WARNING: TRIGGERING CONTENT

The room started spinning around Theodor's head as the word sank in.

His mother gasped. His father's pale features. Avery, standing in the corner with her arms crossed. They all blended together in Theo's eyes.

The blazing sound of the ambulance siren.

The movements a blur in his eyes, everything happening too fast, as he fought to find the strength to stand on his feet.

He didn't know how he got down the stairs as their mother got into the ambulance with Eleanor. He found himself keeping up with his father's pace as they made their way to his car.

His father followed the ambulance, or at least tried to. The only sounds were the hum of the engine and horns blaring outside.

The city was alive, the night life was coming to life and his sister was losing her life. He thought sourly.

"She'll be alright," his dad said, making him look away from the lights, and yellow cabs and people making themselves ready for a full night of partying and clubbing.

He vaguely nodded his head. He didn't know what say, not that he wanted to talk.

"She's strong," his father added.

Anger. Annoyance. Agony.

He wanted to shout at his dad for saying that. Yes, she's strong but...

Why did they have to be like this? He was losing his sister because of this madness their parents were obsessed with. Why didn't they let her be? What was so wrong with her following her passion?

He wanted to shout that it was his fault and his mother's that she ODed, but he didn't.

Maybe even he was at fault too.

She called.

She called him.

She called her brother and he wasn't there for her.

He pressed his forehead to the cold window.

"El loved her telescope," he softly said.

His dad snapped his head towards him, narrowing his eyes.

"Why did mom give it away?" He asked as he pushed himself to look straight into his father's eyes.

He rolled his eyes and pushed up his glasses, the only indication of his annoyance. "It was the best thing to do," he flatly said. "And what does that have to do with anything?" He snapped.

Theodor ignored his question and asked one of his own, "Was it dad?"

His father looked back to him skeptically.

"If it was, she wouldn't have been in there," he said, pointing to the ambulance.

"She's a teenage. Teenagers always make irrational decisions." He sharply said as he firmly held Theodor's gaze.

You did this to her.

He wanted to say that, but he held his tongue with great effort. He knew it won't end well, he would only hurt his dad and make everything worse.

Not to mention, he counted himself accountable for it too.

He noticed the turns they started taking. They were getting closer to the hospital.

"I need you to know something," his dad started.

He looked at him, fear taking hold of him as all the other thoughts and emotions slipped away.

"I counted the pills she has taken, it's something around seventy pills," he says.

Theodor felt his heart sinking, he couldn't even bring himself to think what that could possibly mean.

"I'm guessing Eleanor got home around three, three thirty..." his voice trails down and Theodor noticed his father's grip tightening on the steering wheel.

He sharply breathed in, "If she did this after four, there is a possibility that a simple gastric lavage, stomach pumping," he pauses and glances at his son, "Will fix everything."

Two blocks to go before they reach the hospital, Theodor noted.

His dad rubbed his temples, "But if it has been six hours or more..." he pushed his hand through his hair, his knuckles turning white, "The pills have entered her bloodstream... we won't be able to do anything."

Theodor nodded his head and then looked at the watch. 9:30 pm.

Why is time moving so fast! Theo thought to himself.

He bit his bottom lip as he realized his father was making him ready for the worst, which might be the only case.

He swallowed hard as he fished out his phone from his pocket and started scrolling through the recent activity of his phone.

The denied phone call from Eleanor read 3:10 and his heart sank even further.

Dread started filling him as they finally reach the hospital.

They silently sit in the car even after his dad had turned off the ignition.

"She's strong," his father said.

Theodor forced himself to nod, without looking up from his lap.

"She's fighter, she'll get through this, we'll get through this," he said.

Theo's head snapped up, he stared at his dad incredulously. "Why would she fight? She did this to herself, knowing full well what the outcomes could be," he stated.

His father shook his head and opened his mouth to reply but Theo started faster.

"Why would she want to fight dad? She doesn't want to live!" His voice broke in the end and he looked away immediately. "Fighter," he mocked and shook his. "She's tired of fighting," he softly said.

"Get yourself together, Theodor." His father flatly stated and opened the door to his side to step outside.

"Was it worth it dad?" He suddenly asked, surprising his father, making him stop midway and turn to face him, closing the door again.

He looked at Theodor with his brows furrowed and eyes narrowed.

"Forcing her to become what you and mom thought it's the best for her, stealing away the only thing that made her happy... was it really worth it dad? Was it worth her life?" His voice broke and a tear against his will slipped down. He immediately wiped it away.

His father stared at him blankly and then wordlessly stepped out of the car.

He followed his father inside the hospital and then he spotted his mother screaming at the nurses and the hospital staff.

When her eyes landed on them she rushed to them, "They're not letting me in! They're not letting me in my own child's operation room!" She rambles.

His father held his mother's hands and she started shaking her head, "They're telling me I'm not allowed! They don't even know what they're doing. You know I know better than all of them, and they're saying I'm not stable!" She kept rambling frantically.

"I'll go check... I'll talk to them, you just stay here and relax." And with that he rushed off.

She pushed her hand through her messy hair. This was the first time ever he was seeing his mother like this.

She shook her head and Theo took a step towards her.

"I don't even understand why she did this? This is madness! What was she even thinking!" She shrieked and started pacing. "I've been trying my best to be a good mother, to balance my work and you guys... am I bad mother?" she stopped and looked at Theodor.

Theodor wanted to tell her that she might be trying her best, and she is a good mother... to him, yes. But to Eleanor? She has never been the mother Eleanor needed. But he couldn't say that out loud. Not now and maybe never.

"She didn't even think about us!" She stated with frustration.

Eventually a nurse brought water for her and they kept on waiting for his father to bring a news.

But his father didn't come, instead another doctor came. He greeted his mother with great respect and then the dreadful part arrived.

As if the fact that his father hadn't come forth wasn't enough, from the doctor's stance, the constant lip licking... it confirmed Theodor's fear.

"She's unstable," the doctor started.

"Well if you would let me in, then things could be different." His mother snapped harshly.

"S-she's in c-coma,"

The ground slipped from under Theodor.

His mother took a step back, her lip quivering.

"We don't know if she'll survive the night... and if she does... we don't know when she'll be out of coma. Doctor Evans is taking everything under his own control and he said to call you in."

She nodded her head and started walking past the doctor, then stopped in her tracks and looked back at Theodor.

"Your father and I will stay here, leave whenever you want to and don't stay the night," she said and rushed away, the doctor following.

He stood there for a few seconds, letting the doctor's words sink in.

Theodor started walking, staring blankly at the rushing nurses. Everything was happening too fast for him to process.

He stood there and stared until someone's -a man's- voice drew his attention.

"Bring your best brain surgeon! Bring doctor Evans!" The man shouted at the doctor.

Theodor stared him and took another step towards them.

"My son is in that room," he said, and the doctor shook his head.

"I know sir, but doctor Evans is busy somewhere else... he's in another operation." He apologetically said.

Another operation, Theodor mused in his head.

He wanted to laugh at that, but it wouldn't be a wise move.

The man took another step towards the doctor, "I will buy this hospital if I have to. Tell him stop that stupid operation he's on and save my son's life!" The man shouted the last part.

Theodor started wondering whether they had actually told his father that someone was screaming on top of his lungs to have him operate on its kid.

He wondered what his father's choice would be... Eleanor or that man's son. Probably the latter.

He started contemplating if he should inform his father but then decided against it.

"Sir there is no hope for your son," the doctor said. "He was lost in the accident before the ambulance got to him."

"Get me your best brain and heart surgeon, right now! And then we'll see about that."

It was starting to get ironic for him. Both his parents were the best in their areas and they're both here, and someone was literally ready to set the world on fire to have them, and yet they were busy saving their own kid who decided to take its own life.

He intently looked at them and then he noticed a boy standing in the corner. He knew him. And the girl sitting next to a crying woman.

And it clicked in his mind.

That's Adrien Clark! And she's Rachel Clark!

He didn't see him much back when he was in high school, he was senior when Adrien and El were freshmen. But it was impossible to miss Adrien's face even in a crowd. And his sister was senior when Theodor was freshman, and he might have added, one of the prettiest girls she was, and still is. And that's why the man knew his father. His dad used to treat Mr. Clark's father...

Realization hit him like a truck. If Adrien was standing outside, it could only mean one thing, Jaceon was in that room.

He couldn't bring himself to imagine Eleanor hearing about this. Her only friend dying, or maybe dead already.

Although he doubted it was only a friendship between them, at least not from Jaceon's side.

The second realization hit harder, Eleanor might never wake up and find out.

He stood there and stared blankly at the Clark family, not knowing what to think or even do.

He started walking away and out of the hospital.

Time, people and places blurred together and when he founds himself, he was somehow back home, standing in front of Eleanor's room.

He walked in and closed the door behind himself.

Theodor looked around, the book lying on the nightstand looking ridiculous to his eyes now. Her bed sheets ruffled. His eyes then landed on her desk and a piece of paper caught his attention.

He walked to the desk and picked it up. His eyes scanned through it and instantly he knew this was the paper Avery had read, that lead her to finding those empty pill bottles.

A suicide note.

He stumbled back and fell to his knees.

If he had only answered the damn phone. What if it would've been the last time he had the chance to hear her voice?

He didn't even remember what was the last words they had exchanged with each other.

What if he could've stopped it from happening?

His phone started ringing, he checked the caller ID, Grace.

He answered it right away.

Her cheerful voice came from the other side, "Hey Theo! Our study group just wrapped things up." She said and then softly added, "Already missing you."

When no answers came from his side she continued, "So how's things back at your place?" She asked.

"It's fine," he lied.

"That's great! You know, everyone missed you today," she said.

He tried to chuckle but failed.

"Theodor," Grace softly murmured on the other end. He could literally hear the frown in her voice.

His bottom lip quivered as he fought to hold back his words and emotions.

"Theodor, is something wrong? I'm here for you, you know... you can tell me anything," she said and that was it.

Tears started streaming down his face uncontrollably.

Eleanor didn't even have a single person to say that to her.

"Eleanor i-is," he started, unable to continue. Fearing that if he said it out loud it would confirm it and it'll happen. He inhaled sharply and pushed himself to say it. "S-she's dying," he choked on the words. "My little sister is dying Grace,"

His body started racking as sob after sob escaped his lips.

"Uhm... I-I don't understand... y-you said you're going to see her, you n-never said she was ill, I-I'm sure... there has to be hope, y-your parents are doctors..." she stutters and her voice trails down.

"She's really sick, the doctor said she might not survive the night," he started sobbing harder, "She called me, Grace, and I didn't even pick up her phone... what if I'll never hear her voice again? What if I can never talk to her again? What if this time mom and dad fail?"

"Theo," she softly said.

"I don't want her to die, I'm not ready for her to die!"

He cried and sobbed, for how long, he didn't know.

+++

((So originally I was planning to have these two parts in one chapter but somehow I ended up writing 4k+ words which would've been a lot for a chapter... so sorry if it feels like it's dragging it. Anyway, I find these two parts important since it will help a lot to understand Theo better (especially for the next chapter). So I have my exams coming up and I won't be able to update for at least three weeks, I'll try to update but let's just see what happens.

In the end, thank you for reading this chapter I hope you liked it and don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts!))