Knockout

Chapter 25

Marshall and I got here rather quickly. I don't believe what's happened. From what I could here through Thatcher's shaking vocals, there was a car wreck on the freeway. A couple of drunk kids around the age of 16 hit Rule and Ren on their way back from Rule's parents house. He didn't give many details to what happened, he just told me to come quick and that I should prepare myself. Whatever that means.
Marshall takes my hand and pulls me towards the entrance to the hospital. Once inside he walks right up to the front desk and demands the location of Rule and Ren. The nurse simply points us in the direction of the waiting room where we see Cash, Thatcher, and Maverick sitting in the empty space. We walk over to them and Thatch instantly raises up from his seat and hugs me.
A sick feeling takes over my stomach, one that I've never felt before. I pull back and look in his eyes, he knows something. And I just know it's not good.

"What happened?" I ask him, and he puts me down in the chair beside him. "Are they okay?"

"Three drunk teenagers hit them." Thatcher tells me, and cling on the his hand. "They came over the center divider going the opposite direction. Two of them are dead. The other, the driver, is in surgery."

"Rule went halfway through the windshield." Maverick takes over the speech, and I can see he's been crying. "His airbag didn't deploy or something..." He shakes his head and looks away, starting to cry again.

"And Ren?" I ask, blinking away some tears and lacing my free hand's fingers with Marshall's who's next to me.

"Ren's airbag worked." Cash says, and Thatcher leans on his shoulder. "She wasn't breathing when they brought her here, but they  eventually got her to. And she's in an emergency C section for the baby right now. She should be out any minute."

"Where's Rule?" Marshall presses through gritted teeth.

"They took him to get a head CT, and then he's going to surgery for an abdominal bleed." Cash answers.

A silence falls over us, and the information really sinks in. I start to cry, my best friends. All because of some stupid kids that decided to be irresponsible. I wonder how that kid is going to feel when he gets out of surgery. He killed two of his friends, and possibly a man and pregnant woman.
Oh god. I can't think about that. They're going to be fine, they have to be. I mean it's Rule and Ren, they have to pull through this.
I glance over and Marshall and see that he's staring at the empty chairs across from us. Our knuckles are turning white squeezing each other's hands. I can only imagine what he's going through. I shake my hand in his and he turns to look at me.
We have an entire conversation without speaking one word. He's scared, and confused, and is thinking the worst possible outcome. He's also probably wondering and trying to figure out how he'll survive without them, should the worst happen.

"I love you." I tell him, just because it's something I believe he needs to hear.

He nods at me and then pecks me on the lips. He doesn't have to say it back, I know he loves me too.
We're distracted by a commotion happening up by the front desk. There's a woman there, and someone I assume is her husband is holding her back from screaming at the nurse. Two police officers walk in and ask the couple something, they nod and then are told of what happened. After a couple more minutes of observation I am able to identify them as the driver's parents.
Every muscle in my body, every fiber of my being, loathes them. Even though they had nothing to do with the accident itself, I hate them. I see them be dismissed by the cops and walk over to the waiting room. They sit opposite of our group, and I can't handle sitting here.
I get up, and Marshall lets me slip from his grip. I walk back towards the door to the hospital and step out. I let my tears come but take in many deep breaths to soothe my anger. I'm out here for a few minutes and then Thatch joins me.