"Yes." Daphne walked over to the edge of the orb, placing her hand and forehead against it. Her brow furrowed as she concentrated, the ice slowly beginning to melt. A big, thick slab of ice like the orb was harder to melt than her thin mask, but it was do-able. The orb was soon melted away, the three superheros now civilians.
Ben heard the sound of sirens in the distance, getting closer and closer. He sighed with relief, hoping that once the ambulance arrived everything would be fine. “They’re almost here,” he announced, even though it was quite obvious.
Daphne bent back down. "Cameron, we're getting you help, OK? The ambulance is coming. They're gonna help you." She knew that he probably couldn't hear her, but she said it reassure herself.
Ben kept his eyes on the road, his heart pounding. Any moment now. Thankfully, an ambulance pulled up to the curb and some EMTs hopped out. Ben glanced down at Cameron now, his stomach abuzz with anxiety.
"Cameron. The ambulance is here now. They're gonna take you to hospital." She leaned over and kissed Cameron's forehead, tears starting to well in her eyes. She was rarely scared for his life, but right now she was. "I need you to get through this, Cam."
Ben swallowed the lump in his throat, Daphne’s fear affecting him more than he would like to admit. He helped get Cameron onto a stretcher, being as gentle as possible. Even though Ban wasn’t a religious guy, he said a silent prayer that Cameron would be okay. He had to be okay.
"Only one of you can come into the ambulance," The paramedic said, his gaze flicking between Daphne and Ben.
"I'll go," Daphne replied quickly, stepping into the back and sitting on the chair used for family members.
Ben gave her a grim smile. It would be okay. It had to be. He would just wait then, he supposed. “See you soon,” he said, unable to truly put how he felt into words.
Daphne made a smile that matched Ben's. She watched as the doors closed and she could only see part of his face through the window. She watched as he began to get smaller, watched as he didn't start moving until they started rounding a corner. She squeezed Cameron's hand, hoping that everything would be OK.
Ben wasn’t sure what to do after that, so he went home. He had an apartment now that was across town from his childhood home, closer to the college he attended. He waited there, hoping for some good news.
"What hospital are we going to?" Daphne asked. She waited, but neither of the paramedics answered. She decided to just wait until they got there and then text the address to Ben.
Ben paced his room anxiously, hoping that it would be nothing serious. He wondered when Daphne would tell him which hospital they were at. Maybe he could get her a cup of coffee or something, because he knew that she was probably even more upset than he was. Cameron was her boyfriend, after all.
Daphne didn't take her eyes off Cameron the whole time she was in the ambulance. She was too worried, hoping for the chance that he might wake up. When she saw that they'd arrived at the hospital, she took note of the name and texted it to Ben.
Ben's phone beeped with the notification, and he threw on a jacket to head to the hospital. First he stopped at a coffee shop nearby and got himself and Daphne each a cup. Who knows how long they would be waiting, so it would be better to at least have coffee. That was what Ben told himself, anyway. The truth was that he wasn't sure if he could face one of his friends getting severely injured or anything. He showed up at the hospital, looking for his sister.
When they'd arrived, Daphne had wanted to stay with Cameron. But he had been rushed to the operating theater, and she wasn't allowed in. So she had to wait in the waiting room, chewing on in ice-block of pure ice that she'd made to calm herself.
Ben spotted Daphne across the room, walking over to her. “Hey, I got you some coffee,” he said, handing her one of the drinks. He gave her a wan smile. “How’s Cameron doing?” he asked after a brief pause.
Daphne took the coffee, taking a sip from it. She rubbed her arm. "Well…I don't know yet. They took him into an operating theatre and I wasn't allowed to watch. Don't think I would have wanted to anyway."
"I understand," Ben mumbled, taking a sip of his own coffee. "Do you think that he'll be all right?" He tried to be gentle with his question, but he was a bit nervous for the guy.
Daphne looked at Ben with worried eyes, her brows furrowed. "I really hope so. I don't know what I'd do without him." Her white eyes stared at him - she'd forgotten to put her contacts back in - with tears in her eyes. "He's my whole world, Ben. I wouldn't be the same if he died."
“He’s not going to die,” Ben comforted her, hoping that it was true. Cameron was resilient; he couldn’t be the first one of them to go. He set down his coffee cup in the empty chair next to him for a moment so he could give Daphne a hug. It wasn’t much, but hugs always comforted Ben.
Daphne began to sob into her brother's shoulder. "I'm scared. If I lose him, I'm not going to be the same. He's a part of me."
Ben had to blink to keep himself from crying as well. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat before talking. He had no idea what to tell her now; what if Cameron was dying? "Cameron's strong. If anyone can get through this, he can," he said, not sure if he was even helping. He hoped so. It hurt him to see Daphne like this.
Daphne pulled herself away from Ben. "I…I'm going to go to the bathroom." She stood up and walked away, leaving her brother and her colding coffee behind. She needed a moment to think.
Ben watched her go, wondering if he made a mistake. He knew he was terrible at comforting people. He picked his coffee back up and sipped it pensively.
Daphne entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She walked over to the sink, staring at herself in the mirror. Frost began to spread along the porcelain as she stared into her white eyes.
Ben’s mind raced as he sat there, worried about Cameron. He began bouncing his leg up and down, anxiety weighing on him. He had to think of something else so he didn’t drive himself crazy, as he knew there was no way he could change whatever was happening to Cameron.
Daphne's reflection morphed, the reflection leaning against the frame. This wasn't something that really happen, her mind just made her think it did. And that was enough, right?
"He's not going to live, you know."
"You don't know that."
Ben kept glancing in the direction that Daphne had gone. He was obviously worried about Cameron, but he was worried about Daphne too. If something happened to Cameron, how would Daphne feel? Sure, Ben would feel awful and distraught, but Daphne would take it even harder. Should he text her? No, she probably just needed a few minutes to herself.
"Oh, but I do. After all, only 87% of people in a coma survive - at least on the scale that dear Cameron is on. Even if he does survive, he'll likely be disabled. Never the same again. Never the same Cameron. Never the same Solar."
"Don't say that."
"Don't say what? I'm just a manifestation of your subconscious. If I'm saying this stuff, you're thinking it."
Ben tapped his fingers anxiously on the chair. Daphne was taking a while. Should he go looking for her? What if he found her crying? He was horrible at comforting people. He decided he’d give her a couple more minutes before he texted her and asked what she was doing.
