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// Denude // ~Styles Triplets AU

// Hurled Into a Reality //

// Derora Elainey Dedman's P.O.V //

So still. So lifeless. So unnaturally quiet. Dead. That's what he looked like lying in a hospital bed with wires secured to his arms that were stiff by his sides.

Tubes. I knew what those tubes were. There was a nasogastric tube inserted through his nose that reached his stomach. The Endotracheal tube was inserted into his mouth and into his windpipe. Air slightly hissed as it traveled through and from the mechanical ventilator. All of those were needed so he could he could breathe. So he could sustain life.

This isn't real. This isn't real. I told myself repeatedly. It was just my imagination running away with...

"Derora?"

Hands lightly gripped my shoulders. "It's time to go. They say visiting hours are over. I'm so sorry, baby," Aunt Fifi whispered tenderly, running her hands down my arm until she reached down to squeeze my hand in hers. She intertwined our fingers and caressed my pinkie, her hand on top of the back of mine.

The feeling of detachment and lightheadedness never left me as I treaded behind her into the hallway, out the hospital, and into the car.


"You can't keep ignoring this topic," Aunt Fifi threw her hands in the air, walking over to the counter, her back facing me. After a moment, she sighed and pressed both of her palms to the cold surface. "I already done told you what those doctors told me. What else do you want to me to say, huh? They say he had too much exposure to carbon monoxide. You know how your daddy is, always tinkerin' with cars and repairin' stuff. Someone found him trapped in the auto shop and unfortunately, one of the cars in the shop was left running and he couldn't get out and then-"

"I need to pick up Little Ben and Shanti from school," I cut her off, already knowing the direction of where she was going. Any other time, Aunt would have probably given me one of her infamous Fifi looks for interrupting her, but all she did was nod slowly as she stared at the cabinets in front of her. Assuming that she also gave me permission to take her car, I enter into the small foyer and fish her keys from the bowl sitting on top of a medium-sized, oak stand.

The drive to each of their schools was only around fifteen minutes apart. They were in separate schools because of their difference in ages. The ride gave me time to process on how I would approach the news of our father to my younger siblings. Shanti, who was fourteen, was very strong-willed, but, her emotions were unpredictable due to her hormones as a young teenager. Benji was only six. His developing brain most likely wouldn't be able to comprehend it all.

After I picked them up, they constantly begged if we could visit Aunt Maybeline at the cafe she worked at. She wasn't our true aunt like Aunt Fifi, but she was a close friend of our mom, like really close. Finally, I gave in.

The parking lot had only five cars, including mine. We stepped out into the humid air.

"Ooh, can we bring daddy something," Shanti asked as she shut the car door on her side. I gulped and walked ahead, pretending I hadn't heard her. It was going to storm soon. Clouds as big as ships-if, not bigger-loomed above as we stepped into the anything but cozy, cafe. The ringing of the bell above the door signaled our entry.

"Welcome to The Waters Cafe," Maybeline spoke without glancing up as she wiped off one of the tables towards the far side of the cafe. "I'll be right with you in a-Derora?" Maybeline asked in disbelief. She stopped what she was doing and walked over to us. "What-what brings y'all here?"
She crouched down and gathered Benji in her arms to squeeze the living juices out of him.

"Um, the kids begged me to see you," I told her as she let go of Little Ben and straightened to her full height to do the same to Shanti. Maybeline wasn't tall at all, but I wasn't far off. I was only two inches taller than her. Not really noticeable. "So I decided to let them visit after picking them up from school."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" She gave me a toothy grin and reached over to hug me. She pulled away, placing her hands on my shoulders to examine me. "Wow, y'all grow up so fast. I haven't seen y'all since your mother's..." Maybeline's smile faltered a little. "Here-um, sit down, I'll get something for y'all. Expenses are on the house-on me," she corrected. Shanti and Benji cheered, earning weird looks from two other customers near us. We sat at the closest table, near the door.

"Wait! We're forgetting daddy," Benji piped up. Maybeline looked at me.

"I'll pay..." I trailed off, removing my eyes from hers.

Glancing out the window, I notice an Audi r8 pull into one of the parking slots next to the Toyota Corolla. The sleekness and darkness of the exterior made the Toyota's appear dull and an off shade black compared to its nighttime color. I instantly felt embarrassed. The Toyota was the one I was borrowing from Aunt Fifi. The door of the Audi opened. Oh, that's going to leave a mark. A man I did not expect jumped clumsily out of the car, almost falling over. He caught himself in an exaggerated motion of circling his arms.

He wore a brown checkered vest over a short-sleeved, white, dress shirt and black tie. His emerald eyes were uneasy behind his large spectacles. He observed my Toyota. I knew then that the extent of the damage was very prominent. His face paled as his fingers lightly traced a vertical line down my car door. Turning his head from left to right as if making sure no one was watching, he used the end of his brown vest to rub the mark surreptitiously.

"What is that weird, white man doing, D.D?" Benji looks curiously at the man, now nervously biting his nails with one hand on his hip.

He finally turned away and stumbled towards the entrance to the cafe. When he entered, he pushed his spectacles further back on his nose and slowly glanced around. He looked really guilty.

Maybeline walked out with a tray of desserts. She forced a smile at him and said with a sweet tone, "I'll be right with you in a moment, sir."

"Help yourselves," she placed the small red tray in the center of the table. I pulled out my wallet from my jeans.

"Don't worry about it," she stopped me. "I got it. Besides, you should worry about gettin' yourself a purse for that wallet instead."

"You're the best Maybeline."

"Better than your Aunt Fifi," she joked before heading towards the front counter. "Welcome to The Waters Cafe, how may I help you?"

"Um, I'm new here," he says in a small, squeaky voice. I drown out the rest out their conversation as I receive a text from Aunt Fifi asking what was the holdup. I respond quickly, telling her we were visiting Aunt Maybeline. She replies by telling me to come back before eight o'clock.

When Maybeline finished with Mr. Shy Guy, she sat and conversed with us. She asked each of us about school and our passions and dreams. Then, came the question I was dreading.

"How's your dad been doing?"

Shanti and Benji answered at the same time. "Fine."

Maybeline noticed that I hadn't replied. She looked at me expectantly. I avoided her gaze, my focus going out the window.

"Everything alright, Derora? What's up?'

When I didn't respond, her hand slid across the table and clutched mine. "Derora, is there something wrong with James?"

I raised my shoulders before parting my lips. "He's in the ICU. He's In a..."

Everyone at the table frowned.

"He's in a...?" Maybeline wanted me to finish the sentence.

I thickly swallowed and glanced at each of my siblings who were staring at me intently. Maybeline squeezed my hand for reassurance and nodded for me to continue.

"Dad's in a coma. Found out today. Aunt Fifi was scared to death and checked me out because she didn't know what else to do."

Horror washed over her face and her mouth opened. Silent words spilled out of her mouth. Benji looked between Shanti and Maybeline to interpret what I had just told them. All he knew what that it wasn't good.

"Is daddy going to be okay," Shanti asked, her eyes serious.

"I don't know," I stated simply. Honestly, I didn't know whether our father was going to be okay soon or not.

"What going to happen to us," Shanti cried frantically. "If something happened to dad, then they're going to take us away and separate us.

"What-no!" I face her and look her in the eyes. Mom's eyes. "We're going to be alright. Aunt Fifi is going to take care of us until he gets better. If anything...bad"- I swallow-"does happen to him, then Aunt Fifi will take care of you both until I legally become 18."

"So," Maybeline's eyebrows furrowed as she leaned forward, "Sharon's going to take care of you all either temporarily or basically permanently- because you know well in this small county you have to be at least twenty-five to be a guardian-depending if James wakes from his coma or not?"

I nodded. When said out loud, I realize the reality of the situation. Our lives are going to be changed forever. If he did wake from his coma, I was going to have to get a job to help pay his medical expenses and insurance. If he didn't... then I would still have to help with funeral arrangements.

"Wow, that's-that's...I'm so, so sorry," Maybeline whispered sympathetically, pitying me. Pitying all of us. "I really am. But, you know Sharon can't keep y'all. She's financially unstable-a lot of us are-and she works almost every day, all day, 24/7. And, if James does pass...Once the judge starts searching and selecting for a suitable guardian(s), you know your Aunt's past record is going to flash red, warning bells at them."

"I know, but what choice do we have?"

Maybeline's mouth parted, but then shut it abruptly, sulking in the silence between us. Finally, her lips parted again to speak. "Do you-"

"Oh, shizzle wingnuts," a voice yelped as something crashed and clattered to the ground, "that's hot!"

Mr. Shy Guy leaped six feet into the air. Somehow his glasses flung to the middle of our table in the trey full of sugary foods was before cracking in two pieces while he slapped at his trousers like they were on fire.

I pick up the two pieces of his glasses. Maybeline rushes to the man's aid, constantly apologizing for his inconvenience as I enter into the small restroom for females and begin working on cleaning the muffin and cookies from the small crevices.

Minutes later, Maybeline entered and shut the door behind her, sighing. She walked over and snatched several paper towels from the wall before gently soaking them in water.

"I know this a bad time to ask," she said lowly, wringing out the paper towels, "but do you know how James got in a coma?"

Silence.

"Derora?"

"Carbon monoxide poisoning."

"W-what?"

"The doctors said he was found confined to his auto shop. Apparently, he was working on a car. Its engine had been running and there was no ventilation or anything." The words flew from my mouth like a script being rehearsed one, two, too many times; monotonous and dull.

Suddenly, Maybeline ceased her actions and gave me a concerned look. She grabbed my arm. The glasses fell from my hand into the sink.

"James is too smart and competent to do something as incompetent as that. He's been working fifteen years at that auto shop and makes precautions to avoid bad things. You of all people should know that-"

"I do. That's why I suspect foul play."

Maybeline gasped, the blood draining from her face.

*Creak*

*Thlunck*


"Gosh darnit," the man I now had a new name for-Mr. Alternative because of his alternative choices of profanity words- muttered from the floor.

"Oh, dear," Maybeline muttered as she walked over to help him up.

"I'm so, so sorry, ma'am! It's just that I can't really see without my glasses...This isn't the Men's room, is it?"

"Sorry, you lucked out, sir."

Light pink tinged his cheeks in patches. He tilted his head down as he blushed.

"Derora, can you hand me those paper towels," she asked lightly. I nodded and hand them to her. She wipes down Mr. Alternative's front.

"Oh, jeez, ma'am! You really don't have to-"

Maybeline rucked up his vest and shirt to reveal the nasty red patches on his abdomen- and surprisingly, his v-line. She pressed the brown cloth against his abdomen and a squeak escaped Mr. Alternative's lips.

"Really, I think I can clean myself-"

"Fine. Here take the paper towels," she said simply.

The man squinted and narrowed his eyes as if trying to hone in on her features. He looked unsure before stretching out his hand to reach where the paper towels were. Or rather where he thought they were.

"I'm waiting," Maybeline stated with an amused smile.

He tried again but missed by a mile. "This is not fair," he whined, "I can't see without my prescribed spectacles!"

"Exactly."

He grunted in defeat and crossed his arms.

Maybeline sighed again before reaching up to capture his arm. She gently pulled it down before opening his hand and placed the paper towels in his palm.

"O-oh," he stuttered out, surprised.

I smiled. He knew he wouldn't be able to thoroughly clean himself. After helping him tidy up, we fixed his glasses with duct tape from the manager's office and he repeatedly thanked us over and over again.

He walked back to the front of the cafe and settled back in his seat. He was extra cautious with his food and new beverage this time. I caught my siblings staring at the man, whispering into each other's ears and conversing among themselves. Abruptly, it was like an idea had popped into both of their heads at once. I walked towards them, but a hand grasped my arm.

"I need to finish talking with you." Maybeline dragged me back to the restroom.

The constant questions from her were starting to get overwhelming after nearly half an hour. I also knew that she was jeopardizing her job whether she knew it or not. She's not on her job break and the prolonged time away would frustrate any customers looking for service or it would infuriate her hotheaded manager. I never knew why he never hired another person to tend to the cafe. It was as if Maybeline was a slave, doing the tasks of at least five people each day, but still being underpaid.

"Are you sure you and the kids are going to be okay?"

I nodded.

"Okay, promise me you'll call me if things go out of control or you need help, please Derora," she pleaded.

I promised her and exited the restroom.

Shanti and Benji looked at me guiltily, but their eyes had a glint in them. Sadness? They seemed to have persuaded Mr. Alternative in a conversation with them. His green eyes suddenly found mine. It had the same look in them.

"Have you all been crying?" I noticed that all of their eyes were slightly puffy and Benji was trying to cover his occasional sniffles.

"D-D.D," his voice broke, "What you said to us earlier...does it mean daddy won't get his chocolate chip cookies...ever ?"

So this is what they've been chatting about while I was gone. Weird. Shati and Benji weren't open to people for several reasons. It was shocking that they had opened up to him in just the amount of time I was gone.

"I'm really sorry, Ma'am," Mr. Alternative stuttered as he wiped at his eyes under his spectacles. "I-I-I didn't know. I..."

How much did they tell him...?

"It's fine," I told him almost numbly as I plastered on a smile. "Please call me Derora, Mr. Styles."







Notes

Sorry for any grammatical mistakes, comma splices, and punctuation errors. I know this chapter was long... *sighs*

PerciaxXXx

Comments

@AmatheiaStorm

Thank You So Much!

Can't wait to see what happens next in yours, too!


PerciaxXXx PerciaxXXx
9/13/18

@PerciaxXXx
Editing is half the battle and a victory for the war. Can’t wait to see what’s next, good luck!

AmatheiaStorm AmatheiaStorm
9/13/18

@AmatheiaStorm
Don't worry, my precious angel will come to no harm...well, except for his feelings being hurt...poor baby. I already have the next chapter in preparation, I just need to edit it... a lot...

PerciaxXXx PerciaxXXx
9/13/18

I wouldn't call it a lousy chapter - trying to figure out what the hell just happened, but other than crazy woman trying to take his blood - I'm def interested in what will happen next with this particular Styles. As they say, the most beautiful places hold the most danger and he got himself into a whale of trouble. The sacrifice people aren't wound too tight, that's for sure.

AmatheiaStorm AmatheiaStorm
9/13/18

@Prinny1321
Thank you for your review, I really needed it!

PerciaxXXx PerciaxXXx
8/22/18