Lilianna sank deeper into her chair, twirling her pen absentmindedly as the professor droned on about the harsh realities of law practice. She glanced over at her best friend Grace, who looked just as unamused as she felt. The lecture seemed to drag on forever, each word taking effort to absorb as her eyelids grew heavy.
"I'm almost done with this," Lilianna thought, "but I could really use a distraction right now."
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Lilianna quickly shoved her books into her bag, barely glancing up as Grace walked over, a laugh already bubbling up.
"Am I the only one who felt like that lecture lasted a lifetime?" Grace asked, still chuckling.
"Seriously! It took everything I had not to nod off. I was beyond bored." Lilianna replied, her voice filled with a mix of exhaustion and frustration.
The two girls walked side by side through the hallways, the chatter of other students buzzing around them as they made their way toward their dorm room. Lilianna threw her bag on her bed, but as she did, her phone vibrated in her pocket. The number on the screen was unfamiliar. A strange, uneasy feeling gripped her stomach as she answered.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Lilianna Rodes?" a woman's voice asked, calm but urgent.
"Who is this?" Lilianna's heart began to race, her instincts telling her something was wrong.
"My name is Rachel Gomez. I'm a nurse at Savannah Hospital. There's been a terrible accident involving your parents and your sister. Are you able to come here?"
The world seemed to stop for a moment. Lilianna's heart sank, her blood running cold as the words barely registered. She felt the color drain from her face, her mouth going dry. Grace, sensing the shift, quickly glanced at her, her eyes wide with concern.
"Yes, I'll be there right away." Lilianna's voice was barely a whisper as she hung up, her hands shaking. The tears had already started to well up in her eyes, and as she turned to face Grace, she could no longer hold them back.*
"What happened?" Grace's voice was tight with worry as she rushed over, pulling Lilianna into a tight hug.
"My parents… my sister…" Lilianna could barely speak, the words getting stuck in her throat as sobs wracked her body. "I—I don't know… but it's bad."
Without hesitation, Grace gently pulled back, her face determined.
"I'll drive you," she said softly, but with an urgency in her voice. "There's no way you're going to make it there like this."
Lilianna didn't argue. She kept her head down as she pulled her hood up, trying to hide her face from the students around them. Grace guided her swiftly out the door, never once asking if Lilianna was okay. The moment they reached the car, Grace didn't waste a second. She started the engine and drove off without a word, the weight of the situation pressing in on both of them.
"Where am I going?" Grace asked, her voice gentle but confused.
"Savannah Hospital," Lilianna responded, barely above a whisper. The words felt heavy in her mouth, like they didn't belong.
The drive felt like it took an eternity. Grace tried to comfort her, her voice soft as she said, "They're going to be fine, don't worry." But Lilianna knew better. She could already feel it in her gut—something was wrong. The nurse's voice on the phone had been too calm, too professional. It was never a good sign. Tears welled up in her eyes again, but she didn't say anything. She couldn't find the words.
For the rest of the ride, Lilianna stared out the window, her thoughts a jumbled mess. Silence stretched between them, heavy and thick.
As soon as the car came to a halt in front of the hospital, Lilianna was out of the door before Grace could even put the car in park. She ran—no, she sprinted—toward the hospital doors, her heart pounding in her ears. She didn't care who saw, didn't care about anything except getting to her family. A nurse at the entrance saw her coming and quickly stepped in her path.
"Are you okay? Do you need help?" the nurse asked, her eyes wide with concern.
"Rodes... my family was in a crash, last name Rodes," Lilianna's voice was shaky and breathless, the words coming out in a jumbled mess.
"Are you Lilianna Rodes?" A nurse rose from behind a desk, her expression somber. "I'm the nurse who called. You'll need to go to the waiting room. The doctor will speak to you directly."
Lilianna barely registered the nurse's words. Before she could respond, Grace was at her side, her hand on her shoulder. Without a word, the nurse directed them toward the waiting room. The hallways felt endless, and every step felt heavier than the last. Time seemed to stop as they walked, the minutes stretching out like hours. Lilianna couldn't sit. She paced in tight circles, her thoughts chaotic, her eyes filled with unshed tears. Her body felt as if it were vibrating with nervous energy.
Grace watched helplessly, her own face a mask of worry. She wanted to say something—anything—that might ease Lilianna's pain, but nothing felt right.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door to the waiting room creaked open, and a doctor stepped inside. His expression was guarded, but there was something in his eyes that made Lilianna's stomach drop. She knew, even before he spoke.
"Are you Lilianna Rodes?" The doctor's voice was gentle, but it carried the weight of bad news.
"Yes," Lilianna said, her voice barely above a whisper, her legs threatening to give out beneath her.
"I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but your parents didn't make it. They were dead on scene. The paramedics tried, but it was too late. Your sister, Carly Rodes, is in critical condition. She hit her head on the side window. There's significant brain swelling. We've placed her in a medically induced coma to help reduce the swelling, and then we'll be able to evaluate the damage."
The words hit Lilianna like a physical blow. She blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of it all, but it was as if she couldn't breathe, couldn't move.
"Will she... will she live?" The question felt wrong as soon as it left her lips. She didn't want to ask, didn't want to hear the answer, but she couldn't stop herself.
The doctor hesitated, glancing down at the folder in his hands before meeting her gaze again. "There is a high probability, as long as there's no significant nerve damage. But right now, we just don't know. We'll need to wait for the swelling to go down to make a clearer assessment."
"Can I see her?" Lilianna's voice was small, fragile, as if asking would somehow make it real.
"Not yet. We're running more tests. But you should be able to see her soon."
Lilianna felt her world crumble. Her knees gave out, and she sank into a nearby chair, hands covering her face as she struggled to breathe through the tears. Grace knelt beside her instantly, pulling her into a tight hug.
"I'm so sorry about your parents, sweetie," Grace murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm here, okay? I'm here."
Tears streamed down Lilianna's cheeks. What was she supposed to do now? How could she handle this? Her mind kept racing, her heart aching as she thought about her sister lying there in a coma. Would Carly be okay? Would she ever wake up?
Time dragged on slowly, every minute feeling like an eternity. Lilianna's eyes grew heavy, her body too drained to fight against the fatigue. She leaned back in the chair, her head resting against the wall, trying to fight off the fog threatening to take over.
Then, through the haze, she saw a figure approaching—a woman in a maroon suit, her hair pulled tightly into a bun, holding a folder in her hands. She walked with purpose, but there was something in her demeanor that told Lilianna this wasn't just a routine visit.
"Are you Miss Rodes?" The woman's voice was firm, almost too composed for the chaos that surrounded them. She slid her glasses up her nose and glanced at Lilianna, who was still struggling to process everything.
"Yes," Lilianna replied, her confusion clear. Why is a person in a suit approaching me and not a doctor or nurse? Her heart was still racing from the doctor's visit, and now this woman, with her calm demeanor, was adding to the overwhelming weight of the situation.
"My name is Petra Ramsey," the woman continued, her voice steady but detached. "I'm with social services. We need to discuss your sister's living situation following the loss of your parents."
Lilianna blinked, her mind still reeling. Living situation? What the hell was this woman talking about? She barely heard the rest of Petra's words.
"Was there any mention of godparents, or anyone in your parents' will regarding who would be the caregiver of the children in the event of their passing?"
Lilianna felt her throat tighten. The nerve. Her parents had just died, and now this stranger was asking her about guardianship? Her vision blurred as the anger rose.
"Not that I'm aware of," Lilianna snapped, her voice shaking with frustration. "Don't you think this is a little soon to be throwing all these questions at me? My parents just died, and my sister is in a coma!"
Petra didn't flinch. Instead, she calmly folded her hands in front of her. "Actually, I'm trying to give you a chance to think about a next of kin who could have guardianship over your sister. If no one else is named, technically, you'd be the next of kin."
Lilianna's chest felt tight. The weight of the responsibility was suffocating. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. This was all too much.
Grace stepped forward, her voice low but firm. "Why don't you give her some time to process? She can get back to you when she's ready."
Petra didn't seem to acknowledge the sentiment. Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out a business card, handing it to Lilianna. "Here's my card. When you've come to a decision, give me a call. Keep in mind, guardianship can take some time to establish. The sooner you decide, the faster we can start the paperwork."
She turned and walked away before Lilianna could say anything more. Lilianna stood there in stunned silence, the card still in her hand. Guardianship? It felt like she was being asked to take on the world when she could barely hold herself together.
Grace's voice broke through the fog of disbelief, laced with anger. "How rude. Like, 'sorry your parents died, now let's rush you into making life-altering decisions before you've had time to breathe.'"
Lilianna just nodded, the tears welling up again. It was all too much. She wanted to scream, to push everything away, but the weight of the decisions pressing down on her was suffocating.
"Miss Rodes?" The doctor's voice broke through Lilianna's haze as he stood in the doorway. She jumped to her feet, her heart racing.
"Can I see her now?" she asked urgently, barely able to keep the desperation out of her voice.
The doctor nodded, his expression gentle. "Yes, you can. Though she's in a coma, she can still hear you. Your voice may bring her comfort." He gave a small, encouraging smile before turning to lead the way.
Lilianna followed him through the sterile hallway, her footsteps echoing in the quiet. The weight of the moment pressed heavily on her chest, and her thoughts kept spiraling—What if Carly doesn't wake up? What if I can't handle this?
They stopped in front of a room with curtains covering the doorway. The doctor pulled them back, revealing Carly lying motionless on the bed, her body hooked up to various machines and tubes. Lilianna's breath caught in her throat as she stepped forward.
Carly's face was pale, her once vibrant energy replaced by the stillness of the hospital room. The rhythmic beep of the heart monitor was the only sound, alongside the steady whoosh of the machine breathing for her. Lilianna's chest tightened, and tears flooded her eyes.
She reached out and gently grasped Carly's hand, squeezing it as though trying to reassure herself as much as her sister. She sat down beside the bed, the weight of the situation crashing down on her.
"What are we going to do now?" Lilianna's voice trembled. "Mom and Dad are gone, I'm in college, and we have no family left. It's just us now."
She glanced down at Carly, watching her sister's chest rise and fall with the aid of the machine. It felt so unreal—how could this be happening? How could everything change in the blink of an eye?
"Don't worry, Carly," Lilianna whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She gently stroked her sister's hand, as if trying to send her some kind of strength. "I'll take care of you. Nothing will ever hurt you again. I promise."
As she spoke, she absentmindedly reached into her pocket and pulled out the card from the social worker. The reality of her new role—the one she hadn't fully processed yet—settled like a weight in her stomach.
But she couldn't back down. She wouldn't. "I'll take care of you. I'll make sure of it," she repeated softly, her voice firm with resolve. "We're in this together, Carly. We always have been."