Tangled With My Roommate

Chapter-38: Unbearable Guilt

|| Theo ||

I walked, more like I was being pulled by Wyatt, into the emergency center. I didn't have the strength to walk on my own.

I just wanted to see Ara alright, but I had a feeling that wasn't what awaited me.

"Stay here," Wyatt instructed and started talking to the front desk lady while I stared around the lobby blankly. There was a rush among the nurses and ward boys due to the accident, but no other people were around probably because it was... I had no idea what time it was. Most probably way past midnight.

I faintly heard the front desk lady talk, "There are five patients from the car accident. None of them is the car owner, nor do they have any IDs or cell phones. Two of them are going through critical surgery, another one of them is in the ICU, and the other two are in no danger but severely hurt. May I know the description and the outfit of the person you're looking for?"

"Coral Hawkins. Age 17. She has wavy honey blonde hair. She was probably wearing a golden dress..." Wyatt described Coral and then looked at me to speak.

I cleared my throat and said, "Name, Arabella Laurel. She was wearing a dark pink knee-length dress. She has short light brown hair—"

"I think I found both of your matches. The blonde girl is out of danger," she informed, and we both sighed in relief. "However, the short-haired girl's condition isn't looking good. She's undergoing emergency surgery."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"May I know your relationship with the patient before I reveal any further information?" the lady asked.

"I'm her boyfriend and roommate."

"I see. Have you contacted her parents yet?"

"No, she doesn't have any. Anyway, where's the ER?" I asked, having no patience to rationally think.

The lady checked her computer and said, "It's in the farthest room on the right across that hallway."

"You go there, I'll check up on Coral," Wyatt said, and I nodded.

I found the emergency rooms and saw the red lights glowing on two of them. "What the hell? She didn't say which one," I cursed.

I took deep breaths and sat on one of the benches as my legs felt shaky. I buried my face in my hands while murmuring, "Please be fine, Ara. Please be fine. Don't leave me. Please, God, nothing should happen to her..."

I have no idea how long I sat there by myself, just desperately praying to God and hearing the faint footsteps of the nurses, light chatters of the patients, beeping of the heart monitors, and crying. When Wyatt came, I told him to stay with Coral. Somewhere in between, I had the thought to give a call to Camila's house which was picked up by her mother, so I told her everything and told her to inform everyone else.

After a long time, one of the emergency rooms opened and a doctor walked out with his head down. I immediately stood up, but before I could ask anything, he said, "Are you the family of this patient?"

"I'm not sure. She has short hair—"

"Yes, yes, that's the girl." The doctor let out a disappointed sigh. "I'm sorry," he uttered, giving a pat to my shoulder.

Even though my heart was throbbing painfully inside my chest and it made it hard for me to speak, I still inquired, "Sorry? Sorry for what? What are you saying?"

"I'm sorry. We couldn't save her."

My whole world came crashing down as I let out, "W-what?"

Impossible. This was a dream. No, a nightmare. It couldn't be true. Someone needs to wake me up. This wasn't happening.