Welcome To Carlsonton Academy

Chapter XXI

Gasps were heard around the room. Peyton already had tears streaming down her face. I myself didn't know how to process the information. This wasn't happening. It wasn't true. It was some sort of sick joke. That's what I tried to tell myself, even though I knew April would never do something like that.

"What do you mean by 'not waking up'?" James was the first one to react.

"I- I don't know!" April started sobbing hysterically. Mikaela put her arms around her and shot James an irritated look.

"Okay. Well, uh, Shane, call the Warden. Ryan, inform the Hospital Wing. Valerie, come with me."

James and I ran to Isaac's room. The door was wide open, and i could see his body lying on the floor, pale as ever. I felt a lump in my throat. I knew the tears would come flowing at any moment, but I had to keep a clear head.

I bent down and felt the pulse on his neck.

"He's alive, but barely. His heartbeat's very slow."

"We need to keep his heart beating till the medics get here," said James, kneeling down next to me. "Keep a check on his pulse. I know CPR."

"But it could break his ribs!"

"We don't really have much of a choice, do we?"

James was right. Isaac was slipping away.It was now or never. He leaned over the unconscious boy's body.

"Dammit, Isaac!" he said, pumping Isaac's chest, "Stay with me!"

"It's not working!"

The paramedics came in at that moment. They took over Isaac's body. The put an oxygen mask over his mouth and pulled him onto a stretcher. That was the last we saw of him.

***

Five hours later, we were all at Dr. McGlasseus Memorial Hospital, which was ten minutes away from the campus. An atmosphere of despair was prevalent. Isaac had been rushed into the hospital, and immediately taken to the ICU. He was out of surgery, and April was talking to the doctors. Once she was done with them, she returned to us. Her face was tear-stained, but she wasn't crying.

"Well?" We were all anxious to hear the verdict.

"He's alive and stable."

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Thank the heavens.

"What happened?" asked Shane.

"He overdosed on anti-anxiety pills."

My mouth hung open. "Since when was Isaac taking medication."

"I didn't know until five minutes ago. Did any of you guys?"

We all shook our heads. "He- he tried killing himself?" Ryan looked like he was going to burst into tears.

"I'd like to think he didn't. I'm going to believe it was an accident." April's was soft and shaky. "If anyone wants to see him, you can go, But he's still in a coma."

Nobody was ready to see him like that. They thought seeing him would make it all too real.

"I'll go," I said quietly.

Isaac was in a big, white hospital room, with pretty much white everything. I think it's symbolic. All the white represents heaven, and the hospital bed as the deathbed. Isaac looked pale and cold, like a cadaver. If it wasn't for the ECG monitor, I wouldn't have believed he was alive. He was connected to an IV stand which was dripping some transparent fluid into his bloodstream.

I'd only seen such things in movies and TV shows. I'd never imagined it happening to someone I cared about.

I took Isaac's cold hand in mine. "Hey," I began. They say that people can hear things even in their sleep, but I don't know. I like to believe it though."