Swept Off My Feet- Rini Fanfiction

I Know That Something Has Changed

*Ricky*

Nini's been asleep for the past two hours. Doctor Miller announced that EJ was taken immediately into surgery, due to his blood pressure dropping.
They weren't sure of the cause, however.
The three of us decided to stay in the waiting room, and wait for the the result of the surgery. I told Nini that she should try and sleep, even though she was acting nervous and couldn't stop walking up to Megan, the receptionist, and asking the status of EJ Caswell.
I finally helped her steady her breathing and she calmed down.
Now, after two hours, Nini was sleeping on my shoulder, Ashlyn was flipping through a magazine, and I was just patiently sitting there, trying not to fall asleep, and trying harder not to wake Nini.

*Nini*

"I'm so sorry," Doctor Miller told the three of us as we stood around EJ's dead body.
"There were too many complications and-"
"-It was a simple fix," I interrupted. "You take the water and blood from his lungs and stitch him back up."
"Ms. Salazar-Roberts, it's a much more complicated procedure than we thought."
"This is the best hospital in the area," I said, looking up at the doctor. "And you couldn't even save my friend from a fist fight."
"Nini..." Ricky started.
"No," I cut off, looking at him. "He should be alive."
"But, Nini-"
"He should be alive!"
Ricky's eyes had tears in them. They never left from when we went into the hallway, seconds after the announcement of his death.
Ricky was going to say something, but didn't.
"I'd like to cremate his body," Ashlyn told the doctor, her face still shiny with tears.
Doctor Miller nodded. "Alright."
I looked away from Ricky and walked over towards EJ.
I put my hand up to his face. He should be jogging with me on the beach, eating pizza with all of us for lunch, and preforming a kick-ass musical this fall.
"Please wake up," I whispered, even though I knew he wasn't going to. It all felt too unreal. In a span of three hours, my ex boyfriend, now current close friend was lying in a hospital bed, ready to be cremated.
"Wake up!!" I yelled.
But EJ Caswell is dead.

"No!" I exclaimed and snapped my eyes open, grabbing the arms of the chair I was sitting in.
"What's wrong?" asked a worried Ricky, who was sitting next to me in a chair.
I nervously looked around the room and I'm in the hospital waiting room, with Ricky and Ashlyn looking at me with worried expressions.
"Where's EJ?" I asked, still breathing with uneven and heavy breaths.
"He just got out of surgery," Ricky told me, turning my shoulders for me to face him. "You've been asleep for about two hours."
I look at him, and then at Ashlyn.
"He died," I told them.
Ashlyn and Ricky exchanged confused looks.
"What?" Ashlyn asked.
I stood up, feeling as if I couldn't sit still.
"He..." I trailed off.
I put my hands on the sides of my head. "His lungs had water in them, and because of the fight, he also had internal bleeding, which was causing the blood to seep into his lungs as well."
Ricky stood up and took my hands away from my face and held them by our waists.
"You must have had a nightmare," he told me.
"EJ's in good hands. He'll be okay, and he's not dead."
"But..."
"It was a dream! It's not real," Ricky told me.
"But, you were there, and we watched him die. I watched him die."
"It's okay," Ricky whispered, bringing me in for a hug.
I instantly broke down in the middle of the waiting room, in front of Ashlyn, and an elderly couple who were sitting away from us.
"EJ's not dead?" I asked him quietly.
"He's not dead," Ricky said, and even though my face was next to his and I couldn't see his expression, I could tell he was smiling with relief.

*Ricky*

I felt bad for Nini, waking up thinking that her ex boyfriend was dead.
I wouldn't be in a great mental state either.
We sat around for about another half hour until an intern with really short blonde hair came out from behind the doors to the medical wing.
"You must be the friends and cousin of EJ," he said, looking over at Ashlyn.
We all nodded.
Nini sat forward more in her chair, listening intently.
"EJ's surgery went incredibly well. It was quick, and he's going to have very fast recovery time."
I let out a breath of relief.
"We located the water in his lungs, quickly extracted that, and found out that his rib had a hairline fracture, nothing too severe."
I caught Nini trying not to smile, but she couldn't help it.
She had just woken up from a dream where she thought he was dead and now, to hear this news, I wouldn't blame her.
"However, the fight caused a lot of bruising to his abdomen so he'll be sore for the next week, especially after the procedure we just performed."
"Thank you so much," Ashlyn told him, a wave of relief hitting her as well.
The intern smiled. "He's in the recovery room right now, so if you'd like to see him, you may."
Nini was up out of her chair before he could finish the sentence.
We were led down the hallways of the hospital and stopped in front of a small room labeled:

Recovery

The intern motioned us inside and we all walked in, Nini going first.
Ej was sitting up against about ten pillows on the bed, looking paler than usual, but nonetheless, the same EJ we all knew and loved.
"Hey guys" He grinned, putting both hands up in excitement of seeing us.
"EJ!" Ashlyn and Nini said together and rushed over to see him.
"You feel fine?" Ashlyn asked quickly.
"I do," EJ admitted, the smile not leaving his face.
"I thought you died!" Nini exclaimed.
EJ looked at her cautiously. "Why?"
I walked over to them. "She has a nightmare."
"Ricky..." EJ said, still smiling. He bright his fist up and we bumped fists.
"Glad to see you doing good," I told him.
"Little sore," EJ admitted.
"The doctors said that you would be," Ashlyn told him.
We all stood around him, not knowing quite what to say.
"Do I look good right now?" EJ asked.
"You look like you've been dunked in bleach and then got hit by a car," Nini admitted.
We all burst out laughing.