has gone by, but we still haven’t heard any news regarding the young boy. Taylor’s still holding on, even after everything I said to her earlier. I slept like that, cradling her hand like a baby, holding on to her and meaning every word I said. I knew that she was fighting, but I wanted her to know that it was okay to let go. It’ll break out hearts, but at least I would know that her place in heaven would be without any pain. A place where she can run free and be the little girl she never was here on this earth. The precious green eyed girl who in a couple of months
changed my world. It’s hard to imagine the kind of life without her. I found her just in time to say hallo and goodbye, but it is this goodbye part that sucked the strength out of my bones. Maddie hasn’t spoken to me ever since I poured my heart out beside Taylor’s bed. She’s been hiding in her own head. The only thing she did was staying close, her touch never leaving mine even though there are no words spoken. I hate this feeling of not having any power to save her life, not when my own hope starts to fade as the hours pass. Waiting patiently for the last shoe to drop and tell me it is over and there is nothing to be done. Every day you would look out into the world, wondering about all those people who goes through losses on a daily basis, not appreciating the moments you have with the people you love the most in this messed-up world. You see the world pass around you, but do you know that it all can chance in seconds? Hopelessness, fighting to hold on.
“I think it’s time.” Maddie’s voice breaks through out silence, and I knew immediately what she meant. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, trying to find my own words.
“Are you sure, Maddie?”
“Yes. She’s hurting, I can see it. She needs to be set free, to spread her arms and just fall into the crowd without looking back. It’s time… it’s time…” She lets out a loud sob, wiping the tears from her cheeks while trying to hold onto Taylor’s hand.
“I’ll go and get everyone to say goodbye. Take your time, I’ll be back soon.” I kiss her temple quietly, before I got up to call on Vicky, Charlie, Drew and Ezra, because they deserve a chance to say goodbye. All of them were sitting, sipping on their coffee cups and chatting among them. Their mouths shuts close when they saw me approaching, head down and warming my now cold hands in the back pockets of my jeans. My heavy body sinking onto the chair next to Charlie. Ezra hands me his cup and I took a sip and realized it wasn’t pure coffee and I accepted the burning sensation dripping down my throat.
“A’right mate?” Drew asks. I let out a loud sigh and sink down in the chair, resting my head at the back of the seat. Closing my eyes I struggle to get anything out. They’re all here, my family. In this short time the guys all got very close to Maddie, Taylor and Vicky, considering them family. Taylor loved them all and I know how hard it will be for them to say goodbye.
“Tired. In desperate need of a miracle.” I manage to say, looking at each of them.
“We made a decision… It’s time…” I could hear the gasps. Vicky starts to shake her head, getting up from the chair. Charlie tries to pull her back with his arm circling her waist and she fell back onto his lap.
“No.” She chokes out, but remained holding onto my brother for support.
“No, there must be something?!” She finally says clearly, but I shook my head and I watch her sinking down onto Charlie and burying her face in his chest. I could see his eyes soften as he wraps his arms around her.
“She’s getting weaker at the moment and honestly? I don’t know if either of us would be able to hold on any longer. We’re not giving up, we’re just letting go.” There was a minute of silence when no one made a peep, but that silence was interrupted with another outburst from Vicky. She’s shaking from head to toe, tearing herself from the arms of Charlie.
“I can’t accept that! She’s too young to die!”
“She’s hurting, Victoria.” Charlie’s voice shushed her. His voice in a soft whisper to calm her down. I reached for her and I pulled her towards me. I hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear but hard enough so that the others can hear me as well.
“I’m sorry, Vicky. There’s not much left for us to do. It’s time to say goodbye.”