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I sit back down, and I'm just drifting off when I sense movement. I sit bolt upright and see Nate's eyes flutter ever so slightly.
"Nurse, nurse, come quickly!" I call out the door before running straight back to grab Nate's hand.
"Nate, it's me. Wake up," I plead as I stroke his head.
"Are you okay?" the red-haired nurse asks, a little out of breath.
"His finger moved, and so did his eyelids," I squeal.
The nurse opens his eyelids and shines a light before looking at the lines and squiggles on the monitor. "So, it looks like there's clear brain activity happening, which is amazing news. I can't promise anything, of course, but I'm confident he's coming out of the coma, but he's not quite out of the woods yet."
"But that's good, right? It means he's waking up?" I ask, feeling hopeful.
"As I said, I can't promise anything, but I'm very confident."
I send a message to the whole group, including Gabe.
Izzy:Guys, I think he's waking up!!!!!
Ava:We'll all be there ASAP.
Tucker:We're loading up the bus right now, do you need anything?
I don't even have time to answer before Gabe bursts through the door on crutches and rushes to Nate's bedside.
"What happened?" asks Gabe, sounding out of breath as he pants and wheezes. "I got here as fast as I could; the fucking cops had far too many questions."
"His finger moved, and his eyelids fluttered. The nurse said he might be coming around."
We both sit back down and wait. The rest of the gang arrives shortly after and joins us. Together, we wait, and wait, and wait some more.
"Come on, guys, visiting hours ended an hour ago. I shouldn't have let you all in as it is. You need to leave," the red-headed nurse says.
"It's okay guys. You've been here with me for almost three hours," I say, looking at my watch.
"Go back and enjoy your last night at the cabin. Nate would want you to make the most of it, and I'll call you if anything changes."
A collection of exhausted voices say "fine", "if you're sure" and "thanks Izzy."
"I'm just a text away and I don't intend to drink, so no matter what time it is, call me and I'll bring us all back right away," Tucker says, hugging me. Ava comes and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "We're a family, Izzy, we're always just a phone call away."
I hear a growl from Gabe before he says, "I'm not fucking leaving."
"Well, technically, since you were too stubborn and didn’t finish filling out the discharge paperwork, you're still a patient with a hospital bed on the next floor. So you don't have to leave yet, but one word or one outburst, and I'll call security," the nurse says sternly.
The rest of the gang disappears and it's just me and Gabe. "Why do you have to be so fucking rude to them?" I ask, not even caring anymore that Gabe probably hates me.
"Those guys, having the audacity to call themselves his family! I'M his only family," he rants.
"You know what, Gabe?" I raise my voice now. "Those guys ARE his family. They may not share his blood, but that doesn't make them any less his family. They met him when he was broken and alone and built him back up piece by piece. They were the ones who took care of him when no one else did. They were the ones that helped him when he woke up at night with nightmares. We were the ones who showed him what it was like to be truly loved!" I realize I'm yelling now, but I don't care. I know I finally have to speak my mind. "And where was his so-called big brother? Drinking himself into oblivion, just like your MONSTER OF A FATHER!!!" I scream.
A nurse rushes through the door, probably to see what the commotion is about. "It's time for you to go," she says firmly to Gabe.
"I'm not fucking leaving!" he yells back. I can see by the look in his eyes I’ve hit a nerve. "You have no idea what our childhood was like, living in your perfect fucking family with your perfect fucking life. You have no idea how we lived."
"Ha, perfect. You have no fucking idea what my life is like. I have been abandoned by my parents since the day I was born. I'm just lucky to have my Nana and Pops. I've been suicidal because of it. I used to see a therapist and take antidepressants or cut myself to deal with my feelings of inadequacy. But I've never hurt anybody, unlike you...you're toxic as hell, Gabe.” I take deep breaths trying to calm myself down.
“You've always been toxic and hurt everyone who tries to love you. Now, the only person in the world who will ever love you is lying here in this bed, half dead, because of YOU!!!!" I scream at the top of my lungs, not even caring that Gabe is towering over me in a way that is clearly supposed to intimidate me. I continue to try and meet him eye to eye.
