Abby (book 1)Watty Award Finalist

Chapter One

Abby groaned loudly at the sounds of consistent beeping. Her eyelids fluttered slightly as she tried to pry them open. With a huge effort she rapidly blinked her eyes trying to gain focus, the bright light piercing through her retinas.

Gradually her focus became sharper as she took in her surroundings. The beeping was coming from her right where she was hooked up to a machine, the walls where a stark white as was the bed she was lying on.

Straining to sit up Abby realized she was in a hospital bed, she had no idea how she got there, where was everyone? Where was her mom?The last thing Abby remembered was arguing with her mom in the car about where they would go for dinner.

Lifting the blankets up Abby took in her hospital gown, her legs and arms were covered in bruising even though she felt no pain. Her movements were stiff but she didn't feel too bad. Looking around she saw a call button behind her on the wall reaching across she pushed it twice.

A nurse came rushing in, as soon as she saw Abby was awake a huge smile lit up her face.

"Oh you're awake dear thank god for that. Don't panic, you were in an accident how do you feel?"

"Err I'm okay" Abby said softly "What happened? Where's my mom? "

The nurse immediately turned to the door shouting "I'll go get the doctor" before leaving.

Abby really hoped everything was alright, if she didn't feel bad surely her mom was okay, right?

"Hello Abby" a man stated coming through the door, his white coat and stethoscope giving away his profession. "I'm Doctor Stenson, I'm glad you're awake"

"Doctor Stenson can you tell me what happened? where's my mom? I don't remember anything"

With a sigh the Doctor sat down in the chair at her bedside.

"Abby you were in an accident, a car crashed into you and your mother. I'm sorry to tell you that your mother didn't make it, I'm sorry for your loss."

A deep feeling of dread filled Abby to her soul, this couldn't be right, something was wrong, she couldn't have lost the only person in her life. Her heart began to race, pounding faster and faster, until it felt like it might burst from her chest.

"I don't understand, how can that be? I don't feel like I've been in a crash, not a fatal one anyway. How can my mom be gone and I'm here? How long has it been? How long have I been out?"

"Abby it's a miracle you survived, in fact it's a miracle you're awake right now. You were only brought in yesterday" Abby gasped "You had lost a lot of blood and we had to do a transfusion, unfortunately you reacted so badly we nearly lost you. We don't know how but you stabilized and your injuries don't seem quite so extensive as before. It's not a normal reaction I tell you that, but we have no explanations."

Abby tried to digest what the Doctor had told her, she should be grateful she was alive, but without her mom she didn't know how she could go on.Her last words to her mother had been in anger, she would regret that for the rest of her life.

"What will happen to me now, where will I go?"

"There's a social worker coming to see you in the morning Abby, is there anyone you would like me to call for you?"

Abby shook her head slowly "There's no one "she said softly.

"I see, well I think you neeed to rest now, if you need anything just press the call button. A nurse will be in shortly to do a few tests."

Abby didn't even respond, she was to caught up on her grief.

The doctor looked at her with pity and quietly left the room.

She sat there in a daze, barely responding to the nurse who came to check on her. Her food lay untouched. In one explosive moment her life had been torn apart. Never in her life had she experienced such grief, she was only sixteen.

As far as she knew her mother had been her only living relative, Abby wasn't stupid, she knew what that meant, foster care. She didn't know if she could cope with trying to play happy families with someone else. More than anything she wished she could turn back time, sure her life haldn't been easy, her mom was always relocating them every year or so, but now she wished for that life back.

Abby barely slept that night. Her whole life was ruined. She wept for the loss of her mother and for the life that they should have had together. She cried herself to sleep not prepared for where her life would take her.