An Unexpected Friendship

Chapter 28

"Someone help!" I yell down hall. Doctors and nurses flood the hallway and run towards me. "She can't breathe!" I tell them fearfully. I try to get back over to Alex, but a nurse forces me out of the room.

"What happened?" Servando asks breathlessly. "I-I don't know. She was fine and then she wasn't. Th-they wouldn't let me stay," I stutter. I run my hands over my face nervously. Servando pulls me over to him as we impatiently wait in the hallway outside of Alex's room.

After what feels like forever, Dr. Hartford finally exits her room. "Is she okay?" Servando asks worriedly. "She's okay for now. Her lungs became filled up with fluid which caused the difficulty breathing. We were able to drain the fluid and she's resting now," he informs us before walking away.

We cautiously enter Alex's room and find her resting comfortably. "You okay?" I ask her quietly. "Yeah," she mutters tiredly. I look to Servando who pulls Alex into him. He gently strokes her hair as she leans against him for support.

I sit down on the nearby couch as the two of them lay together in bed. I feel the exhaustion take over as my body sinks deeper into the couch.

...

Before I know it, I feel some shaking me gently.
I force my eyes open and see Servando crouched down next to me. "Come on kiddo. You've got school in an hour," he says in a hushed tone. I peer over his shoulder to see Alex still asleep. "Can't I just stay here today?" I plead. "You're better off at school. People are gonna be in and out of here all day checking on Alex. It's best if we stay out of their way," he answers.

I sigh knowing he's right and force myself off of the couch. "I brought your backpack and a change of clothes," he says pointing to the bag by the door. I thank him before grabbing the clothes.

I trudge my way into the bathroom and stop in front of the mirror. I examine myself closely as I stare into the mirror. I look exhausted, as if I barely even slept last night. I slowly change into the clean clothes and fix my hair. Once I look just barely presentable, I rejoin Servando.

"Ash is gonna pick you up and drop you off at school this morning. She should be here in 15 minutes," he says glancing at the clock. I give him a thumbs up before flopping back down onto the couch. I close my eyes to rest, but am woken up not long after.

"Ash is here. Syd is picking you up after practice and dropping you back off here. I know you don't want to go today, but just try to get through it," Servando says encouragingly. I give him a quick hug and drag myself to Ashlynn's car.

"Morning," she smiles softly. "Hey," I sigh tiredly. "Ready for today?" she asks. "To be honest, I'd rather be anywhere but school today," I sigh looking out the window. "Look I know things fucking suck right now, but she's in good hands. And you'll be back here before you know it," she says trying to cheer me up. "Not soon enough," I mumble.

...

The final bell finally rings signaling the end of the day. I sigh in relief knowing that I just have to make it through practice. Alex has been on my mind all day and it doesn't help that Servando hasn't texted me back either. I walk with Addison to the locker room, still being occupied by my thoughts.

"Everything okay with you? You've seemed off today," she points out. "Uh yeah. I'm just tired that's all," I answer rubbing my eye. I hadn't told anyone in the friend group about what happened yesterday. I just wanted to deal with it alone.

Once in the locker room, I drop my backpack and open my locker. I look at the picture on my locker door of Servando, Alex, and I from my first game. A small smile creeps up on my face thinking about that night. I still have no desire to practice today, but I change into my practice gear anyways.