***Lionel’s POV***

                I watched EJ leave the room, agony in his eye. I knew why he was leaving, but that didn’t make it hurt any less to watch him walk away.

                “Get him!” I croaked at my dad with pleading eyes. I wanted him here. I wanted him to hold my good hands. I probably couldn’t grip his hand back, but I still wanted to feel EJ’s warmth.

                “Lionel, he can come tomorrow. If he’s here, you’ll try to talk more, and you need to be quiet and rest. You’ve been in a coma for over 3 months. Please just take it easy,” my dad begged me, concern shining in his eyes.

                Everything hurt, especially my hip, arm, and back. I was in loads of agony and speaking made my chest flair with nearly unbearable pain. But if me talking would get EJ back here, then god dammit, I would talk up a mother fucking storm.

                “Dad, go get him,” I wheezed and couldn’t help but wince in pain. It hurt so, so bad. But I just wanted EJ here with me. I was…well, I was scared. There. I admitted it. I was terrified and I wanted EJ there for me.

                “Lio, please stop talking. You’re too weak right now,” he said sternly. True that, brah. I couldn’t move, and talking was a pain in the ass. But EJ was important right now, not the pain I was in.

                “Get EJ,” I demanded, though my voice was faint. “Now.”

                My parents shot each other a nervous look. “Get EJ,” I said again and coughed, making my chest flare in pain yet again. Finally, my dad got up and left the room.

                He came back a minute later and shook his head. “He’s gone, Lionel. I’m sorry,” he said and sat next to me again.

                “Call him,” I wheezed. “Lionel, he’s gone. Please rest now. We’ll talk to him tomorrow and he can visit you then,” mom said firmly.

                I opened my mouth to try to speak again, but found that I couldn’t. I was in far too much pain. Hating it, I gave up trying to talk and just let my eyes dart around, terrified of falling back asleep but feeling exhausted. I was beyond terrified of not waking up again.

                “EJ,” I managed before letting out a gasp of pain and squeezing my eyes shut. I wanted him here with me. More than anything, I just wanted him here. We didn’t have to talk. I just wanted him to be with me, and hold my hand.

                “Please,” I whispered, eyes still squeezed shut. “Get…EJ…” That was all I could manage today, and I knew it. If I tried to speak, my chest would burst into flames and I would die. But I would happily die speaking EJ’s name if it meant he’d come to see me just once.

                “Lionel stop talking! For the love of god; go get EJ,” mom snapped at dad. Dad got up and left the hospital room.

                “Lionel, honey, you can’t talk anymore. Please. We’re begging you. Just shut your damn mouth for once in your life before it literally kills you,” mom begged.

                Yea, she didn’t have to worry about me trying to talk again. There was no way in hell I could manage another word. And I’d be lucky if I could even stay awake long enough for EJ to get here. I was so, so exhausted.

                “You can…you can sleep Lionel,” mom whispered and gulped. She and dad were scared that I wouldn’t wake up, and I knew it. My parents and I were terrified that I was going to slip back into a coma. Hell, I had only woken up from it a few hours ago.

                I very slowly shook my head and she nodded in understanding. “You can’t stay awake forever Lionel,” she said quietly. Ha. Want to bet, bitch?

                I waited in silent agony for my dad to enter the room with EJ trailing behind him. I was so scared right now. Nothing would make me feel better than if EJ came back into the room and kissed me, or even so much as just held my hand or touched my arm or something.

                My dad came back into the room a few minutes later and gave me a sympathetic look. “Lionel, I’m sorry. He’s not coming,” he said gently.

                My heart hurt. It hurt worse than any other part of my body. And this was so much worse than being hit by a car, because this pain was internal and nothing could stop it. Only EJ could, and he clearly didn’t care about me anymore.

                Was that it? Had he gotten over me in the months that I had been in a coma? Had he moved on and found someone else? Was he with them now?

                With each question that stabbed at my brain, my heart began to hurt even more. “Lio? You okay?”dad asked in concern, gently placing his hand on my shoulder. But with the pain I was feeling inside and out, and with everything I had gone through since I had heard that freaking cat in the road, all I could do in response was start to cry and wish more than anything that EJ was here for me.