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    Lori and I had been sitting in that sterile hospital waiting room for what felt like an eternity. The seconds dragged by like hours, the minutes like days. We had long since left the cafeteria, having given up on trying to soothe ourselves with bitter coffee.


    Finally, the door to the waiting room swung open, and a doctor in scrubs stepped in. Lori and I shot to our feet, our hearts pounding in our chests.


    The doctor looked at us with a somber expression on his face, and I felt a lump forming in my throat. I could tell from the look in his eyes that the news wasn''t going to be good.


    "Hello. I''m Dr. Anderson," his voice gentle but filled with a gravity that sent a chill down my spine. "Would you please follow me?" He jerked his head toward the hallway, away from the prying eyes and ears of the waiting


    room.


    Lori and I followed behind the tall doctor, out through the double doors he had juste through and into the hallway where it was a bit more private.


    This was a good sign, I thought to myself; he wasn''t taking us into an entirely private room. That was usually an indication that a loved one had passed, so maybe Jessica was still alive. At least I could take some sce in that, right?


    It wasn''t long before Lori, her eyes filled with tears, blurted out the question that was on both of our minds. "Is she going to be okay?"


    Dr. Anderson hesitated for a moment before responding with a soft sigh.


    "Jessica''s surgery was sessful in stopping the internal bleeding, but she is in really bad shape. She suffered multiple fractures and injuries from the ident, and it''s going to be a long road to recovery. Right now, she''s in a medically induceda to allow her body to heal."


    Lori''s shoulders slumped, and she let out a choked sob. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. "How long will she be like this, doctor?" I asked, my own voice trembling despite the brave face I was trying to put on.


    The doctor sighed again, his expression sympathetic. "It''s difficult to say. It could be weeks, or even longer. Jessica''s body needs time to heal, and we will monitor her closely. But I have to be honest with you, there is a chance she might not wake up."


    Lori''s sobs grew louder, and I could feel her shaking in my arms. My heart ached for her, for all of us. The weight of the situation was crushing, and it was hard to believe that our vibrant, lively Jessica was now lying unconscious in a hospital bed, her life hanging in the bnce between the living world and the... well, not living. Dr. Anderson continued to exin the details of Jessica''s injuries and the treatments she would receive.


    I listened attentively, trying to absorb as much information as possible. Assuming she woke up, she would need extensive physical therapy, medication, and possibly even reconstructive surgeries on various limbs.


    As a medical student, this all should have sounded hopeful; Jessica was alive, and that was all that mattered, right? But in fact, it was quite the opposite. All of the medical jargon and future treatments just made my blood run cold.


    I didn''t want to picture my poor Jessica hooked up to monitors and machines for the foreseeable future. Would she even be able to walk again?


    Once the doctor had left, Lori and I were left alone in the waiting room, the weight of the news sinking in. I held Lori as she cried, my own tears falling silently. I wished that there was something more that I could do, some way to ease her pain and make everything right again, but there wasn''t.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Only time could do that, and that was only assuming that time would be kind to our dear friend.


    Eventually, Lori''s sobs began to subside, and she wiped her tears on the sleeve of her jacket. She looked up at me, her eyes red and puffy.


    "I can''t handle this, Nina," she whispered, her voice filled with despair. "I can''t take care of myself right now, let alone make decisions about Jessica''s care. What if she never wakes up?"