Page 104 of Mortala
We walk around so many corners until we finally find a sign labeled “ICU”. Walking up to the large countertop in the center of the space, Miles asks for Hudson’s room. I look around and see several glass doors with curtains that hang behind them. Beeping machines echo from every corner and it sends a chill down to my core.
“Mommy, are you awake? It's me, Mommy. It’s Madelyn. Wake up.”
I shake my mother’s hand as she lays in the hospital bed hooked up to so many machines that beep loudly, but she doesn't move. I lift her hand and let go, watching it drop back down on the bed. Auntie Nonie pulls me away and tells me not to do that.
But why not? Why won’t she wake up? And why does her hand just fall like that? Why can’t she hold it up?
“Your mommy is sleeping, baby girl. She needs a lot of rest so she can get better and hopefully we can get her out of this mess she's found herself in…again.”
I turn away from Auntie Nonie and look at mommy. Is she sick? Her eyes are dark purple and she has a weird tube in her nose. I don’t know what mess Auntie Nonie is talking about.It doesn’t look messy in here, and it smells really clean, like cleaning stuff.
“Why does mommy look like that, Auntie Nonie?”
She doesn't answer me. I don't know why, but I just look back at mommy as she sleeps and I grab her hand again to hold it. I want mommy to get better so we can play again.
“How long will it be before mommy gets better?”
“It’ll probably be a little while, baby girl. But don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours. Your mommy is tough, just like you.”
She boops the top of my nose and I giggle.
“Do you think mommy will want to play dolly’s with me again when she wakes up?”
Auntie Nonie looks at me funny and it makes me sad. Mommy gives me that same funny look when I ask her about daddy and it always means no. I don’t like when mommy tells me no.
“How about I play dolly’s with you? Would you like that, sweetie?”
I smile up at Auntie Nonie and nod my head.
“Let's go get some ice cream and then we can play dolly’s, okay?”
“Okay, Auntie Nonie!”
“Maddie.” Miles shakes my shoulder and I look down, trying to blink away the memories of my mother. When I glance back up, I see a young blonde nurse staring at me with concern.
“Are you okay, ma’am?”
“Yeah, sorry. I'm okay.”
I grab Miles’ hand, giving him the smallest grin. He gives my hand three little squeezes before pulling me with him to one of the many glass doors. I give him a questioning look, but all he does is smile before sliding the glass door open.
Why does he always do that? It’s always three squeezes.
The thought instantly leaves my mind the moment Miles slides the curtain open and we see Hudson laying in his hospital bed.
He’s awake.
Nate is leaning up against one wall of the room with his arms crossed and Morgan sitting in a chair next to the bed, holding Hudson's hand. She quickly lets go of his hand and stands when we walk in.
What the hell? Morgan and Hudson? Are they together?
Miles either doesn’t notice it or he doesn’t care because he ignores the weird interaction completely and goes over to Hudson's hospital bed, leaning in for a hug. They stay in their embrace and I glance over at Morgan and mouth, “What was that?” She just smiles at me and shakes her head like she doesn’t want to tell me right now in front of an audience.
“I’m so fucking glad you’re okay, man.” Hudson smacks Miles’ back a few times in a brotherly way before Miles stands up and looks back at me.
Walking over to Miles’ side, he pulls me into him, and I look down at Hudson. He’s smiling up at me, and a huge wave of emotions hits me. This man risked his life for mine, and he’s just smiling at me while he lays in a hospital bed.
Before I can stop them, tears begin to flow from my eyes at an uncontrollable rate. Hudson holds his arms open for me and I throw myself into them, crying harder than I expected to. Hudson and I aren’t close, in fact, we hardly know each other at all. But he put my safety before his and almost didn’t make it out alive because of it.
