3 GUYS, A GIRL, AND A ROSE
Chapter Forty-Four

It was cold in Victory Memorial Hospital. The smell of it was very irritating. The white walls made it feel as though it were winter. It was pretty creepy.

There were nurses and doctors everywhere. They had run into rooms, helping their patients. Some were even going into the emergency room. That's where Christina was. Tommy hated to think about it. Wasn't he just here three weeks ago with her? Wasn't it three weeks ago that he also went to go tell her how he felt, but she had to be rushed to the hospital--again? What was it with love and hospitals?

He twiddled his thumbs as he sat in the waiting room. Beside him was Fabrizio. They couldn't believe this was happening. Christina was fine the day before. Why would she go off and do something like this? It was too complicated for either of them to understand.

Fabrizio had called Jack ten minutes ago. They didn't care if he came or not. All that mattered was whether she would live. Tommy couldn't face the idea that she might die. He refused to think that for a second. Christina was his sunshine. He needed her. He loved her. If she died, it'd be the end for him. Tommy would be driven into madness. Of course, it was all bullshit that he was going to give up on her. He could never do that.

Five minutes later, Jack and Rose walked in. Jack had his fingers running through his hair. He looked like a complete mess. He wore gray sweatpants and a plain white shirt covered with paint. Rose stood five inches behind him. Her wild red hair was in a messy bun. She had came in with black stretch pants and a navy blue hooded sweatshirt, her arms folded across her chest. Tommy saw the sorrow in her eyes. Although he knew she didn't like Christina, he could tell she had a lot of sympathy. Rose felt Jack's pain. He didn't say a word to her after they left his apartment.

"Tommy! Where is she? How is she?" Jack asked quickly. He looked like he was about to cry.

"They're pumping her stomach. She is in the emergency room," Tommy said quietly. He couldn't even look at Jack when he said it. It hurt him to even hear what he was saying to him.

"Fuck! What'd she take?" Jack asked him.

"Prozac."

"How much?"

"I don't know. The bottle was empty when I found it."

"Well, do you know what she took with it?"

"No! Stop asking me fucking questions! I do not know! The bottle was broken when I found it!" Tommy lashed out at him. He stood up from his seat and went to the other side. He punched the wall and then leaned his head on it, burying it into the wall. He pounded the wall with his fist and began to shed tears. They could hear his muffled cries, and they all felt his pain.

"He is just really upset. We all are," Fabrizio said, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Why would she do this?" Jack asked him.

"I don't know. We are as clueless as you are."

Jack threw himself into his seat. He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. Tears began to stream. Rose sat next to him and held him.

"He called her parents. They should be here around 12:30. He also called Mr. Smith. He'll be here in a few." Fabrizio mentioned to him. Tommy came back to them. His face was flushed.

"Didn't mean to yell at you buddy. Sorry," he apologized.

"It's all right, man." Jack half-smiled at him.

Tommy sat down, his elbows on his knees while his face rested on his hands. The only thing the four of them could do was wait.

*****

It was eleven o’clock PM when Mr. Smith arrived with his wife, Sarah. When they had heard the news, they couldn't believe it. They had known her since her parents’ divorce eleven years ago. Though they knew of her past experiences of depression, the thought that she would attempt suicide was unimaginable.

"I can't believe she would try something like this!" Sarah said. She had been in tears when Mr. Smith told her what happened.

"I wonder what Isabella has to say about all this?" Mr. Smith said of Christina's mother.

The three guys sat in silence. Rose had fallen asleep on Jack's shoulder, who didn't even notice. He was too worried about Christina. Like his friends, he could only ask himself why. How could Christina do this to herself? They didn't even realize anything was wrong.

Jack didn't know what he would do if Christina did not survive. Christina was his best friend. A life without her was unbearable. A life without her wasn't a life at all. It just couldn't be the end of their friendship. This was a girl he loved so much. It would only break his heart if she didn't come out of this alive. He remembered when his parents had died. He had had to run away. The pain had been unbearable. It was nearly eight years ago.

Jack called it murder, even though it was a hit and run. In his head, he would call it a murder. It was late. He was waiting for them to come pick him up from his art club. It was raining terribly hard. The streets were wet, and it was very foggy out. His parents were driving down the two way street when a car driving into different lanes swerved and crashed into the side of their car. The car spun and crashed into a tree. The other driver quickly sped away. He had witnessed the whole thing. It was painful to have witnessed it. After that he shut himself out to everyone. He didn't speak a word to anyone. Since there was no next of kin, he ran away.

He feared that losing Christina would be even harsher punishment and it'd only drive him insane. Especially in this case, it was suicide.

He watched as Mr. Smith and his wife Sarah held hands as they were seated across from them. Fabrizio had his elbow on the arm of the chair, resting his head on his hand. Tommy had his hands in his jean pockets, his head tilted back on the wall. Jack could see tears form in Tommy's eyes, who didn't care that they ran down his face.

Tommy looked horrible. There were bags under his eyes and his curly hair was disastrous. The poor guy looked weak and tired. Jack couldn't imagine the terror Tommy felt when he found Christina. Jack wouldn't know what would have become of him if he were the one to have found her.

At that moment, Doctor Kapowski came in. This was the moment. Jack felt his knees go weak . His palms began to sweat and his heart was pounding fast. It felt as if it were being ripped to shreds. It was time to hear Christina's condition.

*****

They all stared at the doctor when she came in. They looked as terrified as they felt on the inside. What was she going to say about Christina? All of them wanted to know, but were scared as well to find out the answer.

Dr. Kapowski looked at her clipboard before she would tell them anything. The expression on her face puzzled them. It wasn't clear if her analysis was positive or negative. This frightened them. In a matter of seconds, they were impatient, and nervous as well. Mr. and Mrs. Smith squeezed each other's hands. Fabrizio had his eyes wide open. Jack, who had been squeezing Rose's knee as she slept, held a tight grip on her hair. Tommy was sweating and his face was red. They couldn't tell if he was crying or not.

"Who is responsible for Ms. Castillo?" Dr. Kapowski finally asked.

"Well, we all are," Mr. Smith replied.

"Where are this girl's parents?" she asked.

"Her parents live in Connecticut. They'll arrive in about an hour," Tommy answered.

"I think maybe I should wait for them to come, then," she said to them. Tommy immediately stood up.

"Why can't you just tell us her condition?" he asked.

"I think it should be between her parents." Tommy sighed at her response.

"Can you please tell us? Please! She is very dear to us and our best friend!" Tommy pleaded with her. Dr. Kapowski saw the grief in his eyes. She couldn't turn away.

"All right."

Mr. Smith and Fabrizio stood up behind Tommy. Jack woke Rose up. She yawned a little and stretched out her arms. He lifted himself off the chair to join the others.

"As you already know, we had to pump her stomach. The contents of her stomach were suctioned through the tube. Your friend will be fine," Dr. Kapowski said. A smile spread across all of their faces.

"Will we be able to see her?" Jack asked her.

"You'll have to wait. We're monitoring her for any more signs of toxic effects. We'll let you see her when her parents arrive. She is resting right now." They nodded their heads and sat down.

All were relieved by the news. Tommy, who had been there for two hours already, was ecstatic. Christina would be okay, and that was all that mattered.

*****

Jack and Rose fell asleep. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were talking to each other. Fabrizio was drinking a cup of coffee. Tommy tapped his fingers on the arms of the chair, as well as his feet on the floor.

Although Christina would live, he wondered why she had attempted suicide. All of this had happened for what? It would probably remain a mystery. He would probably never understand why it had happened. The main thing was that her attempt was not successful. He would ask her for her reason another time.

Tommy wasn't ready to give up on her yet, not after this event. This had only taught him that he knew he could lose her at any point. He definitely had to tell her how he felt. The time, he did not know. It just had to be done at some point in his life.

"Where's my daughter?" he heard a voice ask. He looked up and saw that it belonged to a woman. She was short, maybe about five foot five. Her dark hair reached her shoulders. She wore black pants, a white button down shirt, and black boots.

"Isabella!" Mr. Smith called out. The lady turned around. Her face looked grief-stricken. She stood by a man who was only about two inches taller than her. He had a goatee that fit perfectly with his round face. His brown hair seemed to be thinning.

"Eric!" She called Mr. Smith by his first name. She ran over to him and hugged him, then went to hug Sarah. The man she was with shook Mr. Smith's hand and kissed Sarah's cheek. "Where's Christina?" she asked, obviously frantic.

"She is resting. I think you should go consult the doctor. She wishes to speak to you," Mr. Smith suggested to her.

"All right," she said. She turned around and noticed Tommy watching her. "Who are you?"

"My name is Tommy Ryan, Christina's friend. I'm the one who called you," he answered.

"Oh. Thank you." She noticed Jack and Rose sleeping and Fabrizio, who sat there drinking his coffee.

Fabrizio stood up and introduced himself. "I'm a friend of Christina's, Fabrizio di Rossi. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Castillo."

"Oh, it's Mrs. Arias. That's my husband, Christina's stepfather, Alejandro Arias," she corrected him, and pointed to the man next to her.

"Sorry," Fabrizio said.

"It's all right. Are those two sleeping friends of Christina also?" she asked, pointing to them.

"Yeah. Jack is, at least. The girl with him is Rose, his girlfriend," Tommy replied.

"Mrs. Castillo?" Dr. Kapowski asked her. Isabella turned to see the doctor.

"No, Mrs. Arias. My daughter is Christina Castillo."

"Sorry. So, your daughter is Christina?" she asked.

"Yes, that is correct." Isabella rolled her eyes at her, which she didn't notice.

"May I speak with you in private?" she asked her.

"Sure." She stepped aside with her to the receptionist’s desk. It was an earshot distance for Tommy and the others.

"Do you know why your daughter is here?"

"I was told she overdosed and was rushed here. Now, what is going on? I do not think my daughter has ever taken any illegal drugs!"

"Well, she was on Prozac, wasn't she?"

"Yes. Where are you going with this?"

"Your daughter tried committing suicide."

"What?" Isabella was shocked.

"Your daughter took a handful of Prozac and mixed it with what we found to be whiskey."

"My…daughter?"

"You are lucky that man over there brought her to the hospital when he did. Any later, and your daughter could be dead!" Dr. Kapowski informed her. Isabella placed her hand over her mouth in shock. "She was rushed into the emergency room. Her stomach had to be pumped. We inserted a stomach tube through her mouth, into the esophagus, and down to her stomach. We suctioned out the contents that were in her stomach. They're monitoring her right now for any signs of toxic effects from the overdose."

"Can I go see her now?" Isabella asked, with tears forming in her eyes.

"Sure. Her room is right down this hall, left side, room 114. She is resting right now," Dr. Kowalski replied.

Tommy and the others heard what the doctor said. They turned back to minding their own business when Isabella walked back toward them.

"We can see her now. I suggest that if any of you want to see her, please go now," Isabella instructed. Fabrizio poked Jack's shoulder to wake him up. He yawned and stretched his arms out. He was startled when he saw Isabella. In an instant he knew who she was. Christina looked almost exactly like her.

Jack woke Rose up, who looked lost. He immediately stood up from his chair and introduced himself. "Hi. Jack Dawson. That's my girlfriend, Rose DeWitt-Bukater. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Arias."

"You too, Jack. At least someone got my last name right."

"Well, Christina told me. She's my best friend."

"Very good to hear that. I was just telling your friends that you can go see her now. She is resting at the moment."

"Well, let's see her, then," Tommy instructed, and led them down the hall. Jack noticed Rose still sitting down.

"Are you going to come?" he asked her.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked him in return.

"Of course." Rose stood up and went to hold his hand. Tommy and Fabrizio already knew where her room was, but her mother told them where anyway. Jack and Rose followed right behind them. They all kept silent on their way there. None of them knew what to say. Their best friend was admitted on a suicide attempt; she could have died if Tommy hadn't found her when he had.

When they entered her room, all felt shivers run down their spines. The room suddenly seemed to feel cold. It was filled with sadness and terror. At the same time, they were relieved that she had even pulled through.

They looked over at her bed, where she still lay with respiratory support. It scared them to see her like this, but at the same time, she looked peaceful.

"Excuse me, but only two people are allowed in the room," a nurse said as she passed by.

"Shall Rose and I go in first, or do you guys want to go in?" Jack asked them.

"We'll go in," Fabrizio answered. Jack nodded and left the room with Rose, saying something about going to the bathroom.

They both stood by her bed, Tommy taking both of her hands in one of his. They were cold, but it warmed him up inside. He placed his other hand on her cheek, rubbing it with his thumb. "She's so beautiful," he said. Fabrizio half-smiled at him.

"She always was and always will be," Fabrizio said. "So, why'd you go to her apartment building?"

"I was going to tell her, Fabri. I was going to tell her I love her. Something just came over me. I drove fast to tell her. When I went into the building, I couldn't wait, so I ran in. Then I saw her, out on the floor. I didn't want to believe what I saw at first." Tommy rubbed his eyes and continued. "Oh, God. Why is it that she ends up going to the hospital whenever I want to tell her how I feel?"

"Very ironic," was all Fabrizio could say.

"If it didn't come over me to tell her, then what? The unthinkable would have happened. Oh, God, I love her so much."

"Will you tell her when she comes out of this?"

"I don't know. I'm scared to now, but I also know it has to be done. All I know now is that I can't give up on her. Not now. Not ever."

*****

Rose heard everything Tommy said to Fabrizio. It was all so heartbreaking. Both times, when he was going to tell her how he felt, he had had to bring her to this very place.

She didn't know Christina well, but the thought of Christina dying was be tragic. It would tear Jack and the others apart. From what Jack had said about her, she could tell how much Christina meant to him. As soon as he got the phone call from Fabrizio, he rushed out of the bed. He threw on anything he could find and almost left the apartment without her.

Breaking into her thoughts, she recognized the two arms she loved come up behind her. Jack wrapped his arms around Rose's waist and kissed her cheek. "Hey, babe. I'm gonna go in there," he said, and went in.

"Hey, guys," Jack said to them. "Can I get a moment with her?"

"Sure," Tommy said. He motioned for Fabrizio to leave the room with him. Tommy kissed her forehead, as did Fabrizio. They nodded their heads at Rose and went to the waiting room.

She looked over at Jack, who was now beside Christina's bed. He sat on the edge of it and kissed her hand.

"Hey, beautiful," he said to her. "You probably don't hear me, but I'm going to tell you that I love you anyway." Rose entered the room and placed her hands on his shoulders. She saw a tear slide down his cheek. "I can't believe she is here again." There was sorrow in his voice, and all Rose could do was stand there and watch.

There was a knock on the door, and they both looked up to see Mr. Smith with his wife. "We wanted to stop in for a moment."

"Sure," Jack said. He got up from the bed and kissed Christina. Rose saw that it was right next to her mouth. She wasn't going to let herself get jealous at a time like this. Jack took his hand in hers, and she smiled at him, letting him know that she was with him all the way.

*****

When Mr. Smith and his wife came back, Christina's mother and stepfather went to go see her. It was sad seeing Christina in that position, but they were still happy to see her.

It was nearly two o'clock in the morning, and they were all wiped out. Fabrizio was half-asleep in his chair. Rose fell asleep again, her head resting on Jack's shoulder. Tommy and Jack couldn't fall asleep.

They heard Isabella's heels clicking when she came back. Her face made it apparent that she had been crying. Even though she felt worn out, she didn't look it. She looked very good for a woman of forty-eight.

"You kids look very tired. You should come back later, when she wakes up," she told them.

"If you want, you guys can come over, since I don't live far," Fabrizio said to them. He got up from the chair and stretched himself out.

"I think we should go home. Thanks anyway, Fabri," Jack said, yawning. He tapped Rose's shoulder to wake her up again. "We're gonna leave now." Rose rubbed her eyes and stretched out, yawning.

Tommy had his arms folded across his chest and looked down. "I'm staying."

"What?" Jack asked.

"I want to stay here with her."

"Son, I think you should really go get some rest," Mr. Smith advised him.

"I can't. I have to stay here with her. If that's all right with you, ma‘am," he said to Isabella.

"I appreciate that," Isabella said.

"All right, then. We'll be on our way," Fabrizio said.

"We're going to be leaving now, as well. We'll be back in the morning. You guys will be staying with us," Mr. Smith said to Isabella and Alejandro.

"We couldn't let you do that," Alejandro said.

"Oh, but we insist!" Sarah said. "You guys are like family to us. We have room in the house!"

"Thank you," Isabella said.

"We'll take your bags to the house. We'll take you kids home, as well," Mr. Smith said to them.

"We couldn't let you do that!" Jack exclaimed.

"Nonsense! It's late! Let's go!" Mr. Smith instructed. Fabrizio, Jack, and Mr. Smith each held one of the Arias' bags and bid them and Tommy farewell for the remainder of the night.

"Are you sure you want to stay?" Alejandro asked him.

"Of course. I can't leave. I found her there, and I want to be there when she wakes up," Tommy answered. Through his eyes, her stepfather could see how much he loved her. "If you don't mind, I would like to stay with her in her room."

"We don't mind at all," Isabella said to him.

Tommy excused himself and went to her room. He pulled up a chair beside the bed and held her hand tight. Although she looked disastrous, he felt as if she lit up the whole room.

He was mad at her for trying to kill herself, but he loved her so much that he didn't care. For whatever reason she tried to do it, it didn't matter to him anymore. The fact that she would remain alive was all that mattered to him.

"I love you so much. Thank you, God, for letting her live. Please don't let her try to leave me again. Please, God," he said to himself. He held her hands with both of his and kissed them. He rested his head on the bed, right by her stomach. Tommy closed his eyes and fell asleep. He wanted to stay right by her side.

A/N: I want to thank Anne Blair for helping me get some sort of idea for this chapter. I'm not a doctor, so I really didn't know the effects of alcohol overdose and how I could follow it up to chapter forty-three. I'm not sure if any of this information is accurate. However, I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter Forty-Five
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