Somewhere to Run…
Chapter 1
Danny woke up to the sound of the phone ringing next to him. Opening his eyes, he looks at the clock, wondering who would be calling him so early. "Hello," he answers.
"I am sorry for calling so early. However, I need to speak with Daniel McCall." The voice replies at the other end of the line.
Immediately his heart skips a beat and he feels the anxiety build. Something bad has happened he can sense it as the dread fills the pit in his stomach. "This is he," Danny waits for the response.
"My name is Robert Lewis and I am from the Miami- Dade Police Department. There's been an accident and I'm sorry to tell you this over the phone but your parents were killed in a car crash late last night."
His whole world comes to a stop, thinking about the fact he will never see them again, never hug his mom or bullshit with his dad once more. Then it hits him," What about Sam? My little sister, was she in the car too?" Holding his breath, he waits for the other shoe to drop.
"Yes, she's in intensive care at Mercy Hospital. She hit her head hard, bruised her ribs, but nothing appears broken. As far as I know she hasn't woke up since they brought her in."
"Can you please let the doctors know I will be on the next flight out of New York? I will call you after I've seen my sister."
"Of course and again I am sorry for your loss."
Throwing off the blankets, Danny jumps up, grabs his jeans and a tee. Opening his bedroom door he calls out for his roommate," Jason wake the fuck up! Now!" Danny bangs on Jason's door. Jason grumbles from the other side and jerks it open.
"Danny what the…" the words die on his lips as he takes in his friend's appearance.
"They're gone Jason, my parents are dead. There was a car accident and I still don't know the details. Sam's in a coma man I have to get to Miami right now."
Jason is good in a crisis, he goes into damage control mode, "Pack your bag, I will call Sonny. I am sure he will let us use the jet. No way am I making you do this alone."
"Thanks man."
Less than thirty minutes later, they were in the air.
The first thing Sam noticed were the beeping noises and various other sounds surrounding her. She could smell the disinfectant and the air burned as she took a deep breath. A gasp escaped her mouth as the pain radiated in her chest. She heard someone get up and grab her hand.
"Sam?"
She knew that voice, "Danny?" She tried opening her eyes but they felt so heavy. Trying again, she succeeds but closes then instantly.
"I'll let the doctors know she's awake." That voice she doesn't know she realized as Jason walked out of the room.
Slowly Sam opens her eyes again, a little at a time allowing her to adjust to the brightness of the room. "What happened? Where are mom and dad?"
Danny hesitated, "What do you remember?"
After thinking for a minute, Sam starts to speak. "We were coming back from one of dad's office parties. It was late and the light had just turned green. Dad barely made it into the intersection when a black SUV ran the red light and…"
Before she was able to complete her sentence a doctor and nurse came into her room.
"Miss McCall, I am Dr. Rosewood. I need to check your vitals and see how you are doing." The doctor smiled at Sam with his kind, blue eyes putting her somewhat at ease. His salt and pepper hair, parted on the side, looked like it was recently trimmed. His skin had the nice glow of a nice tan, a clue that he must spend a good amount of time outside. "Nurse Watkins is going to take your blood pressure while I look in your eyes, just do as I say and we will get out of here so you can rest."
"Okay," Sam responds weakly smiling back.
The nurse comes around to her right side, taking the sphygmomanometer she slips the cuff on her arm and starts the machine. She notices how beautiful Nurse Watkins is. With her honey blond hair pulled into a top knot on top of her head, black winged eye liner and bright red lipstick reminding Sam of Gwen Stefani or a glamorous pin up girl. "115 0ver 66," the nurse informs the doctor.
"I want you to follow my finger with your eyes but do not move your head." Following his directions, Sam does as she's told. "Mr. McCall everything looks better than originally expected. Her MRI and CAT scan both came back clean. I would like to keep her here overnight for observation but I see no reason she can't be released tomorrow."
"Thank you Dr. Rosewood." Danny shakes the older man's hand. As the doctor walks out with the nurse following directly behind him, Danny sighs and rubs his hands on his face, happy to have some good news. He feels Sam watching him and knows it's time to fill in her blanks. He walks over to the bed and sits down.
"Just tell me," Sam pleads. "I can see that you're hiding something and I'm guessing it's pretty bad."
"You've always been one to like the Band-Aid ripped off," Danny looks into Sam's eyes and takes her hands in his, "They're gone Sammy. Mom and Dad didn't make it. It's just you and me now kid."
Danny had expected her grief, he knew it was going to hurt but he didn't prepare himself for the soul crushing sobs that Sam was releasing as the pain shook her small frame. The doctor came rushing in to give her a sedative to calm her down when her breathing became difficult. Danny held on to Sam and rocked her," It's going to be okay, I got you."
Outside the room, Jason watched the agonizing scene play out through the glass window. His could sympathize with his friend Danny. However, his heart broke for his friend's little sister, in this moment he had never felt the need to protect someone more and wished he could heal her pain. He couldn't imagine losing his parents now at twenty-one much less like Sam at seventeen.
Danny walked out of Sam's room and was glad to see Jason standing outside. "That was intense man. Poor Sammy hasn't really been away from our parents, where as I left for the Marines at eighteen, straight out of high school. I don't know what I'm going to do. She's not legally an adult for a few more months and still has to graduate school in June."
"You will figure it out Danny. She's a minor, so I am assuming she's going to be moving in."
"We have an aunt, my dad's sister but her husband doesn't give me good vibes. I've caught him leering at my sister, he's lucky I haven't beat his ass."
Just the thought of some creep being around Sam like that had Jason balling his fists up. "Why do some men have to be such pricks? I can start looking at places when we get home. Sonny mentioned something about the penthouse across from him being for sale."
"Are you sure you don't mind?" Jason shook his head in confirmation. "Thanks Jase, you have been a really good friend. There's no rush. I need to go meet with the lawyer and get some arrangements started. Would you mind sitting with my sister until I get back?"
"Of course man, it's not a problem."
"Come in and let me introduce you."
Sam felt numb once they gave her the shot to calm her down. She closed her eyes, just wanting to shut the world out. Hearing the door open again, she doesn't move.
"Sam I need to go handle some things really quick. I don't want you to be alone so my friend, Jason, is going to stay here with you while I'm gone okay?"
"Sure, I'm so tired; I am just going to sleep anyways ok." She tells them not bothering to open her eyes and look around.
"I'll just sit over here in the chair then." That's the voice she heard earlier, and what a nice masculine voice it was.
"Thank you," she says drifting off to sleep.
Thirty minutes later slumber starts to become restless as she starts dreaming about the accident. Reliving the sound of the other vehicle hitting theirs, the glass is shattering and screams filling the air, Sam jolts awake.
"Danny!" She begins to cry.
Jason jumps up from the chair and comes over to the bed. "Sam," he says calmly.
Sam looks up into his blue eyes for the first time and gasps. "This man is good-looking," she thinks to herself, embarrassed at her reaction. "Jason," she says questioningly.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you." He's taken aback when his gaze meets her deep chocolate eyes. Even underneath all the cuts and bruises Samantha McCall was stunning and now he felt like a damn prick for being attracted to his best friend's seventeen-year-old sister.
"You didn't," she admits not bothering to explain the truth to him. "Would you mind asking for more pain medicine? My head really hurts."
"No problem," he answers her, glad to escape the room, hoping she doesn't feel his awkwardness.
Jason walks back in a couple of minutes later, "She'll be right here." He smiles at her and her heart starts racing as Nurse Watkins comes in with a shot to put in her IV.
"Are you feeling alright, Miss McCall," asks noticing the rapid heartbeat.
All Sam can do is nod her head yes and dart her eyes over to Jason hoping the nurse understands the silent communication. Apparently, she does because she pats Sam's hand, says, "This should help relax you as well," and winks at her before leaving the room.
Sam blushes and looks over to see if Jason noticed the effect, he has on her. Thankfully, he seems oblivious. "Thank you for getting her for me. It's already helping."
"Of course, if you need anything just let me know," Jason answers, thinking that Danny will definitely kill him if he notices the attraction he has for his sister.