Chapter 5: The Coma
The beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room, a rhythmic reminder of Jace's fragile state. The steady pulse, though faint, was the only indication that he was still there, still alive. Jace’s face was pale, his body unnaturally still, wrapped in the sterile whiteness of hospital sheets. Tubes ran from his nose and mouth, connecting him to the machines that now kept him alive.
Juniper sat beside his bed, clutching his hand like it was the only thing tethering her to reality. The weight of the last few hours hung heavily on her chest, each breath she took felt difficult, strained. She couldn’t stop staring at him, couldn’t believe that the same boy who had once been so full of life, so annoyingly cocky and mischievous, was now lying motionless, caught between life and death.
The door to the room creaked open, and a doctor entered, his expression grim. He had spoken to Jace’s family earlier, and now he stood before Juniper, his face etched with empathy and concern.
"Miss, I wanted to update you on Jace's condition," the doctor began, his voice soft but clinical.
Juniper blinked, snapping out of her daze, her fingers still wrapped around Jace’s limp hand.
"Is... is he going to be okay?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, as if speaking any louder would shatter the fragile calm of the room.
The doctor hesitated, glancing at Jace before returning his gaze to Juniper. "Jace suffered severe head trauma, and the surgery we performed was to relieve the pressure on his brain. However, the extent of the damage is significant. He’s in a coma, and at this point, we can’t predict when or if he will wake up."
Juniper felt her heart drop, her grip tightening on Jace's hand.
"But he’s strong, right? He’s going to wake up," she said, her voice shaky, as if she could will the doctor into giving her a better answer.
The doctor’s eyes softened.
"I understand how difficult this is, but right now, Jace’s chances of survival are slim. We’ll do everything we can, but... sometimes, it’s out of our hands. The next 48 hours are critical."
Juniper’s throat tightened as she swallowed back the lump rising in her chest.
"Thank you, doctor," she murmured, her eyes never leaving Jace’s face.
The doctor gave her a sympathetic nod before exiting the room, leaving Juniper alone with Jace once more.
She stared at him, her eyes filling with tears. The boy who had driven her crazy with his pranks, the boy who had somehow wormed his way into her heart, was now lying here, silent and still. She brushed a strand of hair from his forehead, her hand trembling.
"Jace," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"You can’t leave me. Not like this."
Her thoughts drifted back to their many encounters. How had they gone from enemies to this? She let out a shaky breath, her mind wandering to the first time she had stood up to him. It was during sophomore year, when Jace and his gang had been picking on a freshman. Juniper had stepped in, fearless, challenging him in front of everyone.
"Remember that day, Jace?" she said softly, her eyes welling up with tears. "You were so mad at me. You called me every name in the book. But I wasn’t scared of you."
She sniffled, blinking rapidly as she tried to keep her emotions in check.
"I thought you were just a jerk, you know? Just a spoiled, arrogant bully. But you surprised me."
Her voice caught in her throat, and she took a deep breath before continuing.
"You changed, Jace. You really tried. I know it wasn’t easy for you, but you did it. For me."
The room felt too quiet, too still, the only sound the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor. Juniper looked down at their intertwined hands, the warmth in his fading with every passing second.
"I never thought I’d fall for you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"But here we are."
She wiped at her eyes, letting out a shaky laugh as she remembered some of the ridiculous moments they had shared.
"God, do you remember when you tried to help that old lady cross the street, and you ended up causing a traffic jam? Or when you offered to walk Mrs. Thornton’s dog, and it ran away from you? You were terrible at being nice."
Juniper smiled, her tears still falling.
"But you kept trying. Even when you messed up, you kept trying. And that... that meant everything to me."
Her heart ached as she thought about the future—the prom they were supposed to go to together, the dates they would never have, the life they might never get to share.
"You promised me you’d be my prom date," she whispered, her voice cracking.
"You promised you’d change. And you did. You really did, Jace."
She rested her head on the edge of the bed, her tears soaking into the sheets.
"Please," she begged, her voice trembling.
"Please wake up. I need you to wake up."
The minutes turned into hours as Juniper sat there, holding his hand, her thoughts filled with memories of their time together. It felt surreal, like some terrible dream she couldn’t wake up from.
Eventually, Jace’s parents entered the room, their faces pale and drawn with worry. They exchanged quiet words with Juniper, thanking her for being there, for staying by their son’s side. But even as they spoke, Juniper could see the fear in their eyes—the fear that they might lose him.
They took turns sitting by Jace’s bedside, but Juniper never left. She couldn’t. She stayed through the night, her eyes red and puffy from crying, her body aching from the strain of staying awake for so long. But no matter how tired she was, she couldn’t bring herself to leave him.
---
By the next day, the doctors still had no new updates. Jace remained in his coma, his condition unchanged. Juniper continued to stay by his side, talking to him, hoping that somehow, her words would reach him.
She reminisced about the day he had asked her to prom, the nervous look in his eyes as he tried to play it cool.
"You were so scared I’d say no," she whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"But you didn’t have to be. I was already falling for you."
As the hours passed, Juniper’s exhaustion began to catch up with her. She leaned her head against the side of the bed, her eyelids heavy as she fought to stay awake. But soon, the fatigue became too much, and she drifted off into a restless sleep.
---
In her dream, she was back under the old tree at the school park, the place where she and Jace had shared so many moments together. He was sitting beside her, grinning that crooked grin of his, teasing her about something silly. Everything felt normal, like nothing had changed. But then, as she reached out to touch him, he began to fade, slipping away from her like sand through her fingers.
"Jace!" she cried, panic surging through her as she tried to grab hold of him. "Don’t leave me!"
But no matter how hard she tried, he continued to fade, his voice growing distant. "I’m sorry, Juniper," he whispered.
"I’m so sorry."
---
Juniper woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, her body covered in a cold sweat. She looked over at Jace, her breath catching in her throat as she realized he was still lying there, unmoving.
Tears filled her eyes once more as she reached for his hand, her voice barely a whisper.
"Please, Jace. Come back to me."
She couldn’t lose him. Not now. Not when they had finally found each other. Not when they had so much left to say, so much left to do.
As she sat there, her heart heavy with worry, she made a silent promise to him.
"I won’t give up on you," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
"No matter what happens, I’ll be here. I’ll wait for you, Jace. For as long as it takes."
And with that, she leaned back in her chair, her hand still holding his, as the steady beep of the heart monitor echoed in the quiet room.
The fight wasn’t over yet.