Keeping Jemima

Should have been me

Matty

"MATTY WAKE UP!" Tom was shaking me violently awake
" what! What happened?" I looked over to check on my sister who wasn't in her bed "did something happen did they take her somewhere? Why didn't they wake me? Where's William? Is she with William?" I confusedly asked the faces looking at me. The three boys all stood there puzzled.
"We were going to ask you the same thing?" A confused looking milo asked, his injuries had been minor and he hadn't been in to see either of them yet feeling guilty that he had got off lightly compaired to Jem and max, wait max!
"Max!" I exclaimed "how did she...William must have taken her to see max, that bloody dopey push over." I complained, he'd cancelled his return to work as soon as the accident happened or at least delayed it and had been in everyday keeping vigil by her bedside "Come on boys I'll bet any money you like my stubborn little whirlwind went to check on Maxwell."

We all hurriedly made our way to Max's hospital room, sure enough my little sister was curled up in the chair next to Max's bedside clutching his hand while her sleepy head rested on his bed, that position couldn't possibly be comfortable with broken ribs and a casted ankle or be any good for her recovery. She was pinned into the car wreck by her ankle, although she was conscious at first she passed out from the pain before they could cut her free. unlike max who hadn't been conscious at all since the impact. The pair of them were unconscious trapped in a burning car that had been flipped over several times after being hit by a speeding truck who had run a red light and hit them side on. All we could do was watch on helpless, the driver was killed on impact, we'd managed to get milo and Jack out of the smashed windows of the upside own car but we were dragged away when we tried to go back and help max and Jem. Ed, Tom and myself had been in the car behind and saw the whole thing happen in front of us, it felt like in unfolded in slow motion.

I kept looking at max, thinking it should have been me, he took my place in the car at the last second because Tom was in a mood about his ex rejecting him and taking it out on max. It was supposed to be his birthday celebrations, our two year band family anniversary, what had been a great day turned into a horrific nightmare, in a blink of an eye everything changed.

"She's really worried isn't she?" Milo sighed sadly
"I don't think she could face loosing anyone else, not after everything." Ed shook his head deflated
"I didn't tell her about his heart stopping twice while she was still under, I just couldn't face it. He's strong though, he's gonna make it boys, he just has to!"
"Damn straight He is!" We turned to see Jackie standing behind us with coffee "morning boys, I figured you'd know where she was, so I didn't bother ringing you." She smiled making her way into the room "the staff said it was fine to leave her asleep for now."

"Are you sure she's not intruding Jackie, I can move her if you want to be with max."
"No, don't disturb the little mite, he'd want her here. you're right I don't know what she'd do if he or any of you....it just doesn't bare thinking about." Jackie shook her head to get rid of the negative thoughts clearly running through her mind. "He's going to be ok" she repeated trying to convince us and her. "Henry popped in before he went to work, I think he prefers to be busy rather than just sit and watch his boy, he'll pop back in on his way home unless there's any progress. I don't think he's getting much work done, other than eating the staff room out of biscuits. He's a nervous eater is my henry."

We all sat round waiting for either one to wake up, the nurse came in to check on max which ended up waking up Jem.
"What are you doing, don't touch him!" She protested at the nurse flapping her hands at her to back away "you're gonna hurt him, stop!"
"Jem kiddo, it's ok they're just checking him over."
"He doesn't like needles Matty, he faints, he's a giant woss!" Jem exclaimed annoyed still, Jackie chuckled, Jem was right he was, we had to go get inoculations before we went on tour, he crashed out like a light watching Jem have hers done, why he insisted on watching god only knows, we warned him not to, Jem had to hold his hand and distract him when he had his done while Ed and I pinned him in his chair, petrified didn't even cover it when it came to needles and our max. "When is he going to wake up?" She asked the nurse.
"Well sweetie, a couple more days I reckon then they'll take him of the sedation and then it's a matter of wait and see. He won't wake up while he's sedated so not just yet. Brain swellings gone down, just the rest of him needs some t8me to heal." We all nodded as the nurse left.