Picture This

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Ian

It took everything I had in me to not burst into tears as I followed behind the ambulance on the way to the hospital in my car.  I could faintly see the paramedics working on Charlie in the back. 

I couldn’t lose her.  Not when we’d only had so little time together. 

Not when I was going to ask her…

They pulled into the emergency entrance and the paramedics jumped out the back.  I parked in a no park zone, not really caring if my car got towed or not, and got out, rushing toward them.  They pulled out the stretcher with Charlie still lying unconscious on it and rushed her in, shouting about emergency surgery. 

I followed them in and almost went back with them through the double doors they pushed her through but then a nurse caught me by the shoulder and held me back.

“You can’t go back there,” she said sternly.

“But I have to know if she’ll be okay,” I yelled. 

“We’re going to do everything…”

“Yeah, I know you do everything to help her but I want to know what’s going on with her now!”

She sighed.  “Are you family?” she asked. 

“I’m her boyfriend but…”

“I’m sorry,” she said.  “We have to have family here to give you any news.  Now, if you could please get in touch with her family for us that would be good.  That way, once they’re here, you all can get news on her condition.  But for now, you just need to call them and wait.”

I shook my head in defeat, closing my eyes so I wouldn’t start crying.  “I can’t just wait,” I said.

She rubbed my shoulder.  “That’s all you can do for right now,” she said softly. 

I walked numbly to the waiting area and pulled my phone from my pocket.  After finding the right number, I dialed it.

“Mom?” I said hoarsely.

“Ian?” she asked.  “What’s wrong?”

I put my head in my hand and closed my eyes.  “I need you to call Charlie’s parents and tell them to come to the hospital,” I said.

“What’s happened?” she asked, alarmed now. 

I bit my lip, trying to hold back a sob.  I couldn’t stop the tears from prickling my eyes, though.  “There’s been an accident and I need you and Dad and Charlie’s parents to come down here quickly.  They won’t tell me anything because I’m not family.”

“Ian, what’s happened?” she yelled into the phone.  I could hear Dad ask what was wrong and then Mom running more than likely to the car. 

“Just get down here, please,” I whispered.  “I need you.  Please.”

I hung up right when she started yelling again but I couldn’t talk to her over the phone.  I needed them all here. 

And not even ten minutes later, they were running in though the doors.  Charlie’s dad, Liz, and Freddie were with my parents and Ellie.  They all looked around frantically and then Mom spotted me as I stood up. 

They all started running toward me but then stopped not ten feet away. 

“Ian,” Mom breathed, her eyes filling up with tears, as she looked down at me. 

I looked down at myself.  There was blood covering my clothes. 

My head started to pound and my knees gave out from under me as I fell to the floor.  They all rushed over to me but it was Dad who I clung to.

And that’s when I lost it. 

“We were coming out of the restaurant and she forgot her bag inside.  She went back for it but I should have went back with her.  That way I could have been beside her and it wouldn’t have hit her,” I cried, burying my face in his shoulder. 

“Ian, everything’s going to be okay,” he said.  His arms tightened around me and I heard Mom, Liz, and Ellie start crying. 

“Some guy lost control because he was going too fast and he got caught on some ice.  She was crossing the street toward me but I couldn’t get to her in time.  I was so close, though.  I don’t know why she stopped in front of the car that the other hit.  Why did she stop?”

“Shh,” he said, rubbing my back. 

I pulled away and brought my knees up, resting my elbows on them and my head in my hands.  “There was so much blood and I wanted to stop it but I didn’t know how,” I whispered.  I gripped my hair in my hands.  “I can’t lose her.  I know it’s my fault but I can’t lose her.  I just got her back.”

Dad pulled me up and onto one of the waiting room chairs.  Mom sat down beside me, tears streaming down her face. 

“It’s not your fault,” she said, taking my hand in hers.  “None of it was your fault.”

“But I could have…”

“There was nothing you could do,” Todd, her dad, said.  The look on his face made me feel even guiltier. 

Mom laid her head down on my shoulder.  “Everything’s going to be okay.”