"What?" I asked into my phone, my voice cracking.
"Your friend, Ms. Meredith Stepien was put into the hospital due to a car accident with a person who had been texting, which is the assumed cause of the accident. I know it's late, but no one else answered my call. I'm sorry, Mr. Holden," the person on the other line said.
"Okay. Th-thank you," I stuttered, hanging up immediately afterwards.
The world around me was spinning so fast I had to lean against the wall to steady myself. I took a deep, shaky breath and allowed myself to grab my phone and send out a text to some of the other Team members.
"Hey, guys," I wrote. "So, in case you didn't hear the news, Mere was put into the hospital this evening. She was in a car accident. So if you have the time, visiting her would be appreciated. I'm on my way there now, and I don't think I'll leave for a while."
I sent the message, grabbed my shoes, keys, and a jacket, and headed down the hallway towards the elevators.
When I arrived at the hospital, tears had stained my face. I received sympathetic and somewhat curious looks as I passed by patients, workers, and other visitors on my way to the front desk. I cleared my throat upon my arrival. The receptionist looked up from her computer screen and gave me a weary smile.
"Hi, how may I help you?"
I smiled weakly and replied, "Hi, can you tell me what Meredith Stepien's room number is, please?" She nodded, turning back to her computer.
"How do you spell it? S-T-E-P-" she asked, typing as she said the letters.
"I-E-N," I finished for her.
She pressed enter and said, "Meredith?" I nodded frantically. "She's in room 214." I thanked her and quickly (VERY quickly) walked to the nearest elevator.
On the way up, I texted everyone the room number. Only then did I notice that it was already 2 o'clock in the morning.
That's why no one's responding, I thought, sliding through the elevator doors when it opened just enough for me to.
I practically ran down the hall towards Meredith's room until I realized what awaited me behind her door. I slowed down my pace as I was around the corner of her room. Taking the last few steps, I took slow, jagged breaths, trying to calm myself down.
When I finally arrived at the door, my hand turning the handle, my phone rang obnoxiously loud compared to the serenity of the hallway and waiting room. I fumbled with my pockets until I managed to pull it out and answer the call without checking to see who it was.
"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MEREDITH?" The person yelled, causing me to wince and pull the phone away from my ear. I glanced at the Caller ID. It was Denise.
"Hey, D. It's okay, she's fine. She, uh... Just a car accident. She's kinda passed out at the moment, but she's fine. I'm at the hospital now. Don't worry," I said, trying my hardest not to break down and cry. I was kinda glad Denise had called. It was a way for me to stall and not see her.
"I can't make it there tonight! I was visiting Ann Arbor! Tell her... Tell her I'll be there soon! Before she can wake up," Denise begged, her voice weak.
I nodded and said, "I promise, D."
I heard Denise sigh before saying, "Take care of her, Brian. I'm counting on you." Then the line went dead.
I paced back and forth in front of Meredith's door before finally realizing that I needed to see her before I would collapse here from anxiety and need a hospital room of my own. I know it seemed a bit selfish to not want to see her, but... I don't know. I felt that it wasn't right for me to see her so hurt. She had done no harm. Hell, the only harm she ever does is keep a secret for some sort of surprise. Truth be told, I was scared. I was scared of what had happened to her. Of what she would look like. Of what she would feel or think when I told her what happened.
I shook my head and pushed those thoughts behind me.
I turned the doorknob without a moment's hesitation and burst into the room. I closed the door and opened my eyes to reveal Meredith on the usual hospital bed.
I almost smiled at her calm face before scanning the rest of her body. I fell to my knees and whimpered. She looked so... Broken.
It seemed as though every bone in her poor, fragile body was broken and there were all sorts of tubes and wires hooked up to her.
I crawled to the chair beside the bed and grabbed her hand. "I'm so sorry, Meredith," I mumbled into her sheets as I cried. "I'm so, so sorry."
I continued to cry until I snapped out of it. There were people everywhere who were crying because their loved ones just died or they found out they had cancer. I was crying because... Because one of my best friends was in the hospital from a car accident because of a fucking person too distracted with his life to worry about the rules of the God damn road.
I gritted my teeth and took slow breaths to calm myself down.
God damn, Holden. Don't get yourself worked up about this. Meredith is okay and that's all that matters.
I looked at her peaceful face again. This time, I did smile. Meredith is alive and well. Although, she could've been better, she's still here with me. With all of us.
I let out a wet laugh, which surprised myself.
"Hey, Mere. This is Brian. I'm sorry not everyone's here. Denise said she'd be here sometime soon. The others are probably all sleeping, but you got yourself stuck here at an ungodly hour, so that's pretty much your fault," I said sarcastically. I didn't think she could hear me, but...
But I swear I saw her smile.