Page 60 of Fragile Kiss (Fragile 2)
Before the plane landed, he memorized everything he wanted to say to her. He repeated the lines in his head so many times he felt like an actor rehearsing for a play, only this meant the difference between having Lillian back in his life or not. His heart pounded as he grabbed his backpack and walked into the arrival hall, scanning the faces and body shapes of everyone there until he saw a familiar one. The most beautiful one.
Hey, he sent her a message. I’m here. Are you okay?
“Hey,” came a quiet, frail voice from behind him.
He spun around and saw her standing there, pale as a ghost and boasting purple bags under her eyes. Without thinking he pulled her close, feeling the coldness of her skin through her hoodie.
“I’m sorry about this,” he whispered, gently rubbing her back. Just yesterday she had looked more vibrant and lively, thanks to the California sun and her emergency pill that saved her from that awful flare-up. But this was not the same Lillian standing here in his arms, her shoulders shaking from despair.
Finally, she pulled away and rubbed her eyes. “Let’s go,” she croaked, walking in the other direction. “Mom and Dad are waiting for us to get there. I stay with him overnight.”
Cayden stared after her for a second, shocked. He had seen Lillian down plenty of times, but this was something alarmingly different. Every step she took threatened to bring her to her knees; he wanted to carry her to the car and had to hold his tongue to keep from asking.
“I, uh, ordered some pizza. It should get there around the same time.” He was at a loss. What the heck am I supposed to say in a situation like this?
“Thank you,” she smiled, but no sign of happiness showed on her face.
“Can I...” Oh, man. How do I ask this? “Can I ask how—”
“I really can’t talk about it until we get there,” she interrupted, walking into a parking lot the size of a lake. “I won’t be able to drive.”
“You already look like you’re not able to drive.”
She didn’t respond to his comment. “I’m not parked far. I got lucky.”
Cayden didn’t dare to open his mouth again until they got in the car. Lillian cranked the engine and turned to face him. “Mom and Dad are Frances and Tanner Waters. Andrew and Amelia’s parents.”
He nodded, and focused on her while she drove back to the hospital, watching her every move to make sure she was okay. She wasn’t shaky and didn’t nod off to sleep; she just looked like some otherworldly spirit floating around, her gaze going straight through everything.
When they parked at the hospital, he popped his knuckles nervously. “So how do you know your way around without a GPS?”
“I mostly grew up here.”
“Oh yeah?” Expecting some answer he waited, but all he got was a dismissing nod. He tried again. “Well, the pizza should be here in a few minutes. The delivery guy will call me when he gets here.”
“Thank you,” she said again, walking into the main hall of the hospital and heading straight for the elevator. Cayden had never realized how nervous hospitals made him until this moment, and his nervousness intensified when they walked into the room where Andrew lay unconscious, hooked to so many machines he looked like a robot instead of a human.
“Cayden,” he heard an unfamiliar voice call, tearing his eyes away from Andrew. An older man and woman rose from their seats. “It’s so good to meet you. Thank you for coming.”
He gave them the best smile he could afford. “You must be Frances,” he forced a small smile, embracing her in a light hug. She smiled back and pulled a blanket tighter around her shoulders.
“Good to meet you,” rumbled the man, stepping forward and holding out his hand. His build was incredibly athletic. “Tanner Waters.”
Cayden shook his hand firmly. “Pleasure.”
A tiny glimmer appeared in Tanner’s eyes and he looked over at Lillian, who had curled up in a ball in a chair on the other side of the room. “Take care of her for us, will you? She hasn’t left this room at all until she picked you up.”
“Absolutely,” Cayden replied, hoping he sounded as confident as he felt. “I’ve got some food coming for her soon.”
“She sure needs it. We’re not far away; she knows where we are if anything happens.” With a pat on Cayden’s back Andrew’s parents plodded out of the room, leaving him standing there with a zombie Lillian and an unconscious Andrew. He put his backpack on a chair and slowly sat on the chair next to Andrew’s head.
Weird, he thought, suddenly aware of his every breath as machines pumped and emitted beeps every few seconds. It looks like him. He knew it was the same person he had seen a few months ago, but it was still surreal seeing him like this. Unresponsive. Hooked to machines and tubes. Bruised forehead. His body was covered by two thin sheets to shield him from the cold room. Cayden wondered what the full extent of the damage was.
He tiptoed into the adjoining bathroom, trying to keep as quiet as possible, but the flush sounded like a typhoon. His phone rang at the same time. Wincing, he ducked into the hallway to answer it. The pizza had arrived.
Lillian hadn’t moved, so he went downstairs to retrieve the food. When he came back up she was in the same position, but it only took a minute for the smell to fill the room and get a response out of her.
“I have pizza,” he taunted, holding up the box.
