Chapter 70: The waiting period

Third person POV

Day one of Lidia being in a coma.

Miraculously, Lidia did survive the night.

Half of them knew she would though, she had a fighters spirit in her, the other half, well the other half just prayed she didn't pass fitfully. But hell, she was a White. They didn't go down without a fight. And God knows she gave one, and-this time- she won.

They were again, crowding her room. Sasha had been flown out in the middle of the night. The whole plane ride she had been worrying she wouldn't make it in time.

Normally on a plane, Sasha would've been binging a series on her phone, but she couldn't bring herself to. Sasha couldn't bear doing something that both of them had loved.

Thankfully she did make it in time, but there wasn't anything interesting going on. Just Lidia laying there, 'peacefully sleeping', according to the pity doctor.

A nurse saw how many people were in the room and brought in another chair. Sasha was sitting on it while Caden stood behind her, holding her right hand that was across her body and lying on her shoulder, drawing small circles to try and make her nerves settle just the tiniest of bits.

If Caden couldn't make sure Lidia was okay, he could at least make sure Sasha was. The second most important woman in his life.

Jesse had anxiously drove Audrey home. Luke didn't want him to. He knew his brother and knew how he drove, especially when he's nervous. It was a wonder they didn't get into a car wreck, especially since they both were a ball of nerves feeding off each other.

Jesse was thinking about Lidia and ran a stop sign, effectively making the oncoming driver swerve and blast their horn. They almost had another White to worry about.

"Ha ha, uh sorry. I-I didn't see the stop sign there I guess." Jesse laughed nervously.

Audrey shook her head and warmly smiled in return. "Yeah I guess" she teased him. She couldn't bring herself to saying anything else.

Why should she be able to joke and laugh when her best friend is dying?

Audrey had to stay home to take care of her mom and brother, not able to be away from them for too long. Audrey lived quite a sad life. Jesse had found that out pretty quickly.

Of course Lidia knew Audrey didn't have the perfect home life, and didn't like to talk about it, so like a good friend she didn't ask about it. She didn't like when people asked about her life before her brothers. Especially when they invade her privacy and read her sacred diary. It was an unspoken agreement between them. An agreement that they didn't break, no matter how curious they each were.

Manny had gone too, to take care of things at home and make sure nobody had screwed anything up. Why they had to be monitored like a two month old baby, Manny didn't know. Or like it.

Luke was a control freak in Manny's eyes. Always wanting to know everything, be on top of everything. If it didn't run past Luke, no matter how inconsequential it was, someone was going to die.

Manny guess he got that from his mom. His paranoia. Manny had liked Sarah White in the beginning. She was pretty and quiet. After the kid's father had brought her to meet him, all Manny heard was how nice she was and how selfless she is.

"I'm telling you! I think she's the one, man. I don't know how I know, but I just do." Their father always told him. Manny would just laugh and roll his eyes, but deep down he always knew that his best friend would marry her.

He still couldn't decide if it was the biggest mistake his best friend ever made, or if it was the only good chance he took.

Day two of Lidia being in a coma.

All of them went home except Luke. Of course they came back, but they needed their sleep after a long day of sitting and staring at walls. And it turns out the hospital wasn't the comfiest of places.

Caden and Sasha stayed home, partly because of Sasha not being able to bear being there. She would prefer to be in the comfort of her home when crying. Caden stayed because in his mind, he already let woman he loves down, and can't afford to do it again. Lidia would understand, Caden thought. She had to understand.

James also wasn't at the hospital. He was at their home gym, beating up the punching bag. When that got too boring, he decided to spar with a new recruit.

The poor recruit didn't know what he got himself into.

At the hospital, Luke was nonchalant, as always. When staring at her became too much, he went on his phone and began answering emails. Any emails. Emails saying that they were having a 50% off gift sale for the Christmas season. Emails from unhappy 'business' partners. Emails from his executives informing him that his company wasn't going bankrupt.

Zack, on the other hand, was as nervous as nervous could be. He couldn't look anywhere else but her. He would whisper conversations to her. Telling her he was sorry. That he didn't mean to look through it. He hopes she can forgive him.

"Lidia so um, I know I've been asking you this but I really, really need a reply okay? Please forgive me. Please?" Zack sniffed and pleaded. Luke didn't know why he still tried. He wasn't going to get a response so why not do him a favor and quit squeaking.

But he didn't say that. Everyone grieves in their own way, some more annoying than most.

Ian was home. His mom said he had to be. She said he 'spent too much time away from home' and 'needed to be present for his little sisters'. How come she's never said this before? Couldn't this wait until Lidia got out of the hospital? Why now, of all times did she actually want to be a mother?

Ian didn't know. He didn't know anything. He knew nothing about his little sisters except that he had some. It wasn't his fault though, he had tried to connect with them but whenever he did his mom came up with some lame excuse to get the girls away from him.

Was he a monster? Was that what's wrong with him? Why didn't his mom like him? He tried his best, really he did. Ian knew his mom didn't want to get pregnant at 16. And he knew she never wanted a boy. She had told him that so many times that whenever he zoned out or something, he could hear her voice telling him those mean words.

Day three of Lidia being in a coma.

They were getting worried. Three days. Three days they haven't heard her giggle. Three days they haven't a snarky comment of hers. Three days they haven't felt anything. Three days.

Good things are supposed to come in threes. Surely since this is the third day she'll wake up, right?

Wrong.

Zack was pacing her hospital room. He was worried about her. He was worried she wouldn't wake up. That he wasn't going to hear her anymore.

What a sad day that'll be.

"Zack quit pacing. You're making me nervous!" James snapped at him. He was sitting in the extra chair the nurse had brought in.

"Well I'm sorry I'm worried for our little sister!" Zack snapped back.

"And you think I'm not? You think I'm all sunshine and rainbows? Are you crazy?" James stood up and stared down at Zack. He was only two inches tall than him, but it still made all the difference.

"Boys! Do not act like this in front of Lidia. You know she wouldn't like it!" Sasha walked in between them and gently but firmly, pushed them apart.

"Sasha how about you mind your own damn business?" James decided to snap at her next.

"Hey! Watch who you're talking to!" Caden stood in front of Sasha in a heartbeat.

"I don't give a crap! She needs to mind her own busine-" he was cut off by Caden pushing him, effectively setting him off. James pushed back, harder, and soon it turned into unreasonable punches being thrown.

Would it be reasonable though? Caden had pushed him first, though then again James insulted his girlfriend. But, Sasha should've just let them talk it out.

Luke didn't care enough to figure it out though.

But alas, being the oldest has its many downsides, and stopping fights happened to be one of them. "Enough! All of you! Shame on you! Lidia is lying there, not knowing what's going on and you're here fighting? About what? But as it turns out, I don't care enough to know."

"But Luke-" Zack tried to reason, but was interrupted by Luke.

"But nothing. You all are acting like toddlers who missed their naps. Cut it out. I don't need Lidia waking up and the first thing she sees is her family in a full out brawl." Luke crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Sometimes it felt like he was raising all of them, and not just three of them.

"Fine." James huffed angrily and plopped down into the chair he was previously sitting at.

He knew Luke was right. Of course Luke was right. Heck, Luke was always right. It was just, sometimes he couldn't control his temper. This time he tried, for Lidia's sake, but seeing his little sister lying there, well, it broke him.

He wished it wasn't true. He wished this was all just a dream. It doesn't matter though, because it's not. It's real, and he needs to face the facts.

His little sister was probably never going to wake up, and if she did, then there is no way she'd be the same. None at all.

He could live with that though, as long as she did wake up.

Day four of Lidia being in a coma.

It was like the day before. Everyone was sad. They were angry. They were anxious. They all just wanted to pick an emotion and focus on it, but the turmoil in their stomachs wouldn't let them.

Ian was there, he had heard about the fight between Caden and James and even though Lidia was in the hospital, he was still a human and wanted to witness their next one.

Audrey was there too. Her mom had convinced her to leave and go check on Lidia. Audrey realized as she walked into the room of all of the things she hasn't done with Lidia. Lidia hasn't met Audrey's mom or her brother. Lidia hasn't been inside her house. Audrey hasn't even fully opened up yet.

So, so, so many things they haven't done or discussed. So many moments taken for granted. So many times she could've told Lidia the truth about her home life and yet, she didn't. Why? Who knows.

The only thing she does know, however, is that whenever she woke up, she would tell Lidia about her home life. She would tell her everything. Tears swelled up in her eyes. Of course, Audrey thought, if she woke up.

Manny had come back, just for an hour though. Luke still wanted him to make sure everything was going smoothly, which it was.

He stared at her face for a minute, but quickly looked away. He couldn't stop seeing his best friend lying in his casket. He remembered all of the jokes him and their father made. He remembered how happy he was when they found out Sarah was pregnant with a baby girl.

Manny started to choke trying to hold his sobs back. At least, Manny sadly thought to himself, if she died she'd be with her father.

Zack was by her side, still holding her hand and talking to her. He told her of stories of her of when she was a baby. Of how she would giggle when he covered her eyes then quickly removed his hands.

He smiled sadly at the thought. He thought of her happy face, which was so very different from the one she was wearing now.

Caden and James had gone to get coffee. They walked back in silence with Caden holding a cup for him and Sasha and James holding a singular cup for himself.

Instead of replying to emails, Luke was on the phone outside of the hospital room, talking to one of his executives. "I don't care what the numbers say, this is what I say. Do it, or else you're fired." He pressed the hang up button and walked in after the two boys.

Jesse was laying on the floor wrapped in a blanket, trying to get some sort of sleep. Audrey looked at him and wondered why he wasn't lying in the couch three feet away from him. She shook her head and looked back to Lidia. Boys.

Sasha took the cup Caden had brought for her and raised it to her lips. Right as she did so, her eyes uncontrollably flickered to Lidia's sleeping form.

Only, this time, she wasn't sleeping.

She was awake.

She dropped her cup when she saw Lidia's eyes flutter. Zack noticed it too, and he all but shrieked.

"Someone! Call the doctor!"

"W-what? Why!" Luke demanded as he stormed over to where he could see Lidia. He gasped. "Ian! Go get the doctor!"

By now all of them were aware of Lidia's attempt to open her eyes. Ian subconsciously nodded, still staring at Lidia. He ran out as fast as he could into the hallway and screamed, "Doctor! We-we need a doctor!"

A doctor walking by heard and rushed into the room. "What's happened?" He demanded as he unclipped the chart from in front of Lidia's bed.

"I-I don't know! She-she just started to, well I-" Zack stumbled over his own words as he tried telling the doctor what happened.

"Her eyes started to flutter. She's been in a coma for the last four days." Sasha filled in for him. Her voice was shaky, but strong. She knew that more than ever Lidia needed her right now, and she wouldn't let her down.

"Alright." The doctor started to speak to Lidia and nurses ran in, one of them ushering the family out.

Again, they all waited agonizingly in the hallway. James hoped, no, prayed, that she wasn't going into Cardiac arrest. He knew the chances of her surviving it. It would be slim to none.

After a while, the doctor came out of Lidia's room. All of them rushed to him. "Is she okay?" Caden demanded desperately. Sasha put a comforting arm around his, trying to silently offer as much support as she could.

The doctor smiled, only this time it wasn't a pity smile. It was a real, genuine smile. "Yes sir. You can go look for yourselves if you want to."

All of them rushed past the doctor, James accidentally shoulder checking him with his broad shoulders.

The first thing they saw was Lidia's tired smile. "Hey guys," she croaked. She swallowed, trying to moisten her mouth. "What's been going on?"

And there we have it. The end. Of course there's an epilogue, but our story has come to an end. Thank you all so much for reading. This has been so much fun. Thank you all so much for your support. I love you so much!!!!! I pray you have an awesome week!

Sincerely,

The author <3