Scars

Part 52

(Alexis)

6 hours later:

 Nichole's POV:

After 6 long, agonizing, hours, I finally landed in NYC.  And needless to say, I was relieved beyond belief.  Because what that meant was that I was literally one step closer to getting to Alexis.  And that in itself, was nothing short of a godsent.  Because the grueling 6 hour flight had almost been a form of slow torture, almost completely unbearable, as every painful second felt like an absolute eternity.  

Not wanting to waste even one more second, I frantically made my way through the airport, almost in a panic, walking as fast I could, each step full of determination and sheer purpose.  My anxiety was so high that my vision was tunneled and my heart was nearly pounding out of my chest.  And despite the fact that I was literally functioning on only three hours of sleep, I was wired beyond belief, as adrenaline pumped through my veins at an increasingly rapid rate, as I was now going on nothing but pure, raw adrenaline.  

I made my way to the baggage claim, where I collected my luggage as fast as I could, then immediately called a Lyft, as that would be the quickest way for me to get to the hospital. 

Alyssa had already texted me the name of the hospital.  And as of right now, there were no updates on Alexis' condition.  So, at the moment, I knew nothing more.  And that, in itself, just the not knowing, was causing my anxiety to nearly skyrocket out of control.

I sat in the backseat of the Lyft, not saying a word as the driver tried to make small talk, trying as hard as hell to keep it together the best I could.  But it was to no avail.  My hands were shaking,  my heart was racing, and I felt short of breath, almost as if I was suffocating, as my entire body completely tensed up, as the driver continued to navigate through the heavy New York City traffic.  And after what felt like an absolute eternity, as every painful second felt like hours,  I finally arrived at the hospital.  

I quickly got out of the Lyft, as the driver helped me with my luggage.  And not even thanking him, as I normally would of, I hurriedly made my way to hospital entrance. 

Once inside the hospital, I walked as fast as I could to the nearest elevator, as Alyssa had already texted me Lexi's room number.   So, I knew exactly where I needed to go. 

I got off the elevator, completely focused on where I needed to go, my adrenaline still pumping, as I walked down a long hallway, that seemed to never end,  until finally, after what felt like forever, I arrived at Alexis' room.  I breathed a sigh of relief, letting out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding in, now, after so many hours, I was finally here.  

But the feeling of relief was short lived, as it was quickly replaced by the fear and uncertainty of what I was about to face.  

I took a few deep breaths, to try to mentally prepare myself for whatever was to come, then entered the room, only to be completely overwhelmed by what I was now seeing. 

The very first thing that hit me was the room was full of people: Alyssa, Maddie, Anna, and my mom and dad.  Along with two nurses.  And as soon as I entered the room, they all turned to look at me.

"She's here", Alyssa breathed, as soon as she saw me, as she let out a breath that she had seemed to be holding in, as a look of relief quickly washed over her. 

And before I could even say anything, everyone came over to me and immediatel surrounded me.  

 But not even looking at them, I looked across the room, looking past them, focusing solely on Alexis, who was lying in a hospital bed, looking almost lifeless.  

Not wanting to wait even a second longer, I immediately pushed past my family members, as I made my way over to  Alexis.  And what I saw, immediately terrified me even more.  Because not only did she look lifeless, but she was hooked up to all kinds of machines, monitors, and i.v's.  And I didn't even know what else.