Tyler's Choice

Chapter one

A Drawing in Memory

Eleven year old Caroline Hawkins walked through the small section of the museum that had been put aside for her. The summer program had been so impressed with her work they had one of the smaller New York museum's put aside the space. She had received the news only two weeks ago, on September 12th. The day after her life had changed forever.

"Caroline?" Caroline turned to see her father standing in the entry to her section a small smile on his face, she smiled, "You came."

"I told you I would didn't I," Charles Hawkins said walking towards his daughter as she came towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

Caroline looked up at him and smiled again, "It opens to the public tomorrow, we just finished it actually. What do you think?"

Charles was at a loss for words, all around him in the small section over every inch of the wall that was somewhat professional, were his daughter's drawings. They weren't just any drawings, they were drawings of his sons. The few drawings of Michael, Caroline had done from pictures and stories that she had heard. She had only been five when Michael died but she had still learned a lot about him and it showed in the drawings. The rest of the drawings in the room were of his younger son Tyler. When he saw the first drawing of Tyler, tears came to his eyes, it was one of the first ones Caroline had ever drawn, he was sitting in the library, reading one of the books instead of working. Caroline must have drawn it when he hadn't been looking.

Charles looked at his watch, not for the time but for the date. September 25th, it was so hard to believe that it had just been two weeks ago that their lives had been so much different. He sighed and looked to Caroline once again, "Its beautiful Caroline, just beautiful."

Caroline smiled, "Do you think He would've liked it?"

Charles smiled, "I don't think-I know he would have."

"You haven't seen my favorite part," Caroline said and grabbed her father's hand and led him back to the entry way.

They walked through the door and Caroline pointed up for her father to look above the door. Charles looked up and smiled at what he read:

Section 11B Artist: Caroline Joy Hawkins.

This section is Dedicated to the Loving Memory of Tyler Keats Hawkins June 16th 1979-September 11th 2001, A Loving son and brother. He will be remembered, now and forever.

Once he finished reading Charles had a few tears running down his cheeks, he looked to his daughter once again, the only child he had left and smiled, "I love it Caroline, its one of the best ways to honor your brother that we could ever do."

Caroline looked up at the dedication and sighed, "I would give all of this, every single part of it, just to have him back."

Charles nodded, "I know Caroline, I know."

Father and daughter both stood there, hand in hand Caroline sinking into his side as they looked up at all that was left of their brother and son.

........................................................

The dust surrounded around him, there was something crushing him, the pain, the darkness. A small flash of light was flashed in his eye, then the darkness was back, the light was flashed in his other eye, what was going on? He squinted as the pain his his arms became known. He realized he that he couldn't feel the lower half of his body, it was almost as if his legs were not there.

Fear entered his thoughts and he slowly tried to pry his eyes open. As he did a dark blurry figure swam in front of him.

"Hey-are you finally back with us?" the blur asked.

He blinked again, trying to bring the blur into focus, slowly the figure came into focus, it was a doctor. As he had expected, "Where am I?" he asked bring his hand up to rub the side of his head, he felt the bandages there.

"You're at Mercy hospital, I'm doctor Baker," the doctor said pulling a chair up to sit by the bed, "Can you tell me your name?"

"Tyler Hawkins," Tyler said still a little dazed.

"Tyler-okay Tyler do you remember what happened?"

"Um.." Tyler thought for a moment, "I was in my dad's office, in the World Trade Center," he stopped to think and then continued, "Something hit the building, I was thrown against the wall, then my dad's desk slammed into me, that's all I remember."

Doctor Baker nodded, "Believe it or not, that desk saved your life, it kept the flames from reaching you."

"Flames, what flames?" Tyler asked looking surprised.

"It was a plane that hit the building son," Doctor Baker said grimly, "It hit through the 80th and 86th floor."

"But I was on the 92nd floor, how in the world did I get out alive?" Tyler asked, his surprise was growing.

"The building collapsed, that's how we found you, under the desk, it had you pinned to the wall, the rest of the room was burned, the desk protected you," Doctor Baker said watching his reaction as he explained, "You've been here going on two weeks."

"Two weeks!" Tyler tried to sit up but the doctor stopped him.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere, you just lay back now and relax," the doctor said pushing him back down into the pillows, readjusting the oxygen tube that ran under his patient's nose.

"My family, where are they?" Tyler asked well aware now that none of his family members were in the room.

"You were brought in as a John Doe, you had no ID on you, we didn't know who to call," Doctor Baker said.

"No," Tyler said shaking his head weakly, "I always have my ID, how did I not have my ID?"

"Its okay Tyler, it more then likely fell out of your pocket when you were shoved against the wall. We know who you are now we will get you family informed," Doctor Baker said standing up but before leaving the room he turned back to Tyler, "Do you have any questions for me before I leave?"

Tyler slowly nodded, "My legs-I can't feel my legs," he said slowly not sure he wanted to hear what the doctor was going to say next.

"Yes," the doctor nodded, "You were nearly crushed between the desk and the wall when the building collapsed, you're lucky to be alive at all."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Tyler asked biting the inside of his lip weakly.

"Well, your back-your lower back-it was crushed in the collapsed," Doctor Baker said coming back over and putting a hand on Tyler's shoulder, "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this Tyler but-I'm afraid-you're paralyzed from the waist down."

Tyler let his head fall back against the pillows again. His legs were there, he could see them they were just useless. He couldn't feel them, how would he face his family, knowing that he will never walk again.