Living Among the Dead
By: Lindsey Gibbs
Intro
It always starts the same, and ends the same. Snow covers everything in a thick blanket of white. The red light turns green, and I push down on the gas pedal. I look to my left out of the window and see the semi-truck sliding straight towards the car. I look behind me and see my son asleep in his car sear with his head sagging, breathing softly. I reach for him and then everything goes black.
I open my eyes and all I can see is a blinding light. As my vision slowly focuses, I can see that I am in a hospital room. I try to sit up and a wave of pain pulses inside my head, forcing me to lie back down. I reach up to touch the side of my head and feel a line of stitches going from my ear to the back of my head. I look down at my chest and see I am in a hospital gown. I taste a hint of blood in my mouth. I start to panic as I remember the crash. I scream and scream until my throat is raw and stings.
An overweight nurse in pink scrubs rushes in to make sure I am ok. She comes up next to me and checks my temperature. Her bright red hair falls in strands around her face. Her wide face is caked in bronzer and blush. I try to speak, but I can't make any sound. The nurse tells me to calm down and that the doctor will come see me in just a minute. She pats my forehead with a cool damp rag to cool me down. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down and regain my composure. I look up at her and see that she has been crying. Her eyes look red and irritated with a smudge of mascara underneath. I try to ask what's wrong but once again, I can't make any words come out.
The doctor finally arrives. His gray eyes are looking right at me. His dark brown hair has a gray streak on the left side of his head. He gives the nurse a stern nod and she excuses herself from the room. He removed the clipboard from underneath his arm and looks it over. As he reads it over, he glances at me for a split second. Something is wrong. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. He tucks the clipboard back under his arm and makes his way towards me. The doctor pulls a stool up next to the bed and sits.
"Hello Hazel, I am Dr. Alexander, but you can call me Jason." He smiles nervously at me, and scoots a bit closer. His brows furrows together as he looks at the clipboard once again. I can tell he is carefully choosing his words. "Hazel, the accident was pretty bad. You are lucky to be a live right now, and with barely damage to your body besides the cut on your head." He sighs and hangs his head down. "Your son, Cole, he wasn't as lucky. I'm so sorry."
My eyes blur with tears. My body starts aching as I sob harder. I hear the soft voice of the doctor trying to console and comfort me, but his voice is fading away like my vision. It gets darker and darker until everything just goes black.
Chapter One
"Cole!"