The Constellation

Chapter Six: Yellow Gowns

There was no hiding from reality, Ash quickly figured out as she regained a painful consciousness. That distinct smell of starch and disinfectant which absorbed everything, burned her nose when she tried to breathe. The mattress had obviously been laid on for a few days, as she could almost feel the bottom of the bed, and every few minutes an armchair would rehearse a song of springs squeaking along with the occasional appearance of the horrid sound of rubber gloves being pulled in some direction. Those people who were in the room, all breathed the same rhythm. Annoyance and boredom.

She had been in this situation all too many times, as well as being on the other side of the bed, and they both affected her the same way. Giving her the feeling of nausea, and the large probability of life changing, heavy and chaotic choices that had to be made.

The last time she was on the other side of the bed, she had caused such a commotion from freaking out, that she had to be given a shot to calm her down, before Cheri could have someone take her home. That event was exactly why she couldn't remember the last time she ever saw her father breathing. Even though, underneath all the wires attached to him, and the bloated body weight he had gained, it was difficult to even notice in the first place.

"Mom, I wanna leave." was the first thing out of her mouth.

At the sound of Michael's voice, she shot her hand outwards and quickly found his hand, weaving their fingers together. "Well she's awake." he said to those in the room.

"That was faster than what Eric said." Cheri walked over to her bed. "Something might be wrong."

"No Mom! Don't get the doctor." Ash groaned, turning her head to the side, which was the only movement of resistance she could make. "I wanna go home."

"Sweetie, just calm down." Cheri huffed. She snapped her fingers at Michael to get his attention and roughly pointed down at Ash, mouthing, "Don't let her get up." then left the room. While the door was still closing from her departure, Emmalyn nudged her foot into the space and slipped in.

"Hey guys, Marisa, Kamden, Cole, and Tanja are waiting outside-oh Ash!" she hastily walked on the tip of her toes over to the bed, and gave her a quick hug. "How are you feeling?"

"I just wanna go home." she groaned. "Michael, steal your motorcycle and sneak me out in the middle of the night." his chuckle was soft, but close to a snicker. "Stop laughing at me!"

"I could embarrass you, but I'm not." he kissed her forehead. "Emma, tell the others to come back tomorrow. The drugs seem to be getting to her head."

She too let out a small giggle. "Alright. Get some more rest Ash."

"I don't wanna sleep, I just wanna go home!" Ash snapped, but dissolved into sobs. Michael's face cringed into a small sign of pain, as he watched her suffer. He slipped off his shoes and jacket, then cradled his arm around her back, to move her just enough so that his body could fit on the narrow bed.

"Shh, you're okay Ash, I'm right here." he calmingly whispered to her, while only bending his fingers to brush the top layer of her hair. The strength of her grip surprised him. She was holding onto his waist tightly, and shoving her head, face first, into his chest. Occasionally her voice would crack and a high pitched groan would surface to the level so he could hear it, but otherwise it simply remained a constant vibration against his shoulder.

"You know, I had your mom bring our movie. The nurses said we could watch it. Thought it might help you keep your mind off of the hospital." a persistent groan followed. He chuckled, nuzzling his nose into her mess of hair. Emmalyn had attempted to brush it, but was stopped by the medical staff because it would involve too much movement of her head. Therefore Ash's hair remained a mess from the confusion of Friday night, including the game itself. "Come on Charlie, don't leave me hanging."