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"Izzy man, she called both you and Nate constantly. Finally, the other driver picked up and told her what happened. Man, she ran all the way to you. She was the one who found you both before the ambulance came. By the time we all got there, she was covered in his blood and giving him mouth-to-mouth and CPR. She kept your brother alive until the ambulance arrived, and we still do not know if it was ENOUGH!" Tucker is yelling at me now.
"I need to go and see him," I say, trying to move.
"You have a broken leg and three broken ribs, Gabe. You can’t go anywhere. Besides, Nate's in a room covered in tubes and wires. No one's been able to see him," Tucker says, putting his hand on my chest and laying me back down, a little harder than necessary, especially when he’s already admitted to knowing I have broken ribs.
"So why the hell are you talking to me and not being there for Nate?" I snap, getting annoyed.
"Because Izzy has been pacing the floor outside his room all night, refusing to move. She will not even leave for a cup of coffee. The rest of the gang have gone back to shower and change. But I am here arguing with YOUR ASS because Nate is my fucking brother, and I know that despite everything that's happened, it’s what he would ask me to do.
Because even though he's the little brother, I know he thinks it's his responsibility to take care of you, so he would want me to be here taking care of you while he can’t. Whether my best friend wakes up or not, I could never live with myself if I let him down and didn't do everything he would do. I know he would ask this of me if he could. So lay your ass down and recover." Tucker huffs, sounding so forceful now. Who knew the puppy my brother spends all his time with had a big ass pair of balls on him? Normally, I would kill him for speaking to me the way he is, but I feel some respect for him because I know that, like me, he wants to take care of and protect Nate.
***
ISABELLA
"Izzy, wake up," I hear Harper say as she gently shakes me. I open my eyes to find that I'm still sitting in the same uncomfortable position on the floor outside Nate's room, but someone has thrown a blanket over me.
"Here, let's get you up," I hear Danny say before he picks me up off the floor and guides me to some chairs nearby.
"Any news?" I ask as Harper hands me a coffee.
"No, not yet. Ava has gone to ask the nurse for an update, so hopefully we'll know more soon," Sophie says.
I'm finishing my coffee when I see Tucker and Ava walking over, and I jump up from my chair.
"Any news guys? Please tell me you know something," I plead.
"Well, I talked to the nurse. She told me that the doctor starts his rounds in half an hour. She said she'll make sure he comes here first and should be able to keep us updated. However, she did say the first twelve hours are crucial, and it's only been eight. So, the doctor may not be able to tell us much," Ava says, hugging me tightly.
I rest my head against her shoulder and start sobbing again. How I can still cry at all is a mystery to me. I feel like I've done nothing but cry for the last eight hours. "He's got to be okay, Ava. I couldn't cope with losing him again."
"I know, Iz, we've all been praying and hoping for him to wake up soon. I called your grandparents, and they’re cutting their trip short and driving down once their flight lands. I told them not to, but you know how they are — they insisted. They also made me promise to update them when we know more," Ava says as she strokes my hair, trying to comfort me.
"And I was with Gabe," Tucker begins.
There is a collective cry of "why," "what's the point," "why are you wasting your time with him," from the whole group, but Tucker stands firm and continues.
"Because I know that's what Nate would want. As much as Gabe is a stupid, selfish, asshole, there's no denying that, Nate loves him, and he loves Nate. Both brothers would kill me if I didn't take care of the other," Tucker says as he sits down next to me.
"Thank you for that, Tucker. You really are a true friend to all of us," I say, turning to him and hugging him tightly.
We all sit down and wait. About twenty minutes later, we see two doctors walk into Nate's room. We all hold our breath, hold hands, and pray at the top of our lungs. Not ten minutes later, the doctors come out of his room, and I run to them. "Please tell me it's good news, doctor," I plead.
"Well, it's not the worst," the older man begins. "The swelling in his brain has gone down, which is a good sign. His vitals seem good, given the circumstances."
"He has a lot of broken bones and a punctured lung," the younger man continues. "And even if he does wake up, he's going to need a lot of physiotherapy to get back on his feet again."
"The first twenty-four hours are the most important because that's usually a good indicator of whether or not the patient will wake up. Unfortunately, we don't know how long his brain was deprived of oxygen. There is still a possibility of brain damage," the older doctor says.
"Brain damage," I gasp. I feel myself falling to the floor, before big arms catch me and lift me up.
"Keep going," I hear Tucker say, as he keeps hold of me.
"We still have three or four critical hours ahead of us, but so far the signs seem positive. If he’s not awake within that time, we'll give him something that will hopefully bring him out of his coma. Only time will tell how he responds," says the older doctor.
"Your boy seems like a fighter, though," the younger doctor adds over his shoulder as they both walk away.
"I can't lose him. I just can't," I sob aloud, as I bury my head into Tucker's chest. I feel him leading us back to the seats, but instead of sitting me down next to him, he holds me in his arms and lets me rest against him. I know I should move, but without Nate here, I need someone to help me carry this burden. I don't even have the strength to lift my head. Instead, I allow myself to be lulled by the familiar scent of his aftershave, which is the exact same one Nate wears.
