Solo The Accident

Thread backdated to August 28th, 2024.

"Well Ma'am, I don't have a better way to put this lightly. He's in a coma. He may not wake up."

A moment of silence. A gasp from inside the room.

The blunt words to Avery lacerated Nat's heart. Quietly, the girl slinked through the slightly-propped door and tip-toed down the hallway. Releasing her breath at last, she placed a hand to her heart as shock coursed through her body. Seemingly a million scattered black splotches dotted her vision.

"Natalie? Is something wrong?" Shane's light voice rang in her ears, and she was too stunned to speak for a moment. She felt like she weighed a ton, so much more than she actually weighed as a skinny twelve-year-old at 5'1". She felt like one of the statues at Hogwarts had rammed into her chest, and all her energy was focused on breathing and not passing out as the world spun before her eyes.

Tearing up, mouth naturally wavering into a frown, she glanced away from Shane. She couldn't lie to him and prolong his pain; he would find out soon enough. "I heard the doctor tell Mum Daddy's in a coma."

"What...? I...I didn't..."

"Think it was that bad? I-I-I wasn't sure. But I had hope..."

"Dad, why?" Shane sobbed.

"He might be okay!" Nat said, reassuring her brother as much as herself.

"Might?"

"Give him time...He's a fighter, Shane." She wrapped her arm around her brother's neck gently, biting back her fears.

Avery's frame and beautiful brown hair appeared in Nat's sight; she and Shane instinctually ran over and hugged her, Shane letting out a small sob that Nat could barely choke down herself. Nat could tell when her mother put on her brave voice. This was one of those times. She could hear the uncertainty beneath it, and she winced profusely. "Do you know, children? Did you hear..."

"We heard, Mum," Nat said, "the..." She finally got out what she didn't want to put into words, to make it realer than it already was. "coma." Her mouth wavered again and she glanced away in shame despite knowing she was allowed to cry at this.

"Come on, children. Let's go see your father. Natalie is heading off for her Second Year in four days, lest you forget, and she should get to say a proper farewell." Avery's voice was almost curt, as was within her personality to be, however it was also twinged with gentleness, as though she was still attempting to reassure Shane and Nat despite her words.

Nat wanted to ask her, but not in front of Shane: What if I never see him again?

Avery seemed to understand where her thoughts were at. "Your father's going to last a long time yet. He isn't going to die, sweeties. This I can promise you. He's been through a lot of tough shit. He'll get through this one." Her eyebrows were downturned as though she were angry; there was a bravely determined look about her, the type which Nat inherited from her mother. As they walked into the room, as though she were reassuring herself now, Avery continued, "He'll make it...He will...He has so much fathering left to do."

Each family member had a few minutes beside his bed. On Nat's turn, she gripped his hand, which rested at his side. The nearest doctor was across the room. Putting on a brave face, emulating her mother's, she gazed at his handsome complexion and softly cried. "Hi, Daddy. I hope, no, no, I know you can hear me right now. You'll pull through. You're awesome! Wish me a good Second Year. I love you, Daddy."

Nat found herself looking back several times, but at a certain point, she decided it was her last time. She turned further away until the curtain blocked him from her view, but she could still see that dang hand, and pain set her heart aflutter.