Chapter 7

I searched the whole house but I couldn't find mom anywhere. Her car was still in the driveway and her keys were hanging up so she couldn't have gone anywhere. I tried ringing her and I could hear a faint sound coming from the basement. The basement! I'd forgotten to check there when I searched the house. I ran down to find her curled up in a ball on the floor.

"Mom!" I shouted and raced over to her, dropping to the floor beside her.

She wasn't moving. I started shaking her gently to try and wake her up. She still didn't move. I rolled her over so she was more spread out and could breathe properly and, as I moved her, a packet fell onto the ground. A pill packet.

"Oh, mom..." I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "Please wake up..."

She was still breathing and had a pulse which was a good thing. I shook her a bit more but she still wasn't waking up so I decided to call Austin. He needed to know what was going on. I picked up my phone and called him but it went straight to voicemail. I tried again. Still no answer.

"God, Austin! Where are you?"

I had no idea what to do. Austin wouldn't answer his phone and mom was lying unconscious on the floor. I lay down next to her and just sobbed. I couldn't lose her.

I sat up after realising that I couldn't just leave her on the floor here. I picked up my phone again and decided to call an ambulance. It arrived quite fast and I stood back, watching as they carried her off.

"Are you related to her?" One of the EMTs asked me.

"Yeah, she's my mom."

"Do you want to come in the ambulance with her?"

I nodded and followed them into the back. It was a short ride as we weren't too far from the nearest hospital and I held onto her hand the entire journey.

When we got there, she was brought into a room and hooked up to a bunch of machines that kept beeping. I hoped that was a good thing. Doctors and nurses rushed around, fussing over mom and making sure she was okay for about an hour, while I sat in the waiting area. I tried calling Austin again but he still wouldn't answer.

I checked the time and saw it was 10:15 pm. It was crazy to think I was having dinner with Ashton and his family only three hours ago. I only left his house just over an hour ago. As I sat there with my head in my hands, I wished I was back there with Ashton in his warm bed.

What? I didn't mean that. I meant when we were watching the film. Obviously. The film was good. It was a good film. I was obviously talking about the film.

"Mr Brooks?" Someone said.

It took a second for me to realise they were talking to me. The butterflies that had risen in my stomach suddenly fell away. I looked up and one of the nurses who kept running in and out of mom's hospital room was stood in front of me. "Yeah?" I said.

"You're mom is one very lucky woman. If you'd found her only half an hour later, it may have been too late for her." He said.

I sat there in shock. Did he think telling me this would make me feel better? I suddenly felt sick.

"We've managed to stabilise her and she'll probably be waking up soon. You can go in and see her now if you want."

"Thank you," I said, and got up to go and see mom.

When I walked into the room, she was still asleep so I sat down in the chair beside her bed. Some of the color that had drained from her face earlier was finally returning. She seemed so small surrounded by all the machines and wires. I couldn't believe I almost lost her.

I tried calling Austin again but he still wouldn't pick up. Where was he? His phone wasn't even off as it didn't go straight to voicemail when I called. Maybe he was just ignoring me.

"Hayden?" Mom had woken up.

"Mom..." I jumped off the chair and knelt down next to her. "I thought I lost you..." I whispered, tears escaping and sliding down my face.

"I'm sorry," She whispered back, crying too. "How could I ever leave you?"

I don't know. But you definitely tried, I thought. I didn't say anything just in case I upset her even more. I still couldn't believe it.

"Why?" I asked her.

"I'm sorry," She repeated, ignoring my question.

I didn't want to push her too much tonight so I gave her a hug then got up and sat back down on the chair.

"Where's Austin?" She asked after wiping her eyes and sitting up slightly.

"I don't know. I've been trying to get hold of him but he won't answer his phone. I think he's- nevermind." I almost slipped up then. I was going to say he was with Dylan but that would have led to questions and I wasn't the one who should be answering them.

The nurse came in five minutes later and explained to me and my mom he was going to discharge her but I had to keep an eye on her for the next couple days.

What felt like an eternity later, I was guiding her out into the car park towards an Uber I'd called. Eventually, we got home and I helped mom upstairs and into bed. Once I got her settled in, I checked the time and saw it was about 11 pm.

"Hello?" Someone called from downstairs.

I panicked for a second before realising it was probably Austin. I ran down and met him in the kitchen.

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you for hours!" I whisper-shouted, being careful not to wake mom.

"Sorry, I was with Dylan, I guess we just lost track of time. Why does it matter?"

"Do you wanna know where I spent the evening, Austin?" I asked, getting more and more annoyed with him. "In the hospital with mom. Why? Because she tried to take her life."

"Oh my god, what?" He stood there with his mouth half-open.

"I got home and found her unconscious on the basement floor, holding an empty pill packet. The nurse said I found her just in time."

"Do you know why she did it?"

I finally broke. I was so mad at him but I was more upset with everything that had happened that night. "I have no idea." My voice cracked on the last word.