Now come one come all to this tragic affair
Wipe off that makeup, what's in is despair
So throw on the black dress, mix in with the lot
You might wake up and notice you're someone you're not

As I lay there, taking in Jack’s words, I felt like I was in a fog.

Here I was, momentarily relieved that I wasn’t actually stuck in the torturous nightmare my mind had created, only to discover that I’d ended up trading one tragedy for another. I had Jack again, but at a devastating price.

My baby was gone--Melody was gone.

She’d never have a chance to see the world, to have her first kiss, to find love; I’d never get to discuss her favorite princesses, or play dolls with her. I’d never get to watch as she’d undoubtably have Jack wrapped around her tiny little finger to get what ever she wanted. She’d never experience heartbreak, or joy or anger or wonder--any of it. She’d never experience the life she deserved all because of one stupid, reckless moment.

A drunk driver. That’s who had hit us at the light. Some random idiot decided that exact night to get wasted out of his goddamn mind before taking a joy ride and running a red light the exact moment Madison’s car was in the intersection. Jack told me the guy’d died on the way to the hospital, so he’d paid the price for being so stupid, I guess. But knowing the man who was ultimately to blame for the fact my baby was no longer with us did very little to ease the pain I felt.

The doctor came in not long after Jack had broken the news to me, introducing herself as Doctor Harrison before getting straight to business. She began going through a list of questions to asses my mental state. Compared to the questions I’d been given by the doctor in my dream, these inquiries seemed endless, thoroughly examining my mental state. I understood why--if the dull throb on my right temple was anything to go by, I’d hit my head pretty hard in the accident.

I answered the questions as best I could, though by the end of the questionnaire I was obviously half-assing my responses. I was done, so ready to move on from the dull Q & A I had been suckered into. Doctor Harrison saw right through this, and let up as soon as I answered where I currently lived by nodding my head towards Jack. “With him.”

Not exactly the answer I think she wanted.

But instead of pressing me further for a more detailed reply, she stopped the questions there, probably afraid of pushing me too far. As far as I could tell, Doctor Harrison was an extremely understanding physician, choosing instead to fill me in on what had happened to me. She basically reiterated what Jack had told me before, but of course in more sophisticated medical terms that I might’ve heard once on Grey’s Anatomy. But fancy or not, it was still pretty clear what she was telling me: I’d been on the receiving end of a drunk driving accident, I’d been severely injured and I’d lost the baby.

She added a bit more, describing my own injuries (including a stitched up wound in the abdomen, a small laceration on my right temple, a laceration on my left leg and a fracture on my right) before explaining what I was to expect during my recovery. “If everything goes smoothly and no infections take place, you can expect to be released in about two weeks, followed with physical therapy three times a week so we can make sure you’re up and walking as soon as possible.”

I nodded, while Jack cut in with his own question. “How long do you think that’ll be--until she can walk again?”

“Considering the depth of the fracture, I’d say at the earliest six weeks.” The doctor replied before smirking at me. “But don’t worry. Those weeks will fly by, I promise.”

I stared at her, wanting to believe in her hopeful words. I wanted to return her smile and believe that everything would be back to normal soon, but...well...I couldn’t. So what if I’d be able to walk again in a mere six weeks? It didn’t change the fact that I’d been in a car crash and it certainly didn’t change the fact that I’d lost my baby.

Two days.

I was in a coma for two. Days. And in those measly forty eight hours, it was as if all the joy in my life had vanished without a trace. I mean, I knew I still had my friends and family unlike my nightmare, but my mind was frozen on what I’d lost. I couldn’t understand it. How could such a drastic turn of events happen in such short time?

Noticing my mind was elsewhere, Doctor Harrison decided her medical spiel on my current condition had gone on long enough as she politely excused herself. “Well if you don’t have any more questions, I think that’s enough for now, Miss Lawson.” She said before nodding towards the door to my room. “Besides, you’ve got quite a few visitors waiting for you out there, if you’re up to it.”

I met her light brown eyes in hesitancy. Was I ready? Could I bear to face my family and friends when I was still absorbing the tragic events that left a permanent hole in my heart? My gaze quickly shifted to Jack as I asked him nervously, barely noticing the doctor sneak out of the room from the corner of my eye, “Who’s out there?”

“Right now, I think just your parents, Madison, Alex and Jo.” He replied. “Cass, Anna and the rest of the guys were here earlier, but after the first day we all started to take group shifts just in case you woke up.” He paused for a beat as he glanced down at his phone to check the time, cursing as he did so. It was nearly four in the morning. I guess I chose a hell of a time to wake up, didn’t I? “Fuck. You think they’d be mad if I call them right now to tell them the good news?”

I pursed my lips, feeling relieved that I wouldn’t be overwhelmed with familiar faces right off the bat. As it was, I really wasn’t sure how I would handle the group that was already there. My mom was sure to get hysterical, which was sure to get me crying and though I knew we were all perfectly justified to release the mix of relieved and devastated tears, I didn’t think I could bear seeing my mom so...broken. Growing up, she was undoubtedly the strong female role model I looked up to. She was strong, successful in her field, beautiful, and with the wisdom of Mother Theresa to boot. She was everything I wanted to be. That being said, I knew that if anything was going to break my mom, it was if something happened to her children. Granted, Madison and I were now both fine, but it was still bound to hurt her seeing me all bruised and bandaged, not to mention the looming loss of her grandchild. At the same time, I knew seeing her and the rest of the clan I called friends could be good for me, crying included. Or at least, I hoped, which was why I finally responded, “How about we focus on the people already here...it won’t hurt to let everyone else get a few more hours of sleep.”

He nodded as he leaned over to kiss my temple lightly. “Whatever you want, Sally.” He rose from his seat, walking back maybe two steps before he turned back around. “I’ll be back in a sec, okay?”

I let my head rise up and down in an automatic nod. “Yeah...”

His lips curled up slightly, his eyes meeting mine with that hopeful gaze of his, as if to tell me that everything would be okay. I was awake, and at the moment, that was all that mattered. Then, feeling satisfied that I would be alright on my own for the few seconds he’d be gone, Jack shot out the door.

I stared at the door for a moment, taking in the pale blue color it had been painted to contrast the otherwise neutral white colored room. I noticed the way the light reflected from the painted wood, the stark white reflection falling down the top corner of the panel like sharp, angular raindrops. From my place in the bed, I could even see a hint of the crevasses from the natural wood peaking thru the paint like natures very own thumbprint. I gulped then, realizing that the past few days, no matter how real my dream had felt, I never had been able to focus on that much detail. Then again, I admit my thoughts were clearly distracted and had no time for such minute things such as looking at the details of a boring door. But now, oddly enough, I found myself relieved as I began to take in the rest of the room, narrowing my eyes slightly so I could see as clearly as possible. I grabbed the thin hospital sheets still covering my torso and legs, watching as it crumpled in my fist. I let the cheap fabric rest tightly in my hand as I pulsed my fist a few times, taking in the feeling of the thread against my skin before finally letting go, creating a valley of fabric in my hand, just as it should.

I let out a breath of relief as I let my head fall back into my pillow in relief. Things were actually real again.

True to his word, Jack wasn’t gone very long. He returned maybe a few minutes after he’d left, but this time, he had company. “Oh, sweetheart!” My mom rushed into the room, almost running Jack over, her attention was so focused on me. “Oh, my poor baby!” She practically collapsed by my bedside, throwing her arms carelessly around me as she sobbed into my shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”

I nodded as sure enough, those pesky tears returned, falling down my cheeks silently as I took in my mom’s embrace. I tried my best to reciprocate, loosely snaking my arm around to her back despite my body yelling at me to get her off of me already. After all, I was still very much in the healing process, and now was not the time for bone-crushing hugs, from my mom included. Thankfully though, before I was forced to tell her to let go, my dad gently coaxed her off. “Caroline, let her breathe. Remember what the doctor said...”

My mom sniffed before finally releasing me, and I tried my hardest not to wince, but damn, was it hard. Every inch of my skin felt tight and bruised, and that’s not including the throbbing against my temple. I knew it could be worse, though. Thanks to the pain meds I was currently on, I could barely feel the stitched up wound in my abdomen, which was sure to hurt like a son of a bitch once those meds wore off. “Sorry, Christie.” My mom smiled weakly at me. “I’m just so happy to see you.”

“It’s fine, mom.” I assured her, making sure to return her smile as earnestly as I could, given the circumstances. I then glanced over at my dad, not wanting to ignore his existence. “Hi dad.”

“Hey, kiddo.” My dad smirked in response. I knew he was putting on a brave face for my mom--his glassy, watery eyes were enough for me to know that emotionally, he was easily at the same level as my mom. But someone had to be strong, hold down the fort. Usually, my mom was good at this, but as I said, the one thing that would trip her up faster than anything was something happening to me or Madison.

...speaking of Madison--

My eyes shot over my parents to zone in on the rest of the small group that had been in the waiting room. Three more people timidly stood a few feet away, distancing themselves from us as they let me have a one on one with my parents.

Alex, Jo, and Madison. Out of all of them, Madison was the closest, staring at me as if she’d seen a ghost, her eyes wide and brimming with tears. Her left arm was in a white cast, but other than a few scratches here and there, she pretty much went through the whole thing unscathed. “Hey sis...” I whispered as my parents looked over their shoulders at their eldest child. They took a step back, allowing Madison to tentatively take her turn in welcoming me back to the land of the living.

Step by step, she slowly approached me before finally sitting down in the lone chair Jack had been sitting in earlier. I opened my mouth to speak, to ask her how she was doing, but she stopped me in my tracks, her voice breaking as she sobbed, “Chris, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I should’ve been more careful. I--”

I gulped hard, and I could feel my heart pounding, the thumping reverberating wildly in my ears from Madison’s guilt ridden apology. My dad, on the other hand, stopped Madison before she could get too far. “It’s not your fault, got that Madison? It’s the idiot that chose to run that goddamn red light.”

“It’s not your fault, sweetie.” My mom repeated for emphasis, reaching out her arm so she could rub her eldest daughter’s unbroken arm in comfort.

Madison swallowed hard, choking back another sob before nodding at our parents, unable to say much else other than, “Love ya, Chris” before huddling next to my mom and bowing her head, clearly still fighting the urge to blame herself for the mess we’d fallen in.

Alex was next. He told me how glad he was that I was okay, and how he and Lis’ would be there for me for anything I’d need. “We’re just a call away.” He told me, a warm, welcoming smile on his face. “Hell, just say the word and I’m telling you, Lisa’ll be on the first flight to LA if you need her.”

I nodded, appreciative of my friends’ generous offer. “Thanks, ‘lex.”

He flashed another smile, bobbing his head softly as he did so. “Course, Chris. You’re like family to all of us. We just wanna see you get better, got it?”

I let my hand flow up towards the general direction of my right temple, making sure to keep a distance from the tender skin as I mock-saluted the singer. “Yes, sir.”

He chuckled, but stayed silent, apparently pleased enough by my response. He backed away a moment later, leaving the last person who’d up until then had been completely silent to softly speak up.

Jo.

“Hey Lawson.” She sniffed, her body language exuding her usual confident demeanor while her voice betrayed her, cracking sightly as she spoke.

My joints involuntarily stiffened as soon as our eyes met. Her rich brown orbs looked relieved to see me awake, but my mind was far too gone to notice such a detail. Instead, my brain was hung up on her greeting, something she’d said casually to me a thousand times since meeting her back in her Baltimore home. Before, it was nothing of importance, just two tiny words that were synonymous in my mind with Jo as she was the only friend I had who still chose to greet me by my last name.

Now though, the words reverberated in my mind, echoing in my cave-like memory as the image of Jack and Jo together flew to the front of my emotionally torn thoughts.

I could see them just as they’d been in my nightmare. Happy. In love. Torturing me with the existence of their relationship. I could picture the loving way she looked at Jack as they admitted their affair, and vice versa. My mind went further, imagining them together in the most intimate way, wondering if she’d shiver under his touch the same way I did.

I clenched my fists as I mentally slapped myself.

It wasn’t actually Jo.

Jo would never do that to me.

She was my friend.

She didn’t think about Jack that way.

Despite thinking these positive thoughts, my eyes betrayed me as I found myself suddenly frowning as I glared at Jo. All I could picture now was her pressing her lips to his, her moaning his name--

Jo noticed this immediately, but tried to keep positive as she told me, “Uh, the rest of the band is still back in Baltimore, but they all send their thoughts and prayers. We’ve all been worried sick about you.”

I silently nodded, keeping my gaze low as I stared off into the distance, focusing on anything but her. I couldn’t look at her without the nightmare coming back to haunt me.

Jo’s shoulders dropped, her eyes darting to Jack to silently ask if he knew why I was suddenly giving her the cold shoulder, but he just shrugged. “...okay. Well, I’m really, really glad you’re alright.” She cleared her throat awkwardly, stepping back next to Jack before looking up at him once more in confusion.

He just sighed, whispering, “She’s just been through a lot.”

I frowned, watching the short exchange from afar as I fought the urge to scream. Another flash from my nightmare came to light as I vividly remembered the fact that Jack and Jo had bonded after my ‘coma’ before becoming lovers. Now, despite what I was seeing was nothing more than Jo and Jack standing by my bedside, I had to remind myself that in reality, they were just concerned friends, and that’s as far as it would ever go. Not lovers. Just friends.

Jack was with me. He loved me.

His words echoed in my mind. ‘She’s been through a lot...’

Oh, if only he knew...

Notes

It's finally here! This chapter doesn't have a whole lot going on, and it's really just a transition chapter from Disenchanted to this next storyline. That being said, I still like how this turned out :)

Opening lyrics are from "The End" by My Chemical Romance. Enjoy!