Chances That You're Burning Through

Original | Bonus Chapter

~Joe's POV~

Rebecca and Brianna are both silent as I trail behind the other rental car in route to Timberline Knolls. The only sound is the distant static hum of the radio. I scoff when a blue truck cuts me off.

"Impatient son of a-," I'm silenced by a loud boom.

The truck hits Demi's rental car, slamming into the right rear corner. The rental cars are tiny, and her's is now looking like a tiny ball of scrunched up metal.

"No," disbelief freezes the blood in my veins. "No. Rebecca, call an ambulance," I toss her my phone and open my car door.

I run, passing the truck and heading straight for the back of the rental car where I know Anabelle is.

I can't see her, not with the back of the car torn to hell.

"Anabelle, can you hear me?" I shout.

My stomach drops when I don't receive a reply. I try to reassure myself that she's fine. I hate not being able to help her. I notice Wilmer in the driver's seat. His airbag is deployed, but he's unconscious, his chest moving up and down signaling that he's very much still alive. I shuffle to the passenger side, my eyes widening in horror as I see the windshield completely shattered with no Demi in sight.

"Demi?" I quickly follow the trail of sprayed blood and shattered glass to find her lying on her back with a growing pool of her own blood surrounding her.

"Joe?" Her vacant gaze locks with mine.

"I'm here, Dems," I crouch down beside her, seeing that her blood is spilling out of a gash in her side. "This might hurt," I overlap both of my hands and firmly press them against her wound.

"Where's Anabelle?"

"She's fine," I reassure, not even knowing if my words ring true.

"I have to see her."

"You will."

I keep listening for sirens, wondering where the damn ambulance is.

"Joe, are my legs moving? I can't feel my legs," I gently shush her, trying to calm her down as her tone turns frantic.

"You're going to be just fine, Demi, okay? You're gonna be fine," I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing that I can't cry right now because it'll only worry Demi.

"I'm so cold, Joe."

"I know," I murmur, knowing that if an ambulance doesn't get here soon, she'll surely bleed out.

I suddenly hear them, the distant screams of emergency sirens. Turning my head, I can see the faint red and blue glow. Returning my attention to Demi, I curse; she has passed out. Paramedics scramble out of ambulances.

"Hey!" I yell, making my presence known. "Over here!"

Two of the paramedics rush over with a gurney.

"She passed out," I stupidly explain as they secure Demi to the stretcher.

"Anything else we need to know?" One of the paramedics ask, surprisingly not in an annoyed or know-it-all sounding way.

My mind goes blank. I stammer. Is there anything else?

"She's pregnant," I blurt.

He nods, his expression now solemn. The logical part of me knows that there's no way that her baby survived, but the other part of me is clinging to hope for Demi's sake.

~

When at the hospital, I call Nick for support and sit in the waiting room with Rebecca, who's trying to comfort a crying Brianna. As Kim, their family doctor, walks towards us, I notice my brother heading our way as well. I meet Kim halfway and lead her away from the two girls.

"Both Demi and Wilmer are in stable conditions," she informs, causing me to breath a sigh of relief. "Demi's surgery was successful, but she lost the baby."

"And Anabelle?"

She looks away from me, dropping her professional composure and indifferent shell, as her chin trembles.

"I'm so sorry, Joe," she whispers. "We tried everything-,"

"Bullshit! If you had tried everything, she'd still be here!"

"Joe," Nick places a hand on my shoulder.

"No," I shrug him off. "I was ready, okay? I was ready to step up and finally be her dad. I didn't want to miss out on anymore of her life. Now what?" I choke on my tears. "She's gone, Nick! She's dead!" I keep my fists clenched at my sides, wanting to punch something, a wall, preferably. "Where's the driver of that truck? Where's the son of a bitch that killed my daughter?"

"He died, Joe," Kim softly responds after a long pause. "Shortly after arriving here."

My fists slowly unclench.

I feel sick to my stomach.

My daughter's dead, and nobody will pay for it....

Except for the ones who grew to love her while she was alive.

She was here one night and gone the next.

I finally wanted to be her dad. I finally wanted to own up to my responsibilities. I had so many newfound hopes and dreams for our relationship, but now reality has rattled me awake.

Does it ever drive you crazy just how fast the night changes? Everything that you've ever dreamed of disappearing when you wake up....