This Love, This Hate (A Lesbian Romance)

TLTH Chapter 26

This Love, This Hate 

Chapter Twenty-Six

                “Why the hell do bad things always happen in threes?” Raine groaned, resting her head in Malarie’s lap and sniffing as they waited on the uncomfortable waiting chairs at the hospital. “Randall, the ocean…this…” Raine started choking up for what seemed like the millionth time that hour as she pulled the hood of the Zoe’s ‘My Chemical Romance’ zip up hoodie she’d swiped from the back of her car up over her head to hide in the shadow beneath it.

                “It’s okay, hun. She’s going to be okay. I feel it.” Malarie soothed, though there were fresh tears in her eyes as well.

                “This is all my fault. If we’d left even a minute earlier that wouldn’t have happened.” Raine whimpered.

                “Hey. That’s not true. It doesn’t help to dwell on things you can’t change or be sure of.” Malarie advised, stroking Raine’s back and looking ahead of her at Jesse anxiously pacing a few feet in front of them, “Jesse, how are you holding up?”

                “I bloody hate hospitals and I’m worried sick. We don’t know anything about her condition. So I’m not quite sure I truly have the answer to that at this point.” Jesse said irritably. Malarie shrank back in response and turned her attention back to Raine, reaching inside her hood and gently stroking her cheek.

                “We are too, Jess.” Raine sighed, leaning into Malarie’s touch and closing her eyes as Ms. Farr rushed in with her new beau.

                “Where is she? Is she okay? What have they told you?” She questioned, her face full of concern.

                “How are you all doing? I know you’re very close to her.” Paul added with compassion in his eyes.

                “We’re a bloody mess, you bastard. What do you think?” Jesse snapped; he definitely wasn’t his usual carefree and respectful self here.

                “Sorry, Paul. He’s got a thing against hospitals. We don’t know anything, really.”  And you don’t know anything about us or how close we are to Raine, she wanted to add, though she held her tongue. “She’s not conscious, but they have her stable now and they’re running tests. That’s about all we know.”

                “Besides that, what took you so long? We’ve already been waiting two hours.” Jesse pointed out hotly.

                “When we found out, we had already ordered food for everyone so we had dinner and then boxed up the rest. Miranda insisted.” Paul answered, completely unphased by his hostility.

                “Mom, what the hell?” Malarie demanded with a look of disgust, “Your daughter’s unconscious and you stop to eat first?”

                Before Miranda could defend herself, the doctor stepped into the waiting room. Raine and Malarie sprang up to meet him while Miranda sighed and took a seat with Paul. “It’s not that I wasn’t concerned, it’s that I knew she was being rushed to be seen and we’d be playing the waiting game anyway. Why not enjoy part of it?”

                “I know, Miranda. I’m sure they’ve been on top of it. Tensions are just high right now.” Paul acknowledged.

                A few feet away, the doctor was answering the trio’s deluge of questions to the best of his ability within the small window of time he had. “We’re still figuring out the severity of her condition, but she should be alright. Luckily, nothing seems to be too traumatic other than a few broken ribs and a concussion. She should be retaining consciousness soon, though we’d like to admit her to monitor and restore her the best we can first.” He explained before he was paged over the loud speaker, “I need to be getting back. I’ll have the nurses get her admitted and you can see her there.”

                “Thank you so much.” Raine murmured, pushing back her hood and smiling hopefully at Malarie and Jesse, “I’m so glad she’s going to be okay. I was so scared that she…that it would be worse.”

                “We all were. Bring it in, girly.” Jesse encouraged, pulling both of them into a hug before they stepped over and informed the other two of what he’d said about Zoe.

                “Good to hear! Are you three hungry? We’ve got all that food out waiting in the car.” Ms. Farr offered.

                “I’d kind of like to see for myself that my sister is okay first.” Malarie snipped before linking arms with Jesse and Raine, “We’re going to find out where they’re taking her and walking there.”

                “We can come along!” Ms. Farr replied sweetly.

                “I uh…want to take a walk first. Gather our thoughts. We’ll grab you lot after.” Jesse hedged, guiding the two girls out before she could object.

                “God, I need a cigarette. Can I bum one?” Raine groaned to Jesse once they were out by Malarie’s car.

                “Be my guest. I probably need two,” Jesse agreed, pulling his pack out of his back pocket and glancing at Malarie, “Would you like one as well, girlfriend?”

                “Sure, but this is a rare thing. I don’t normally smoke.” Malarie sighed, hugging herself and leaning back against her trunk while Jesse lit each of them a cigarette. He passed Malarie’s to her second and she smiled slightly as they made eye contact, “Thank you, boyfriend.”

                “You guys know that I know you’re together, right?” Raine pointed out, shaking her head as she peered across the parking lot and at the setting sun, “Zoe and I don’t even have labels for each other…”

                “The labels that apply to you aren’t as cut and dry.”  Jesse offered after a thoughtful moment. They all smoked thoughtfully, each thinking about Zoe among many other things until Malarie’s text tone sounded. Jesse glanced curiously beside him at her as she grinned at whatever it was and tapped out a response, “Is there a sale on shoes or something?” He teased lightly.

                “What? Oh, no. It’s a friend from home.” Malarie corrected, biting her lip as she put her phone on vibrate and finished her cigarette, “You two ready?”

                Raine nodded numbly as she stomped her cherry into the pavement and Jesse shrugged, “I suppose. I don’t think I really need that second one. We better go grab your mom.” Jesse noted before sliding an arm around each of their slim waists.

                “I can’t believe they had dinner before coming over here.” Malarie grumbled as they made their way towards the Emergency Room entrance.