I can't tell the difference between dreams and reality... Where am I? Is everyone ok? What happenned? Am I going crazy?
"Sir, I know... remain calm... Your daughter... not good... Only option... Your daughter's.... Hole... Broken ribs..."
What? Is Lacy ok? Gosh I hope Lacy's ok.
"I'm fine, Gennie! No more owies!"
Oh, thank God.
Wait, but was that actually Lacy I heard?
Wait... No... Lacy's... Lacy's gone...
No, that was a nightmare.
It had to be a nightmare. Right?
Where am I? Who am I?
"Lacy? I... Is... all that... be done?"
What? I thought she was fine. I mean I thought-
"Don't worry, Gennie!"
"... need descion... fast... Sir... Barely breathing... Sir... I know... scary sir... surgery..."
For a split second my eyes open to see a blury vision of Dad, Papa, and some other man, each looking more scared then the next.
I croak out, "Daddy?" and his wide, tear filled eyes connect with mine.
And that's all that happens before I black out again.
And I still don't know if I'm dreaming... Or even alive.
"Go. Save... need her..."
"... baby girl... please... please... please..."
I'm floating somewhere... The voices multiply and become more urgent.
"I'll give everyone a hug from Heaven, Gennie! You're gonna be ok, don't be scared."
Heaven?
I feel something stick into my arm. And my consiousness begins to fade away to numbness again.
But not before Lacy whispers one last time...
"Don't feel bad, Gennie. I love you!"
I can't even ask any questions before the darkness I'm in is greeted by its good friend Silence and all my senses fade back to nothing.
************
"In the name of Michael Jordon, why the hell does life hate Gen so bad?"
"Michelle, sssshhhh, calm down-"
"Calm down??? We're about to lose another sister and you want me to down???"
"Honey, everything went well, you heard the doctor-"
"Megan, I'M STILL SCARED!!!"
"Hon, who is Micahel Jordan?"
A pause.
"That one Thriller singer dude?"
"No, hon that's Michael Jackson. Now take a deep breath. You know you're not thinking straight when you mix up famous people."
I almost laugh.
It's a weird but true fact that when Michelled gets exteremly stressed and starts rambling, she forgots all the people trivia she ever knew.
And when she's just a little freaked out about homework, and Megan says something like that... Well it's funny!
But the moment my stomach jolts in attempt to laugh, pain shoots out all over and a groan comes out instead.
I become akeenly aware of the horribly familiar sound of a beeping heart monitor and slowly open my eyes to realize that... I'm the one in the hospital bed.
Turning my head slowly to the right, I see Michelle, Megan, and Bridget staring at me.
"What... What... W-W-What h-happened?" I stammer, surprised at how hard it is to get words out of my mouth.
Their scared faces groe even more concerned and they glance at one another nervously.
"You... You don't remember sweetie?" Megan asks.
"What's your name?" Bridget frantically spits out.
"I... Um..."
I get really scared for a second because it takes me way too long to answer, "Genevieve?"
Bridget starts tearing up and Michelle curses "that dude in the car" under her breath.
Dude in the car...
"Girls, don't worry," a deep voice I'm relieved to recognize as my dad's says from behind me.
"She's just a little fuzzy because of the sleep medicine. The doctor said they didn't see any brain damage. Witnesses said someone got under her just before her head... um... smacked the ground..."
It crushes me that he sounds like he's trying to convince himself that I'm fine more than the girls.
I shift so that I'm facing him and just now relalize that he's holding my hand.
"Hey Daddy," I whisper, not even caring if I sound six.
I beg him multiple times not to cry, even as the blur that has been the past... day or so? comes streaming into my memory.
The dog. The car. But what was I doing out walking?
"Hey, guys?"
I shift to face my sisters again.
They all wait patiently for the wuestion burning on my tongue... the one I'm afraid to ask.
"Um... Where's Lacy?"
Silence.
Just what I was afarid of.
Think Gen, think.
All three girls start silently crying and madly whispering to each other.
The gentle whispers from my baby girl come seeping in through the cracks... One by one.
Don't worry about my earth body... I'll live on inside all of you... I'll give everyone a hug from Heaven! I love you... Hug from Heaven...
Heaven...
And that's it... The floodgates are opened and everything that led up to my accidnet comes crashing down on me as if it were happening all over again.
I start crying too and whisper, "Never mind.... I.... I know..."
Dad squeezes my hand and I lock eyes with him.
This man... Back from the dead practically... With all my heart I wanted to believe that some misunderstanding had happened and that Lacy is still alive.
But this is not like that... I saw Lacy go... I saw it with my own eyes...
Had I been hallucinating when I heard her voice? Or was she really talking to me... from Heaven?
I get a weird tingling sensation as I think of all that was said.
"Don't feel bad, Gennie?"
Feel bad for... what?
