Chapter 33

                                    

                                          
Rhys
Two fucking hours. 
They haven't let me see her for two fucking hours.  
I've counted the tiles on the walls as I've paced up the hallway many times. 
If anyone's wondering, it's forty-three. Forty-three tiles up and forty-three tiles down. 
It's the only thing I've been doing. 
The burn in my chest is back. That sharp pounding. It eased slightly when the doctors took her but came back in full force when the nurse told me stay in the waiting room so the doctors could work. 
A hand lands on my shoulder. I look up to meet Mikes gaze. "She's going to be okay. She's a fighter."
But he doesn't know that. No one knows that. She hadn't regained consciousness since she mumbled something about her bra-which I will be asking her about later because what?
Mike squeezes my shoulder again, harder. "Don't think like that. Don't go there."
But it's the only place I can go. Besides these stupid white hospital walls. There and to the depths of the knowledge that this is all my fault. 
I should have told her to wait for me. To wait until I was done practice and then we could have head over together. And I should have fucking known her dad was going to be there. It's been around two weeks since they called Maeve he was getting out earlier than expected. 
We both should have fucking know. 
I brush Mike off, picking at the blood that's now dried into every crack of my hand. I don't bother looking for a place to wash it off because that would probably be the moment the doctors walk out and tell us we can go in and see her. 
Or that she's dead. That too. 
My throat tightens, and tears burn my eyes. "I just need her to be okay. To wake up."
My vision blurs and I can feel even more tears flooding down my cheeks so when two hands grasp my shoulder, I'm surprised it's Noah who's there. 
"Maeve is going to wake up. And she's going to be just fine. Because when she does wake up, you're going to be waiting there for her. Just like you've been doing all these years." He dips his head to meet my blurry gaze. 
"And if you keep blaming yourself for this-which I know you have been- then you're a bigger idiot than I thought you were." Noah says, an encouraging smile grazing his lips. 
"I'll keep that in mind." I almost laugh but my throat tightens. "Liam? Where's Liam?" I glance around but I'm only met with Cam and Mikes worried looks. 
"Liam is perfectly fine. He's still at my apartment with Allie, watching Thomas The Train." Noah reassures, his voice calm and gentle. 
"I hope it's alright that the two of us came. We thought you could use some support." Cam pulls me into a hug, breaking apart when footsteps sound from down the hall. 
My gaze catches on the nurse with tanned skin and dark lips, the same nurse who introduced himself earlier.  
He comes to a stop in front of me, a warm smile on his lips. "If you could follow me, I'll take you up to see Ms. Foster. We've put her up in the ICU, but by tomorrow, we're hoping to have her moved out and into her own room."
"Well, what happened? Is she going to be alright?" I fight back the urge to pull at my hair. 
The nurse nods, looking hopeful. "Ms. Foster will make a speedy recovery. Your friends will have to wait down here. Only two people at a time unless someone wants to come up with you."