Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain

It's your father's orders

Lizzie's POV: A soft, familiar voice filled my ears as I slowly woke up, and for a second, I forgot about everything. I felt safe and warm. I intended to drift back off again before someone gently squeezed my hand. 

"All of this must be overwhelming. I can't even imagine how all this must feel like to you. The last thing you must remember is hanging out with Hope, or...the fire", Josie trailed off quietly. "I'm sorry that I walked out on you", she apologized sadly. 

My blood ran cold as I sucked in a breath. In truth, I was seconds away from shooting off the bed and looking over, but my body felt heavy. It felt like I was somehow trapped. What's happening? Why can't I move?

"Everything's different now. The town. The school. Me", she chuckled bitterly, causing me to pause in my panic as I forced myself to calm down. "I thought I lost you that day. That I...", she said as her voice cracked. "That I killed you", she whispered so quietly that I barely caught it. "I...I hurt so many people, Liz", she sniffed. "But the only person I could think of when I woke up that day was you", she admitted. "They had just wheeled dad into surgery, and we were all at your bedside, saying our goodbyes", she paused as if reliving the memory. "And when it came my turn...I just...I c-couldn't do it. I felt like I was loosing my other half", she choked out. 

"After everyone left that night, I walked back to your room and just stayed with you. The doctors told me that you wouldn't survive the night, but when I woke up the next morning...you were still here", she sniffed, tightening her hold on my hand. "You surprised everyone, and I was beginning to actually have hope. When the days turned into weeks, everyone was holding their breathes, but those weeks soon turned into months and then...years", she said as her voice wavered. 

"Every day for the past two years, I've sat in this chair. Waiting for the day that you would wake up, but I guess that after a while...I gave up too", she breathed. 

"I didn't want to. I wanted to fight, but every day people were telling me that your brain activity was almost next to nothing and that their was a possibly that you might never...", she choked out. "You just don't know how hard it was to sit here and watch those machines keep you alive. To watch you slowly slip away and being helpless to stop it. Knowing that you were in here because of me", she sniffed. "I just couldn't take it anymore. I just wanted the pain to be gone. I was ready to end it, Lizzie", she cried. "The day that you woke up, I was actually coming here to say my goodbyes...I was gonna pull the plug", she admitted quietly as I felt my heart drop. "But then they told me that you woke up, and I-"

"Josie", Stacy's voice interrupted. "Is she...", she trailed off.

"No, she's not awake yet", Josie sniffed.

"Why don't you go home. Get some sleep. It's late", she suggested.

"Sleep", Josie scoffed in disbelief. "How can anyone even think about sleeping right now? Don't you understand? I-"

I've never heard Josie sound this upset, this panicked, this desperate before. She just wasn't making any sense. 

"I can't", she finished shakily. 

"Josie", Stacy sighed sadly. "After tonight...you're not allowed in here anymore", she told her.

"What", Josie exclaimed, causing me to wince at her tone. She sounded furious. "No. No! You can't do that", she seethed.

"I'm sorry, Josie. It's your father's orders", Stacy said sympathetically.

"My father's...", Josie laughed as I heard her anger slowly melt away. "Can you just...can you do me a favor? Don't tell Lizzie I was here", she requested.

"Are you sure? You're sister would be happy to hear that you visited", Stacy pointed out.

"No, she wouldn't", she muttered so bitterly that it surprised me. "When she learns the truth...she'll hate me", I heard Josie's voice say before the door closed, leaving the room in dead silence.