Veiled Affections

Chapter 15

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Copyright © 2024 Cassey9

Piper hesitated for a moment before pushing the bedroom door open. With her heart clutched in her hand, Piper braced herself for the what lay beyond. She'd only seen her mother in passing and knew for a fact that today was her hardest day yet.

The room greeted Piper with an eerie darkness and chill that seemed to seep into her very bones. The smell of liquor that hang heavy in the room fueled Piper's worry.

"Mom? Dinner's here! We ordered some Chinese tonight," Piper called out into the resounding stillness. "Mom?"

The soft spill of light from the hallway offered some guidance in the darkened room. Piper closely looked towards the large, disheveled bed and easily made out a figure lying on it.

"Mom?" Piper softly whispered the name as she stepped closer.

A bittersweet memory flashed in Piper's mind as she recalled the moments when the room was alive with laughter, chatter and the warmth of their family moments. Of the nights and days that she bounded into the room and would hop and jump up and down on her parents' bed. Piper smiled as she remembered her mother's admonishments when her father couldn't help but join in her antics. Now, she wished that those moments had lasted forever.

"Mom?" Piper's voice trailed off, lost in the emptiness of the room, unanswered. A sense of foreboding crept over Piper as she approached the bed. Her foot felt a wet patch on the carpet and gazing down, Piper's eyes fell upon an empty wine bottle nearby.

"Mom?" Piper's voice trembled as she climbed onto the bed, reaching out her hands and shaking her mother gently. No response. Her mother who was usually a light sleeper, remained still. "Mom! Wake up! Mom!" The panic in Piper's voice sliced through the air.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Natasha's voice sounded as she appeared by the door out of breathe and alarmed.

Stricken with fear and tears streaming down her face, Piper turned to her best friend. "She's not waking up, Nat! My mom's not waking up! Mom! Wake up! Please!"

"Oh s**t!" Natasha's eyes widened in alarm as she hurried into the room. She fumbled for her phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed the emergency number. Natasha joined Piper on the bed as she too desperately tried to rouse her friend's mother.

~~~~~~~~

"What did we say, Kurt!" Mrs. Wilder's voice cut through the dinner table, her disapproval evident in her tone.

"Sorry, Mom," Kurt mumbled sheepishly as he reached for the ringing device. Phones weren't allowed during dinner time. It was a family rule. Dinner time, was family time. Time to talk, bond and share their day's experiences. "Nat, I can't talk right... What? I'm on my way!" Kurt abruptly ended the call as a sense of urgency surged through him. He hastily rose from his seat almost toppling over his chair and himself from the rush.

"What's wrong? Where are you going?" Mr. Wilder questioned as he too stood up.

All eyes were on Kurt who looked panicked as the mood at the table shifted. "Piper's mom is at the hospital, Dad! I need to go!"

"What!" Mitch quickly rose from her seat. "I'm coming with you!"

Kurt's eyes widened at his sister's words. "What! Why? What's your deal with Piper anyway?" he asked, his questions carrying a tone of tension and skepticism.

Mitch stepped from her side of the table, her agitation visible as she walked over to Kurt. "You don't own her, Kurt! She's my friend too and besides this isn't the time! Let's go!"

"You two stop. But your sister is right, Kurt. This isn't the time," Mrs. Wilder intervened, trying to diffuse the tension between her children. "And we're all going! Piper needs all of our support, right, honey?" she directed toward her husband.

"Absolutely," Mr. Wilder affirmed, echoing his wife's sentiment. "Now, let's all go! I'm driving."

~~~~~~~

Her worry and fear were palpable as she paced about the ER corridor. The hospital staff had hurried away with her mother leaving her a mess of nerves. She couldn't lose her mother too, Piper knew she wouldn't be able to survive this loss. Just as she felt as if she was on the brink of exploding from all the anxiety, Piper spotted a man in blue scrubs and a coat walking towards them.

"How's my mom?" Piper blurted out fast, unable to contain herself.

"Your mother is fine," the doctor replied calmly as he glanced around. "Is there an adult with you?"

"I'm an adult," Piper confidently stated the lie. She would be of legal age in less than three months. That had to count for something.

"She's almost eighteen," Natasha quickly chimed in to support her friend. "That's technically an adult!"

"What's wrong with my mother? Why was she unconscious, doctor?" Piper asked, the sheer desperation in her voice evident.

The doctor regarded the two girls for a moment before his gaze finally settled on Piper. "Where's your..."

"He passed away two years ago today," Piper quickly filled in despite the harrowing pain in her chest. "But back t my mother, what's wrong with her?"

"Piper! Nat!"

They turned to see Kurt and his family rushing toward them. Kurt pulled Piper into a hug before turning to Natasha. "What happened, guys?"

"We'd know if the doctor told us, but he hasn't!" Piper snapped at the doctor frustrated by his dilly dallying.

"Piper, come here, sweetie," Mrs. Wilder gently murmured as she enveloped Piper in her arms. "We're here. We're here for you!"

"Don't worry, Piper. What happened? We're family," Mr. Wilder reassured as he took charge and stepped up to the doctor.

"The patient suffered severe alcohol poisoning. We're currently stabilizing her," the doctor explained.

"When can I see her?" Piper asked.

"As soon as she stabilizes and wakes up," the doctor replied.

"Thank you, doctor," Mr. Wilder expressed, and the doctor nodded before heading back in the direction he had come from.

Mitch watched in silence as her mother guided Piper to the seats. She seized the opportunity and sat beside Piper, disregarding Kurt's silent look of disapproval.

"Hey," Mitch softly whispered as she took Piper's hand. She was taken aback when Piper turned from her mother and leaned into her arm. "Everything... everything will be alright," Mitch whispered as her other arm instinctively enveloping Piper in comfort.

As they all waited in silence, Mitch could feel the weight of Piper's anxiety growing with every passing moment. Time seemed to stretch endlessly, each passing moment only adding to Piper's mounting apprehension. She noticed Piper's feet nervously tapping, a clear sign of her escalating worry.

Leaning in closer, Mitch whispered to Piper, "How about we go for a walk?"

Piper lifted her head from where it rested on Mitch's shoulder and nodded. The thought of some fresh air seemed like a welcome escape from the suffocating tension that threatened to swallow her whole.

"Mum, we'll be back," Mitch softly informed her mother.

"Want us to come with you?" Kurt asked.

"No. It's fine Kurt," Piper quickly answered before Mitch could agree with the request. "We're just going to get some... some water."

"Sure," Kurt muttered leveling his sister with a glare. His eyes fixated on their entwined hands, stirring a pang of jealousy within him. Despite being close friends with Piper, it seemed as if Piper felt more comfortable with Mitch, his own sister.

"Are you okay?" Mitch whispered now that they were far away from the group.

"No, Wilder."

"Everything will be alright, Piper."

"I'm... I'm not sure anymore," Piper confessed softly. Her mother's struggle with alcohol felt like losing a battle and today, it had reached a breaking point. "I almost lost her today. I'd be die if anything happened to her, Mitch."

"Hey. Stop. Don't... don't say that. Nothing like that will happen Piper," Mitch whispered as she internally confronted her own fear of losing Piper in that moment.

"I just wish... I just wish she'd listen and get the help she needs," Piper's voice cracked. "I just want her to get some help."

Mitch wrapped her arms around Piper, holding her tightly as she sobbed against her chest. The pain of losing a parent was something she couldn't even begin to comprehend, and the thought of Piper facing that fear again tonight was heart-wrenching. Piper was suffering and she would be here for her.