How is she today, doctor…? Any changes?" she whispered in a voice that was hardly louder than the wind. She lingered in the doorway, almost afraid to come closer; afraid of what she might see.
The doctor looked at the monitors and then replied. "She's stable at the moment," he said, fiddling with an IV line with practiced hands. "Her breathing is a bit better today. That's a good sign." His voice was even, but you could see in his eyes that too many long nights and similar conversations pressed on him.
Emily nodded, squeezed out a weak smile and made her way to the side of the bed. The room smelled mildly of antiseptic, the groan of machines occupying the empty spaces between her breaths.
"Hello, Mom …" Emily mumbled sinking down in the chair beside her. Her voice broke. She brushed back a wisp of hair from her mother's forehead.
Her mother's eyes fluttered open, just slightly, and a faint smile curled beneath the clear oxygen mask. Her eyes even softened a little at her daughter's.
I just left school," Emily said, attempting to sound cheerful and failing. "I—I miss you, Mom." She broke off, choking on the words and a single tear escaped from her eyes before she drew it quickly away.
She wiped it away hastily, and when she took her mother's hand, made sure to be as delicate as possible with the tubes. I'm handling everything at home, I swear… OK? Her voice shook as she drew closer, her thumb making small circles on the cold fingers of her mom.
And her mom squeezed her hand — not hard, faintly, barely — but she squeezed it. Enough to make Emily's chest constrict and her eyes sting.
The monitor beeped evenly in the distance, ticking time with lumbering frail measures.
For almost an hour she sat beside her mother's bed, speaking quietly to her, wiping her face, listening to well-trammeled rhythms of the machines. And then Emily stood, stiff-legged and aching-hearted, heavier than when she had entered.
She spread the blanket neatly, like she was tucking in a child.
"Okay, Mama…" she managed to suss out without misery.The pain was a chunk in her throat. "I'll be back tomorrow I promise".
Her mother's eyelids fluttered, the tiniest bit of motion to prove she'd heard.
"I still have homework to do," Emily continued, trying to sound nonchalant but with a quiver in her voice. "And… I have to be at work soon, at the cafe." The words choked in her throat as she said them out loud; it had been a race against the clock each day, and she still couldn't keep up.
She kinda leaned down and gave her mom a gentle kiss on the forehead, lingering just a bit more than usual. It was strange how cool her mom's skin felt; really made Emily want to close her eyes.
"I love you," she said softly.
After that, she straightened up, picked up her old backpack, and took her time walking to the door. Just before leaving, she stopped to glance back , her mom was lying there, all still, surrounded by those tubes and the soft beeping sounds.
Emily put on a little smile, even if no one was around to see it, and stepped into the hallway, feeling sort of ready to face the world again.
Ryan's Pov
Yeah, Dad... I've got everything under control," he said, sprawled out on his huge king-size bed, one arm propped under his head, phone pressed against his ear. The room's so big it kinda echoes when he talks, with marble floors, those tall windows, and a chandelier that he never asked for. Yet, he feels super small in it all.
Murphy's voice came through strong, deep, and trying to sound like he's being supportive but kinda strict instead.
"Are you sure you're ready? You've never, "
"Totally. I'm going tomorrow. It's my first day," Ryan jumped in, a nervous grin creeping onto his face. Honestly, his heart was thumping like crazy more than he'd ever admit. High school... like, real school? It felt like stepping into a totally different universe.
He flipped onto his stomach, kicking his legs in the air like a little kid playing it cool even though he was freaking out. "Yeah, yeah, don't worry," he reassured, trying to sound chill. "Everything's gonna be fine."
He bit his lip before saying, "I'm not gonna let them know I'm some billionaire's kid or anything. I just wanna be... normal. Just this once, Dad."
That silence on Murphy's end was long enough for Ryan to eye himself in the massive mirror across the room. He looked all confident and chill, like the perfect version of himself. But his eyes were telling a whole other story, filled with all that hidden fear.
"I can do this," he whispered to himself more than to his dad. "I really want this, you know?"
And then there was another pause.
Murphy sighed again. "Okay. But your driver will, "
"No driver," Ryan cut in fast. "Seriously. I'm taking the bus. I wanna experience it fully."
His dad grumbled something under his breath but didn't push back, which felt like a win to Ryan.
In the end, Ryan hung up, letting the phone drop beside him. He buried his face in the pillow and let out a shaky breath.
Once the call ended, the phone slipped from his fingers, bouncing onto the silk sheets as he just stared at the ceiling, completely frozen for a quick second.
And then, wow, he got hit with a wave of excitement.
He sprang up, bouncing on that huge bed like a kid who just got their favorite candy. Everything about his normal calm, rigid posture was gone. Now he was just.
Emily..
Emily groaned when her eyes finally opened. Man, that morning sun blared right in her face. Squinting against the glare, she glanced at the small clock on her nightstand.
Her heart sank a bit.
"Crap, I'm gonna be late for school…" she grumbled, kicking off the flimsy blanket.
She leapt from the bed, feeling a bit wobbly for a sec, her body still worn out from yesterday's shift and the hospital trip. But like, no time to feel worn down. Not today, not a chance.
Emily dashed into the tiny bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to snap herself awake. The face staring back looked just as tired. Dark circles, hair all over the place, and she had no time to cover any of it up. Tossing her hair into a messy ponytail, she yanked her school uniform on faster than usual.
Her backpack was half-open on the floor. She crammed in her notebooks, a wonky pencil case, and that homework she barely scraped together last night. Zipped it up, tossed it over her shoulder, and bolted to the kitchen.
Opened the fridge, and it was like a desert in there. Just one lonely apple.
"Guess that's breakfast," she muttered, snatching the apple and bolting out the door.
Stepping outside, she barely caught the sound of the bus rumbling in the distance.
"Oh no, don't you dare leave me behind!" she gasped, sprinting as fast as she could.
The bus was already at the stop, doors starting to shut.
"WAIT!" she yelled, running full tilt, her backpack bouncing, and her apple nearly flying out of her grip.
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror, paused for a moment, then sighed and kept the doors open.
Emily stumbled inside, all breathless.
"Thanks… really," she said, trying to catch her breath.
The driver just nodded. "Rough morning for you?"
She chuckled a bit, shaky laugh. "Yeah, something like that."
Finding an empty seat, Emily let out a big sigh. Another chaotic day starting.
But hey, she made it. Just about.
Emily was just kinda stuck in the middle of this packed bus, trying to grip the pole as it jerked forward. Every single seat was filled. A few students glanced her way, some were curious, some looked annoyed, and others seemed totally bored.
Great… just what I needed, she thought, looking down the rows for a free spot.
Then she heard a shout from the back.
"Hey!!"
Emily turned to see.
There was this guy in a really crisp button-up shirt, way too put-together for your average student. His hair was styled like he'd binge-watched a few too many tutorials and ended up freaking out. And his fancy backpack? Yeah, that did not fit in with the rest of the bus's vibe at all.
He seemed like… innocent enough. Almost clueless. Like he had never been in a public school before, for real.
"I got space here!" he said, grinning like he just saved the world or something.
That's kinda weird… Emily thought, hesitating a bit. He seemed friendly enough, but why was he acting like sitting on a bus was such a big deal?
But honestly, she needed a seat.
Navigating down the aisle, she held her apple tight, trying to calm her breath after hustling to catch the bus.
"Umm…" she began, feeling a bit awkward. The boy was suddenly all straightened up.
"I'm Ryan," he said, extending his hand like this was some business thing instead of a school bus. His grin was wide but had a hint of nerves in it.
Emily blinked, thinking, who introduces themselves like that on a bus?
"…Umm… thanks," she said, shaking his hand for just a sec. His grip was soft, maybe a bit too cautious.
"I'm… Emily." Flopping down next to him, she let out a sigh of exhaustion.
Ryan stared at her, like he was watching some rare creature for the first time.
Sneaking a glance at him, Emily thought, yeah… this is definitely odd.
The bus started moving, and for a brief moment, it felt like the universe kinda shoved them onto the same path together.