Incidental
Taken Away
HARRY
Also, I chose a song for this chapter to help with the feels!
'To Build A Home' - The Cinematic Orchestra ft. Patrick Watson
Strangled sobs engulf my ears as I try to give Sam's parents a general direction of the hospital.
"He's ok, right?" Sam rambles. "Of course he is. Mrs. Branson is just being a Mom and over reacting. Right? I mean, it's Cade. He is so careful and-"
"Sam, shut up!" I bark as I pull out of the parking lot.
A sickening silence falls over us as her stare wavers from me. I sigh deeply, squeezing the steering wheel.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's ok. I needed that. Or I would have just kept going because --" Her voice cracks. "I'm scared."
"I'm scared too."
And I wasn't lying. Mrs. Branson never told us what the phone conversation consisted of other than we needed to get to the hospital immediately.
The remainder of the drive is consumed by a silence that is literally deafening. I follow Sam's parents into the emergency room parking lot, searching frantically for a spot. Sam's hand tremble on the door handle as we exit the vehicle. Next to me, I can hear her quietly coaching herself on how to breathe. The distinct smell of a hospital hits me head on as we approach the nurses desk in the ER. Immediately we are all taken down a long hallway before put in a secluded room. The gloom presented on all the parents' face sends my stomach spinning. "Excuse me, I need a little air." I rush, bursting out of the door.
Not even minutes later, I hear my name being called from the entrance of the hallway. "Reece?"
"Where is he?" He panics.
"We don't know yet. They literally just corralled us into this small room."
He runs a hand through his hair while cursing at something. "What happened?"
"I'm sorry, Reece. I don't know anything."
Reece, Cade's younger brother, was always good kin even though he was always 'too young' to hang with Cade and I. We developed a friendship nearly as close as Cade and I's but after going off to school, things grew apart and sometimes things felt estranged or awkward.
A clatter of doors opens at the end of the hallway presenting two exhausted looking surgeons. My heart pounds hard against my chest as they near the door to the small room.
"Styles, come on." Reece calls as I jog to catch up with him. We sneak into the door, standing pressed against the wall. The surgeons introduce themselves, sighing nearly in disappointment. The pinpoint Mrs. Branson before beginning their report.
"Mrs. Branson, your son was in a car accident this afternoon." The man begins. "His injuries were significant and paramedics did all they could to help him until he got here." He pauses looking to his colleague who nods as to take over.
"Unfortunately," The second surgeon begins. "After doing everything we could in our power, it wasn't enough to save your son's life."
"What?" Mrs. Branson screeches. "No! No!" She grows louder.
"Mom." Reece calls out, falling to her aide.
"Please, no!" She cries, cradling Reece in her arms. "God, no."
"I'm so sorry." Both gentleman speak.
My ears ring harshly as the news starts to settle in. I finally let myself breathe after a full minute before looking to Sam. She's ever slightly pushing away from her Mom as she tries to comfort her. Her eyes are glossed and her face is at a blank stare.
"If you would like to see him." The surgeon speaks up. "The time would be now." Immediately Mrs. Branson gets up, clinging to Reece. We follow the men down a few hallways before coming to a stop in front of a set of doors. I can see nurses still cleaning up after a valiant effort to save Cade's life. A sheet is pulled up clear to his neck, leaving me to assume his wounds were significant below his head.
"Reece, why don't you take your Mom in first." I suggest.
"No!" Kate cries. "You are coming with us. You were his brother, Harry."
I swallow back my emotion and push open the doors. The smell of blood still lingers leaving me mildly sick. Cade lays before us, motionless and slightly pale. A large bruise paints itself across the right side of his face accompanied with a busted lip.
"Oh my poor baby boy." Mrs. Branson cries. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."
A few minutes passes by for Reece ushers his Mom along.
"Mom." Reece softly speaks. "Come on."
She falls from Cade and into the arms of her waiting son. I nod at Reece as he carries his mother through the door. I shuffle closer to Cade seeing evidence that he at one point was suffering and crying.
"Fuck." I huff, turning my head. "You asshole. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen! What am I supposed to tell Sam? Hell, what am I supposed to tell myself? That everything is ok!" I anger.
My thought is interrupt by the small of Sam's voice. I turn to see her standing at the foot of the bed, eyes wide and mouth agape.
"Cade." She gasps.
And then it happens. The water works I knew would eventually come and couldn't handle. I rush to her and cradle her into my arms. She doesn't welcome my embrace long pushing past me to take Cade's hand.
"Cade, wake up." She whispers. "Please -- please! I need you." She trails in a heap of tears. "I need you, Cade. This isn't fair, it's not fair." She cries harshly into the sheets.
I place my hand on her back fighting back my own tears now. She leans down placing a kiss at the corner of his mouth before whispering an "I love you". She turns to me and nods as to give me the ok to proceed her out. I do so, turning back one last time before leaving.
"Hey Cade, just wanted to let you know. We weren't late." I laugh lightly before walking through the doors.
Sam is now in the comforting arms of her parents, sobs evidently rocking her whole body. I notice Mrs. Branson and Reece speaking with a nurse, Kate trying to talk through her tears. A bag is given to Reece when I realize it's Cade belongings. I watch Reece take out the little black box and open it causing Mrs. Branson to fall into a mess again. I approach the group hearing the end of the conversation.
"The paramedic said he was adamant that she get the little box. He just kept repeating it." The nurse explains.
"I just don't know if I want to put her through that pain." Kate sobs.
"I'll do it." A large man dressed in an paramedic's uniform speaks. "I was the last to speak with him and I assure you ma'am, he wasn't scared, he was disappointed. Disappointed he couldn't see you or you." He says pointing at Reece. "And disappointed he couldn't spend and give the rest of his life to and with this woman Sam."
My throat tightens thinking about how excited Cade was to ask Sam to marry him.
"So, if it is all alright with you. I'd like to be the one to give the ring to Samantha."
"It's just Sam." I bark a little harshly.
"Sorry. My apologies."
I nod, feeling a bit bad for my bitterness.
Mrs. Branson agrees and I watch as the medic approaches Sam. He holds the box out in front of him explaining the situation and telling her of Cade's wishes. She takes the box and opens it. Immediately her hand covers her mouth before she drops to her knees. Nurses immediately rush to Sam's side, aiding her with Sam and cool compresses.
The hurt is all too much as I find an escape door out of the building. I light up a cigarette as I suck in harshly. Warm tears stream down my face as emotions completely consume me. For the first time in my life, I know the feeling of a broken heart and I can nearly handle it.
Also, I chose a song for this chapter to help with the feels!
'To Build A Home' - The Cinematic Orchestra ft. Patrick Watson
Strangled sobs engulf my ears as I try to give Sam's parents a general direction of the hospital.
"He's ok, right?" Sam rambles. "Of course he is. Mrs. Branson is just being a Mom and over reacting. Right? I mean, it's Cade. He is so careful and-"
"Sam, shut up!" I bark as I pull out of the parking lot.
A sickening silence falls over us as her stare wavers from me. I sigh deeply, squeezing the steering wheel.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's ok. I needed that. Or I would have just kept going because --" Her voice cracks. "I'm scared."
"I'm scared too."
And I wasn't lying. Mrs. Branson never told us what the phone conversation consisted of other than we needed to get to the hospital immediately.
The remainder of the drive is consumed by a silence that is literally deafening. I follow Sam's parents into the emergency room parking lot, searching frantically for a spot. Sam's hand tremble on the door handle as we exit the vehicle. Next to me, I can hear her quietly coaching herself on how to breathe. The distinct smell of a hospital hits me head on as we approach the nurses desk in the ER. Immediately we are all taken down a long hallway before put in a secluded room. The gloom presented on all the parents' face sends my stomach spinning. "Excuse me, I need a little air." I rush, bursting out of the door.
Not even minutes later, I hear my name being called from the entrance of the hallway. "Reece?"
"Where is he?" He panics.
"We don't know yet. They literally just corralled us into this small room."
He runs a hand through his hair while cursing at something. "What happened?"
"I'm sorry, Reece. I don't know anything."
Reece, Cade's younger brother, was always good kin even though he was always 'too young' to hang with Cade and I. We developed a friendship nearly as close as Cade and I's but after going off to school, things grew apart and sometimes things felt estranged or awkward.
A clatter of doors opens at the end of the hallway presenting two exhausted looking surgeons. My heart pounds hard against my chest as they near the door to the small room.
"Styles, come on." Reece calls as I jog to catch up with him. We sneak into the door, standing pressed against the wall. The surgeons introduce themselves, sighing nearly in disappointment. The pinpoint Mrs. Branson before beginning their report.
"Mrs. Branson, your son was in a car accident this afternoon." The man begins. "His injuries were significant and paramedics did all they could to help him until he got here." He pauses looking to his colleague who nods as to take over.
"Unfortunately," The second surgeon begins. "After doing everything we could in our power, it wasn't enough to save your son's life."
"What?" Mrs. Branson screeches. "No! No!" She grows louder.
"Mom." Reece calls out, falling to her aide.
"Please, no!" She cries, cradling Reece in her arms. "God, no."
"I'm so sorry." Both gentleman speak.
My ears ring harshly as the news starts to settle in. I finally let myself breathe after a full minute before looking to Sam. She's ever slightly pushing away from her Mom as she tries to comfort her. Her eyes are glossed and her face is at a blank stare.
"If you would like to see him." The surgeon speaks up. "The time would be now." Immediately Mrs. Branson gets up, clinging to Reece. We follow the men down a few hallways before coming to a stop in front of a set of doors. I can see nurses still cleaning up after a valiant effort to save Cade's life. A sheet is pulled up clear to his neck, leaving me to assume his wounds were significant below his head.
"Reece, why don't you take your Mom in first." I suggest.
"No!" Kate cries. "You are coming with us. You were his brother, Harry."
I swallow back my emotion and push open the doors. The smell of blood still lingers leaving me mildly sick. Cade lays before us, motionless and slightly pale. A large bruise paints itself across the right side of his face accompanied with a busted lip.
"Oh my poor baby boy." Mrs. Branson cries. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."
A few minutes passes by for Reece ushers his Mom along.
"Mom." Reece softly speaks. "Come on."
She falls from Cade and into the arms of her waiting son. I nod at Reece as he carries his mother through the door. I shuffle closer to Cade seeing evidence that he at one point was suffering and crying.
"Fuck." I huff, turning my head. "You asshole. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen! What am I supposed to tell Sam? Hell, what am I supposed to tell myself? That everything is ok!" I anger.
My thought is interrupt by the small of Sam's voice. I turn to see her standing at the foot of the bed, eyes wide and mouth agape.
"Cade." She gasps.
And then it happens. The water works I knew would eventually come and couldn't handle. I rush to her and cradle her into my arms. She doesn't welcome my embrace long pushing past me to take Cade's hand.
"Cade, wake up." She whispers. "Please -- please! I need you." She trails in a heap of tears. "I need you, Cade. This isn't fair, it's not fair." She cries harshly into the sheets.
I place my hand on her back fighting back my own tears now. She leans down placing a kiss at the corner of his mouth before whispering an "I love you". She turns to me and nods as to give me the ok to proceed her out. I do so, turning back one last time before leaving.
"Hey Cade, just wanted to let you know. We weren't late." I laugh lightly before walking through the doors.
Sam is now in the comforting arms of her parents, sobs evidently rocking her whole body. I notice Mrs. Branson and Reece speaking with a nurse, Kate trying to talk through her tears. A bag is given to Reece when I realize it's Cade belongings. I watch Reece take out the little black box and open it causing Mrs. Branson to fall into a mess again. I approach the group hearing the end of the conversation.
"The paramedic said he was adamant that she get the little box. He just kept repeating it." The nurse explains.
"I just don't know if I want to put her through that pain." Kate sobs.
"I'll do it." A large man dressed in an paramedic's uniform speaks. "I was the last to speak with him and I assure you ma'am, he wasn't scared, he was disappointed. Disappointed he couldn't see you or you." He says pointing at Reece. "And disappointed he couldn't spend and give the rest of his life to and with this woman Sam."
My throat tightens thinking about how excited Cade was to ask Sam to marry him.
"So, if it is all alright with you. I'd like to be the one to give the ring to Samantha."
"It's just Sam." I bark a little harshly.
"Sorry. My apologies."
I nod, feeling a bit bad for my bitterness.
Mrs. Branson agrees and I watch as the medic approaches Sam. He holds the box out in front of him explaining the situation and telling her of Cade's wishes. She takes the box and opens it. Immediately her hand covers her mouth before she drops to her knees. Nurses immediately rush to Sam's side, aiding her with Sam and cool compresses.
The hurt is all too much as I find an escape door out of the building. I light up a cigarette as I suck in harshly. Warm tears stream down my face as emotions completely consume me. For the first time in my life, I know the feeling of a broken heart and I can nearly handle it.
Notes
xx
Not even going to lie, I cried typing this chapter and could barely get through the proofreading. Here begins the struggle of both Harry and Sam, so please stick with me!!
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9/15/16