My heart dropped five stories below the ground as my eyes wandered to the gray smoke in the air and the flashes of red and blue.
"Brennen!" I shout, pointing there.
"I know, I'm going there now, it's okay," Brennen reassures.
"C-colbs, are you still there?" I ask, wanting to hear his voice.
"Y-yes, Ash," He responds.
"Anyone hurt? I saw the ambulance!" I cry into the phone. I felt hot tears streaming down the surface of my skin.
"It's,... Sam," He murmurs sadly, "The ambulance just strapped him and they're heading to the emergency room now."
"What are his injuries? His reactions, pulse, tell me everything!" I scream, feeling helpless. I should've been there! I should've rode in the car with Sam, not Brennen. Sam was driving, what, how, I'm so lost.
It's frustrating when you know tragic has struck and you can't do anything about it.
"Ash, I'm standing in the ambulance, he's being treated, I don't know too much but he's unconscious and... bloody," He replies.
I squint my eyes as knowing Sam was definitely not okay. It wasn't a good sign that he was unconscious. The possibility of a concussion is now high, and I feel myself slowly shriveling at the thought of Sam.
I hear muffles go on and the sound of Elton's voice. "Dude, you gotta stay with the car, you live with him so they need those details about him. You were also in the car before he dropped you guys off, the police need to talk to you like now. Go! I got Sam, meet us at the hospital," Elton says.
I hear a muffle of 'Alright,' from Colby.
He shakes into words, "Hey, I got to go get interviewed, see in you soon."
"Okay, and Colby, you'll be fine, you're okay," I assure him.
"Thanks," He says with gratitude, "Bye."
"Bye," I respond, hanging up.
Brennen pulls into the parking lot where the car was trashed and crushed on both sides. The front stuck and smoked in a palm tree. No other vehicle that got damaged was anywhere to be seen.
I jump out the car and run to my group of friends.
I firstly see Ellie, Corey, Amanda, Devyn, and Nik grouped up. Nik and Amanda were talking to police officers. I quickly give them hugs so I didn't interrupt their interviews. Corey and Devyn were talking to a different set of police officers and I gave them the same embraces.
I then saw Ellie, her face in tears, her hair tattered, and her hands... stained with blood that I assume wasn't hers.
She was cleaning her hands but her clothes were still stained with the red liquid.
I start walking to her. She looks up, quickly finishes washing her palms and runs to me.
I feel myself quicken the pace to where I was sprinting my way to my best friend. We collided in one broken mess of tears and arms. I wrapped myself as tightly as I could around her limp body and she did the same. I could feel her weakness as she was stripped down to a low point.
"I-I couldn't stop the bleeding, I-I j-just couldn't, Ash!" She cries into my shoulder.
"It's okay, you did your best, it's not your fault," I say with sympathy, stroking her hair gently.
We kneel onto the ground as we cry our worries into each other. I've never felt so low either, I wasn't even hit as hard as much as Ellie was hit.
Hit with emotions, tragedy.
Another one of life's friends.
I pick Ellie back up onto her feet, but she still began to sob. I look her dead in the eyes.
"You are okay. You are fine. He is fine. He is not your fault, at fucking all."
"I-I know," She stutters, "B-but-"
"No. You're fine, okay?" I say with as much confidence as I could for her.
Her breath hitches, but she manages an "O-okay."
"Good."
Brennen begins to jog to us. I let go of Ellie so she can talk and hug him
Brennen looks at me with sympathy. I whisper if he's good with her, and he mouths, "Yes, go find Colby."
He motions with his eyes to turn around.
I saw Colby walking with his head hung low and his face covered by his palms, also stained with the color of red.
"Colby?" I call out to him.
He picks his head up and gazes into my eyes. His eyes were watered with the ocean. His beautiful ocean eyes turn into shallow pools of loss, and despair. The pools leaked down his red stained cheeks. He begins to run to me as I also dash into him,
into his arms.
I jump into his warmth and feel his breathing hitch to the sound of low cries. I stroke his messed strands that covered his face. He weeps softly into my hair.
"Shhh, everything's going to be okay, shhh..." I whisper, hugging him as tightly as I could. I could feel him shake and shutter.
"He's my best friend," He stammers between sobs.
"I know, he'll be fine, Colbs," I hush, kissing his neck softly.
"Ash, we gotta go see him now," He says, giving an angry cry out loud. His deep voice sounded rugged and clogged.
It broke my heart. More than ever.
He could make my heart hurt by just shedding tears. He didn't have to break it, to make it hurt.
It was pain already, seeing someone that means so much to me, like him, broken.
"We will, we will," I promise him.
He tries to pull away from me, "No, no, now! Ash! Please!"
I tug his shoulders down, but he continues to resist.
I grab his face, "Colby! Calm down, we will, I promise!"
"You promise?" He stutters.
"I promise."
A/N: GIF ABOVE AT TOP FOR SCENE + S/O to KMA LOL GO READ BROKEN
/////
Everyone splits up and gets into the two available cars left. Corey drove for Devyn, Nik and Amanda.
Brennen drove for Ellie, Colby and I.
When we got into the car, Colby sat in the front with Brennen so I could be in the back and comfort Ellie's crying.
The radio didn't play and it was dead silent besides the faint mope of Ellie's weeps.
The whole drive to the hospital was so uncomfortable, Colby leaned his head on the window, Ellie cried in my arms, and Brennen, well, he stayed the strongest for us. I know he was pretty worried too, but it's good that we had another one who pulled it together and was brave for Sam.
Sam has been a dick lately, yes.
But nobody deserved what he got.
A car crash.
A car crash for goodness sake, he got hurt. Bad.
"Ash, I still c-can't believe he was the one who had to get hurt," Ellie says, suddenly.
"It's okay, it was just too unfortunate," I hush.
"At least it wasn't more than one person, El. Imagine if it was all of us..." Brennen trails.
Colby punches his arm, "Man, don't say that! I don't want to think about that. Or Sam even...leaving us."
"Colby! Don't say that either!" Ellie sobs.
"Guys, how was it just Sam though?" I ask.
"It was too bad of a coincidence," Colby says, "He was the only one who didn't want to eat at Chipotle so he decided to drop us off and go to McDonald's up the street. FUCK! I should've gone with him and not insist on Chipotle." Colby punches the seat. "How can I be so inconsiderate, why did he have to get into an accident because we didn't agree on the same food place. HOW STUPID IS THAT!"
Ellie begins to cry harder from listening to Colby. Brennen notices this from the driving mirror.
"Hey, brother he'll be okay, he's not dead," Brennen assures.
"You don't know that!" Colby shouts.
Ellie burrows her head into my lap and sobs even harder than before.
"COLBY!" I yell at him, "COOL IT."
He stutters with sorrow, "I-I'm sorry, but what if-"
"No. Don't think like that!" I say, "Get a grip, grow a pair, we love him as much as you do but you need to give him those positive vibes, not these negative ones!"
"O-okay. Fine, whatever, I'm good," He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in.
"Right. Now how did the accident happen?" Brennen questions.
Colby mumbles, resting his face in his hand, "I-I think he was driving down the street and as he pulled into the next parking lot of McDonald's, someone came and hit him. I didn't see the rest."
"But I did," Ellie contributes, lifting her head slowly from my lap and wiping her eyes. "I walked out of Chipotle, because I got a call from Amanda. When I got out, I saw Sam's car. As he was pulling into McDonald's, a random vehicle came and smacked Sam's car from behind, which sent Sam's car into a palm tree, and Sam went... flying out the windshield. The car that hit him took off so fast. It was the scariest moment of my life. I told Amanda what happened, ended the call, and ran to Sam."
"Oh my god," Colby muffles as he buries his face into his shirt sleeves.
"How'd you get the blood on your hands?" Brennen asks.
"Well, I ran to him. As fast as I could. I saw him lay flat on the pavement, face down. I flipped him over and he was bloody all over the place. I think they were mostly scrapes and such, but he looked- felt so- lifeless. I-oh no," Ellie stops and begins to cry again. "I can't think about him being dead or alive anymore, let's just get to the hospital." I rub her back for comfort.
"We're almost there, El, hang on," Brennen says.
/////
Once we got to the emergency room, we told the woman at the desk who we were here for and where we were from because we aren't from Cambria. Which is the town of Moonstone Beach. The lady said we had to wait, and that.
That is the worst thing in the fucking world.
It takes four hours to get back to LA.
We all sit in the waiting room, with torture.
Colby and Ellie are holding hands, sitting by Brennen and Nik. Corey and Devyn are cuddled up in the corner, and Elton joined us back to be inform us and of course, comfort Amanda. Elton reassured us all that Sam wasn't dead.
We could finally breathe there, but we lost our breath again when he said the paramedics aren't sure when he'll wake up.
At the moment, he's undergoing surgery.
I remember wanting to be a surgeon as I was growing up, but seeing what I would have to deal with... I don't think I could even lift the scalpel and cut into someone's loved one and risk maybe, well, killing them.
The horror is shaking my bones, maybe I'll have to be checked by a doctor.
As we were sitting there, about two hours had passed.
"When will they be done? I want to see Sam," Ellie sighs.
"Surgery can take hours on end depending on the injur-injuries," I gulp.
How many injuries does Sam have?
"I bet he's fine, the kid's scrawny but tough. Sam's not going down without a fight," Colby states.
"Who said he was going down!" Ellie cries.
"N-no, El, I did NOT mean that he was going down!" Colby stammers, trying to make her feel better.
"Well great job, Brock. You just got her back to 'crying Ellie'. We just got her to stop too!" I say.
Nik looks at us and asks, "Yo, what you do this time, Colby?"
"I didn't do anything!" He defends.
"He made her cry because he said Sam's going down," Brennen fills in.
"I did not say that!" Colby argues.
"You basically said that, dude," Elton agrees.
"Colby!" Amanda exclaims.
Corey adds, "Oh c'mon, Colby." Devyn shakes her head in disapproval.
"Guys, fuck, I didn't mean it like that! Goddangit, I was trying to be supportive!" Colby exclaims.
We all laugh, at him.
"What's so funny?" He asks, his face begins to redden.
"We're just messing with you, dude," Corey laughs.
"Yeah, we know you didn't mean it," Brennen chuckles.
We nod our heads in agreement.
"Guys, that was not funny," Colby deadpans, flat faced.
Everyone just laughs some more, Ellie stops crying into her hands and picks her head up to laugh at him.
"El, you too?" Colby ends up cracking a smile too and we were all just fits of laughs and giggles. It was nice seeing the group be happy at a tragic time like this.
Sam, if you're listening... or sensing our vibes... we love you, no matter what the fuck happens.
An abrupt voice stops our conversation, "Are you all with Samuel John Golbach?"
It was a doctor.
But not just any doctor, it was Kai.
"Kai?" I call to him.
"Ashlyn?" He peers down at me and I run to him, giving him a hug.
"This is the hospital you work at?" I ask.
"Just for today, I'm doing a rotation with different hospitals right now," He says with a little unsteadiness.
He must've just been uncomfortable...?
"Oh, that's cool," I half smile.
It goes silent for a second but he breaks it.
"So you all are with Sam?" He asks.
"Yep, all of us... us," Colby says, staring down Kai. I eye down Colby and try to tell him to back off.
"Well, uh, I am here to just report that Sam is almost half way done with his surgery and it will take another three hours or so. He has cracked a rib, fractured his right leg, right big toe, broke his left arm, and has scrapes and bruises all over his body. He was tossed pretty badly but not as bad as we expected from car crash survivors. Usually, there'd be much more damage, and it's saying something that Sam is doing fine so far. Just with the many scrapes from the glass shards that still stuck in and broken limbs, the cleaning process is taking some time as we are short on staff today. But anyways, he's lucky," Kai finishes.
"Thanks," We all say.
"Yeah," He mumbles, quickly walking away.
That was weird by the way he was acting. Maybe it's just his doctor act.
"Hey, Ashlyn," Elton wiggles his eyebrows, "Who's your doctor friend?"
"He's a pre-med student who wants to be a surgeon and will start his internship next year," I say in a matter of a fact type manner.
"Well, we didn't have to know his details, we just want to know your details with him," Nik says.
I glance at Colby to see how he is reacting but all I can see is his head turned from my vision.
I look back at Nik and say, "We're just really good friends."
"Don't think good friends, eat each other out," Brennen smirks.
"Bro but we're good friends and we do that," Nik interrupts.
"Oh yeah, you right, haha," Brennen laughs with Nik.
I roll my eyes, "He's my only medical student friend, he's very mature."
"Ooo, and how'd you meet this mature medical friend," Corey teases.
"Well, believe it or not, he almost ran me over with his car in the parking lot," I chuckle awkwardly.
Everyone goes silent and wide-eyed.
"Was that a joke..." Elton trails.
"Oh dear god, no," I face-palm myself, "If it was a joke, that'd be too soon."
"Right," Brennen agrees, laughing.
Finally, we were back to a normal environment.
/////
"Guys, I can't wait in this depressing ass waiting room any longer. We know Sam is fine and shit but I need to get back home because I have an event to go to tomorrow. I love Sam, but I have a job," Nik says, breaking the tension.
"He's right, I have to go to the same event," Brennen agrees.
"Oh shit, Colby!" Elton exclaims, "You, me, and Amanda have a meeting to get with the producers of 'fill in the prank."
Colby covers his face with his hands, "Goddangit! I forgot, it's at like nine a.m. tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, we can't stay any longer. We gotta get sleep," Amanda adds.
Hearing everyone have plans tomorrow made me realize, that, so did I! I have a job, and I have to post my new video tomorrow. Which I haven't even filmed yet, because I've only filmed vlogs for my vlog channel lately.
"Crap, I have to post tomorrow..." I mumble.
"Yo... so do I," Corey responds with a worried look.
Devyn covers her mouth, "I have a make-up artist interview tomorrow too, I just remembered!"
"Babe, you've been excited for it all week, how did you forget!" Corey exclaims.
Everyone was busy. Nobody could stay for Sam.
We all had to leave.
Which breaks my heart to say.
Except Ellie.
She didn't have anything planned.
"I'll stay," Ellie murmurs.
"By yourself?" Brennen asks.
"Yeah. I'm not doing anything tomorrow, or at all. I was there when Sam got into the accident, I was the first who saw him unconscious. I want to be the first to see him awake," She replies.
"Girl, but being alone? You sure you okay with that?" I question.
"Ellie's a big girl, she'll be fine. El, we love you," Nik barges.
Ellie smiles, "Thanks, Nikolai."
"Yeah, Elizabeth," He grins.
"Well, should we go now?" Brennen asks.
Corey begins to say 'probably' but Ellie cuts him off and tells us 'yes.' We slowly stand up and give Ellie hugs.
"Text me, before you fall asleep or if Sam wakes up, or anything, for anything!" Colby says to Ellie, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"I will, love," Ellie smiles at him.
"Good, I'll see you soon," He grins. We all walk out the hospital, our spirits may be low, but we're trying our best to keep them high.
For Sam.
The car ride back home was long.
We all ate what we bought earlier in the pace of a snail. We all just lost our appetites after seeing a bloody, bruised Sam.
Brennen, Nik, Colby, and I rode in one car and Elton, Amanda, Corey, and Devyn in another.
Both, what I assume were filled with silence and sleep.
The whole ride, practically nobody talked. Even when we would switch drivers every hour.
Nobody really spoke.
I hated it, this is what life's friends love to do to us.
It was tragedy's turn and I hate it more than liking my rival.
And damn, I hate liking my rival.
A whole lot.
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AWH, NO SAMMY BABY. THANKS FOR 15K+ READS HOLY! Uploading a night early because Imma be busy on july 4th haha, have a good holidayy!
I hope you enjoyed:) Also, the song linked above is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE SONGS EVER. Colby used it for musically a few times and im in looooove ahhh. But like, I was always in love with Colby so...<3 It's also 3:35 AM and I need help so goodnight (6/29/17). AND KAT'S NEW SONG "ALL IN" IS HELLA GOOOOD OMG. She also noticed me on twitter ahhh!! She's amazinggg. I can't wait until I put her into the story! oops, spoilers. ;)
COMMENT, *VOTE* & SHARE! FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED!!
comment, "save sam sam," if u read up 2 here!
hugs, kt