Hold Onto Me

One

                                                            ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

                                                        Copyright © 2021 Cassey9

William stares at his unconscious sister through the glass partitioning the hospital’s ICU room. The doctors had been forthright, Rain’s chances of surviving low and bleak causing his desperation to run high at the frail state she’s in. The injuries to her head and chest had been very severe requiring two major back to back surgeries.

As per the physician, the first procedure had been critical aimed at reducing the pressure building inside Rain’s skull. The surgery alone was high risk having William at the edge of his seat praying and waiting in great anticipation. This was followed by another operation meant to get rid of bone fragments in Rain’s chest cavity caused by her broken ribs. Even from where he stands Rain looks ghastly pale, her chest barely moving but the beeping of machines attached to her body offer him some hope.

William stares on dejected seeing he couldn’t get near Rain, her condition too delicate. So he suffices to watching his sister yearningly from across the room, his large frame adorned in the blue protective gear the nurse had offered.

A tear rolls down his cheek, “I’ll keep you safe,” William firmly whispers the assurance and his hand runs down the glass barrier aching to touch Rain. Longing to run his fingers through her hair like he used to years back.  A sad chuckles vibrates through William as he recalls the truckload of times he’d braided Rain’s hair, combing and brushing to her standards of perfection.

The first time tending to Rain’s hair had been equivalent to a full blown war. Full of frantic yells and tantrums since William hadn’t done the lines right. This had been complemented by more cries and commands for him to do it again. The first morning had been sheer a horror. The plaited lines William had done turning out askew and infirm.

Rain then cried till her eyes swelled. For William that first time turned out to be a stepping stone for the oncoming years of being his little sister’s hairdresser. All of it to make Rain happy and keep the memory of their mother alive. Rain loved it when their mother did her hair styling it with colorful bands that Rain loved.

Internet tutorials helped him a lot and the braiding eventually changed from a hard task to something he enjoyed. William did Rain’s hair for years up to the point she’d stopped asking him and started doing it herself. But then again the braiding had become a habit hard to break and would coerce Rain from time to time to let him do it. With Sophia adding an extra head to the family William extended his skills to his wife. Wowing her with skills even more.

William’s fingers itch at the memory and now, how he’d give the world to revisit those delightful times with Rain, “I can’t lose you too,” he crocks his voice breaking with pain. It’d taken more than 72 excruciating hours for William to be finally allowed to see Rain. The doctors, assurances did less to calm the worries that swarmed him like a ship stuck in a turbulent storm in the high seas, “I…I can’t lose you too Rain,” William cries leaning his head on the glass frame tears streaming down his cheeks unrestrained “Come back to me…please Rain. I…I can’t lose you Rain… No…not you.”

The realization of his fears too great it paralyzes him. Rain was the only close blood family he had around. The rest were spread all around the world, indifferent to him and his sister. Losing Rain would be too much to bear. She was a part of him that couldn’t die. Not yet. Not now.

The loss of their parents had been heart breaking. Watching them disappear from their life as horrendous as something straight out of the depths of hell. Memories of the fateful day overwhelm William’s mind and the tears he’d been desperately trying to hold back breaking the barricade that held them at bay. His gloved hand covers his mouth quieting the sob emanating from him. Although Rain never remembered much from that day to William recalls it as being the worst summer of his life.

The scenes flood his mind and William tightly shuts his eyes reliving the dreadful day. Their Thursday afternoon in the ocean going from fantastic to appalling in a wink of an eye. That day had been like one of the many they’d spent in the waters for years. William and his father planning on scuba diving before fishing into the evening while Rain and their mother played about on the yacht.

Their father had been first to hit the water as William went below deck to find his diving goggles. Rain had been nestling in their mother’s arm, almost asleep for her usual afternoon naps. His search was taking longer and the hard slapping of water outside only sounded as teasing from his father. Signaling him to pick up his pace yet not registering as distress signal of something way worse happening.  The only registered troubled sound William heard had come from his mother’s scream before another splash sounded.

Racing upwards William emerged on the top deck only to find it deserted and he checked around moving to the diving deck. The boat was eerily silent the only sounds around being of the seagulls flying above and the overlapping waters.  

Rain had been laid out on the couch already unconscious. Looking around the waters looked peaceful, untouched causing his stomach to churn with worry. William’s loud calls to his parents came back empty and all around the vast water body he couldn’t make-out his parent’s frames. His father was a skilled swimmer but his mother had been quite terrible at it.

Ensuring Rain was tucked in and safely barricaded by the pillow he dove into the water frantically searching for them. William knew his mother would never enter the water without a valid reason something that only worsened his anguished feelings. His dives resulting in naught and with time flying by fast he relented and called the coast guards.

Swimming, yelling, diving none of them came around. His father and mother never turned up and every passing second serving to engrave the worst possible outcomes in his mind. The search had been called off due to the rising tides and with darkness enfolding their surroundings. The boat had also been thoroughly combed in desperate efforts to find them onboard but even that turned out useless.

At first William had been adamant on leaving the search area but the coast guards left no room for argument especially with the minor on board. He’d been compelled to drive the yacht to shoreline and Rain’s insistent question made it hard.

The search finally paid off a week later but the news it bore devastating. Their parent’s bodies had been found. The cause of death ruled out as drowning. William had been crushed and clueless. Both of his pillars stripped from under his feet without sympathy. Till now William still found it hard to accept his parent’s fate. Their ending too painful. A fate he didn’t want Rain to share.

“Honey…” Sophia calls entering the small space. His reverie broken by her soft soothing voice. Sophia’s heart clenches at the overwhelming state of Rain. Her worry spiking at the unhinged worried state William is in. She bites her own cry wanting to console her heartbroken husband, “It’s going to be okay. She’ll be okay…”

William straightens at Sophia words sniffling his tears back, “As I live…as I live Sophia. I swear Rain will never set her sights on that woman again,” he speaks in a hard voice. The finality in his tone backing up the words, “She almost killed my sister.”

“Honey…She got hit too. Karey is a victim just like our Rain…”

“Never utter that cussed name before me!” Lawrence barks scaring Sophia with the intensity in his rigid voice.

“Will…”

“I don’t give a damn about her Sophia. If Rain never had sneaked out to go to her this could have never happened…”

Sophia sighs sadly not vexed by her husband's words. He was exhausted, starving and on the edge with the turn out of events. Something she understood clearly, but blaming Karey only served to complicate matters. Knowing Rain's dedication to the woman meant she'd defend her at all cost, “William it was an accident. Not something they could have avoided…” 

William grumbles grudgingly. His thoughts of Rain’s preservation overlooking every word from his wife. He turns and focuses on Rain. At this point nothing mattered than her wellbeing and safety. He reaches out and touches the glass resting, “Honey, you need to rest,” Sophia utters rubbing William’s tense shoulder, “I’ll stay with her. Go rest…”

“No!” William argues back. Rain had to be okay. She had to pull out of this and he'd stay around until she arose from the bed, “I’ll wait for her to wake up.”

“William please…”

“No…I’m not leaving her side Sophia!” William utters harshly his eyes never straying from Rain, “I’ll stay till she wakes up. I want to be here when she wakes up.”

“William, honey listen to me…” as if mechanically operated William head turns on his neck discontinuing any argument coming from Sophia, “Okay,” she whispers palming his stubble cheek. William nods turning to look at Rain.

“I’ll wait for her.”