107 Miles

Chapter Four

After being in the car for close to two hours, we reach Ardmore and the hospital. The whole ride was silent minus the soft music streaming from the radio, consisting mostly of 80's hits. Mike holds my hand as we walk toward the doors. The last time I was here was when my grandfather died. He was gone before I got here, and I never got to say goodbye. On the way here I was thinking about that day. I was already in New York and working as the assistant district attorney, so I didn't make it home in time. I cringe at the thought and stop walking. Mike keeps moving for a moment before he notices my hesitation. He caresses my thumb and holds my hand tighter.

"I'm here for you," he says and squeezes my hand in reassurance. I began to walk forward again at the sound of his voice. He has quite the hold on me, literally.

"Thanks, Mike. I know you didn't plan on meeting my family so early, but if you are wondering if they are usually any different, the answer is no. They're loud and affectionate and they don't know how I turned out the way I did," I say with a laugh. Mike just smiles back at me and opens the door.

"Katrina!" I hear Jen's voice scream out. She is practically running towards me. I let go of Mike's hand and rush to her.

She is the one in the family most like me both physically and personality wise. But she's better than me inside and out. For one thing, she has more ambition than even I had at nineteen, but she is a genuinely kind person. Jennifer is the kind of girl that everyone turns to look at when she enters the room, but she has no idea they are looking at her. So, maybe we aren't that much alike, but still we share more common traits than any of the other siblings do. She has long blonde hair and the most beautiful blue eyes. They are a dark sea today. I can tell she has been crying. I wrap her up in the warmest hug I can.

"Hey babe," I say to her lightly. And I feel her let out a deep breath into my chest. She pulls away from the hug, but I don't let her out of my grasp. I haven't seen her since Christmas and it's now June. I put my hands on each side of her face and kiss her forehead. Something I have been doing since she was born.

"Everyone's in here," she says to me after soaking up my touch. We start walking to the waiting room. I don't think she noticed Mike is with me. That's product of the tunnel vision you get when your loved one is in danger.

When we walk through the doors, the floodgates open. Every single member of my family rushes to embrace me.

First my dad, whom I have only seen this upset one time at the death of his father. His eyes usually sparkle, but today I see only emptiness disguised as the color blue. His blond hair is usually slicked back in a fashionable way, but today it is ruffled around. I can tell he's been running his hands through it.

Then, my mom joins him to gather me in a group hug. She kisses my head several times before pulling away. She is the type of woman that is always put together, so seeing her like this is painful. Her blonde hair is also out of place, but hers is more like a harsh wind has blown it astray. She is still in the type of clothes she only wears around the house, indicating she's been here since this morning.

My older sister, Elizabeth, is next to hold me tight. She's kind like Jennifer, but in a different way. A more aggressive way and that's why she's the only one to notice Mike. She's always wanted me to be in a relationship.

"And who is this?" she asks in her best flirty voice.

"I'm Mike Ross. It's nice to meet you," Mike speaks up before I have to. He reaches out his hand for Elizabeth to shake, but she pulls him into a hug.

"Elizabeth, come on," I say trying to get her to stop holding him. She just rolls her eyes and lets go of him. She tells me I can see John. He is awake now, but still a long way from okay.

"What happened? I still haven't been told," I ask her. Mike grabs my hand again. It seems to be a reflex of his now and I don't mind. The feel of his hand in mine is cosmic.

"He was on the track racing and he took a turn too quick. His car flipped. It was a pretty tough scene. Dad was there and saw the whole thing, so he is particularly not handling it well," she explains to me. Mike's hand tightens at the news. I know this reminds him of his family. God, I wish he didn't have to be here for his own sake, but, selfishly, I am glad he's here.

"Okay. I'm going to go in there," I look to Mike, "are you good here?" I say.

"Yeah, yeah I'll be out here. Take your time," he says and kisses my temple lightly. I can tell he is not by any means good, but I need to see John.