My Red Thread

There's No Time Like the Present

Chapter 14: There's No Time Like the Present

So this brings me to real time.

I'm sitting next to Ethan and TJ in the waiting room. Ethan...poor Ethan. He was doubled over in his chair, just crying. His arms were crossed over on his stomach. TJ and I took turns talking Ethan down.

"Ethan, Riley will make it through this." TJ said.

"TJ is right. Riley is a fighter. She's too stubborn to let anything hurt her." I said.

Ethan looked up at me, his eyes bloodshot and puffy, "How are you not in tears? How are you not broken?"

"I'm crying...on the inside." I let out a shaky breath.

The Idol cast rushed in a couple minutes later. Most of them where in a mixture of PJs and normal clothes. I caught them up on Riley's condition.

I asked them if they saw Noelle at the house, they shook their heads.

Three figures started to emerge from the entrance. The judges? What were they doing here?

Jennifer came up to me and hugged me, "We just heard what happened. How is she doing?"

I caught them up what happened; the club and the accident. They shook their heads in disbelief.

"How are you doing Alex?" Keith asked me.

"Part of me wants to scream. Another part of me wants to curl up in the corner and cry. But I'm doing my best to hold it together." I said.

"I'm not sure if you heard of the Broadway musical called Rent," Harry started. "One of songs is called Seasons of Love. I think this would be a good time as any to sing it. It will help get our spirits up."

The judges gathered everyone around. Jennifer starting singing, followed by Keith and Harry. The rest chimed in when they picked up the lyrics.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

Everyone harmonized together as they flowed through the song. I just stared blankly at the floor. Nothing was really going through my head. Was all this supposed to happen? Was I supposed to meet Noelle for all this to happen?

It's time now
To sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends

The group finished the song. It did make me feel a little better. Suddenly a doctor approached our section of the area

"Alex Medina?"

Everyone began to get up. I spoke up, "That will be me."

"Riley's condition is stable. She's breathing with the oxygen we gave her. But she's unresponsive. She has a some broken bones here and there, plus some mild bruising from where she was hit. The good news is that she's expected to make a full recovery."

A collective sigh of relief was made. I placed my hand over my heart. I could feel it about to burst out of my chest.

"Can I go see her?" I asked.