Dust

Chapter 9 (A few months later)

Faith is slumped over, her head resting on the dash, while her arms are still fairly secure around Gracie. I shut my eyes for a second and try to breathe, but it's hard. My lungs feel deflated.

I open my eyes to see blood from Faith's head dripping down the dash, and onto Gracie's onesie... I feel a scream emerging from my lips, but nothing comes out. I want to reach over and hold onto them, but I can't move... I can't feel anything...

Faith suddenly gasps, and sits back against the seat, holding Gracie close to her. Faith waits a moment to look over, practically panting. When she does, she has the look of horror in her eyes. She backs herself against her door, and holds Gracie against her chest, covering her eyes slightly. Faith stares for a moment, tears falling from her eyes. I want to wipe them away so badly...

"Oh... Oh my god..." She says, her other hand covering her mouth. I see the cut up by her hairline that is bleeding. I want to scream to her, but nothing is coming out...

I hear a groan come from me, hitting Faith like a bullet.

"Jesus christ." She screams, looking away. She trembles, as her shaking hands hold on tightly to Gracie. The passanger side mirror is bent back toward me. I see my reflection, and begin to understand Faith's reaction.

My head is bleeding onto the steering wheel while my mouth gapes open. I'm not blinking, and it's hard to tell if I'm breathing by the way I'm slumped over. The blood on my legs has now covered all parts of my leg. I watch as blood begins to come out of my mouth, praying I could make it stop... I know I'm scaring her so badly right now...

Faith decides to look up at that moment, and becomes pale as she watches it happen. I look into her eyes, and then down at Gracie, knowing this doesn't look good for me. She sees my eye movement.

"Help!" Faith begins to shriek. She kicks her door open, and goes out to get help with Gracie still in her arms. I hear more horns, causing me to grow tense. I watch tears fall from my eyes in the mirror, when someone comes up to my door and opens it. I feel them freeze as they look at me.

A team of EMT's attempts to untangle my legs from the metal, even though I know what the eventual turn out has to be. There's no way they can salvage me...

I listen as an EMT tries to convince Faith to go to the hospital. Apparently her head injury is more severe than I thought. She declines, saying that she's going to wait for me.

"Careful! His spine is already damaged." The words cut like a knife as I feel something tear. Faith lets out a small chirp, before she muffles it. I feel myself become faint, as the EMT's try to cover the wound.

Suddenly, I feel myself fall completely limp. I fall out of the open car door, and onto the hard pavement, my legs hanging me from the car. My hips are painfully on the edge of the car, while my head takes most of the blow.

I see Faith over me, crying while covering her mouth with her hand.

"Just cut 'em." An EMT finally decides. I feel a band tightly around my legs, before I hear the hum of a saw. I must look horrified, because Faith completely breaks down. She hits her knees beside my head, and begins to wipe the tears from my eyes as the pain begin.

"It's okay honey... Everything is going to be okay..." She says. I feel her speak faster as the bone saw begins to cut into me. I feel a scream come, but I try to hold it in to keep Faith sane. "We are going to be back home soon, alright? You, me, Gracie, and soon Maggie. Just think about it." She says, tears slipping. I try to focus on her, and not the shrill noise of the saw.

That's when the pain becomes too much... A loud shriek emerges from my mouth, causing Faith to cringe. The EMT's tighten the bands, making it even worse.