“letting go hurts… a lot.” gimme a lil ellis angst
The beeping of the machines that kept Ellis Grant alive had become so rythmic, that Lowery Cruthers no longer heard them at all. Instead, he sat on the chair at the side of Ellis’ bed, his chin resting against his hands as he watched Ellis in a stony silence. He’d been there so long that the nursing staff had long since stopped telling him to go home and instead had taken to bringing him food and water every couple of hours, to make sure he was well nourished whilst he watched over the girl that he would argue was the love of his life. Owen had visited a number of times, as had Ellis’ parents, but none of them stayed as long as Lowery did - they all eventually went home.
“Lowery, you’ve got to go home man. Get some rest…a shower.” Owen stood at the foot of Ellis’ bed, shifting his gaze from Ellis to her boyfriend and then back again as he spoke. “I’ll stay here whilst you’re gone, i’ll make sure that she’s safe.”
“Like you did on the island?” Lowery spat back, exhaustion making him bitter and spiteful.
Owen choked back the urge to argue, accepting that Lowery didn’t really mean what he was saying. Besides, Owen Grady didn’t need someone else telling him he should feel guilty for the position Ellis was currently in, he did enough of that himself. “Whatever man, call me when you’re ready.” He turned then and left the room.
When he left a nurse walked over, picking up the chart and checking Ellis’ vitals, making a note that they were again, unchanged. “I know you wont want to hear this…” She said quietly as she replaced the clipboard. “But your girlfriend, she may never wake up and even if she does, the chances of her remembering you, or herself even…they’re slim.”
Lowery glanced away from Ellis for the first time in hours, and stared open mouthed at the nurse. In genuine shock at the words that were coming out of her mouth.
“Letting go hurts…a lot.” The nurse continued. “But sometimes it’s for the best.”
“I’m not giving up on her.” Lowery said sternly. “Because she would never give up. She’ll wake up, you’ll see. You’ll all see.”
