Uncertainty
By: Olivia
Chapter 1
"C'mon, Miranda. Get in. I'll give you a ride home," said Declan as he and Miranda reached his car in the University parking lot. He had stayed late grading papers and Miranda had been working late in the Physics lab on an experiment for class.
"I can walk to my apartment, Declan. It's not that far."
Declan wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. His face lit up with a boyish smile. "It's late. C'mon."
Miranda was too tired to argue, or walk for that matter, and it was late. She got into the passenger seat. Declan pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the main street heading for Miranda's apartment. Declan was trying to regale Miranda with stories of some of his student's insanely incorrect, albeit hysterical answers, to his midterm when Miranda suddenly shouted out, "Declan!"
Declan's attention swung back and was riveted by the headlights of an oncoming car that was bearing down on them. There was no time to question what a car was doing headed for them down the wrong side of the street. There was only time to react. Declan's thought's flew to Miranda as he quickly made a hard right with the car. But it was still too late to get completely out of the way. The car rammed into Declan's truck on the driver's side spinning the car around until it finally came to an eerie stop amid crushed glass and pieces of metal.
Chapter 2
A jarring sound startled Peggy out of a deep sleep. In her sleepy state, she was trying to figure out what the sound was. When she realized that it was the phone ringing, fear took its icy hand and clutched at her heart. Despite the dread she reached out into the darkness and picked up her phone.
"Hello?" said Peggy breathlessly.
"Hi, Peggy, this is Anne from the hospital."
Anne, Peggy thought, the emergency room nurse from the hospital. "Yes, Anne?" Peggy tried to sound causal as if it was completely normal for the emergency room nurse to call her late at night.
"I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you this, but...it seems there was a car accident. That anthropologist you're friends with was brought in with that other lady, Miranda."
Peggy's throat constricted. She could barely breath but she managed to get out, "They're okay right?" She wished with all her heart that Anne would say so.
There was a pause. It was the longest pause of Peggy's life.
"I'm afraid, with all the commotion, I don't know. But one of them was rushed into emergency surgery. I just thought you might want to come down here."
"I'll be right there," said Peggy and she hung up the phone. She quickly threw on some clothes, ran out the door, and drove as fast as she could towards the hospital. It was only later during the drive that she realized she had forgotten to thank Anne for calling.
Chapter 3
Miranda was trying to open her eyes. She ached all over. She couldn't remember has ever feeling this bad before. The bright lights of the room were hurting her eyes, but she finally able to get them open. She slowly moved her head to the right where she saw a familiar face.
"Hi, Miranda. How are you feeling?" said Peggy in that calm, soothing voice all her own.
"I ache all over," Miranda managed to get out. Her throat was raw and sore.
Peggy smiled at her. "The doctors say you're going to be just fine. You've got a nasty concussion and some scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious. Do you remember what happened?"
Miranda cast her mind back. She tried to think. Suddenly, it all came rushing back to her. Her and Declan in the car. The blinding headlights on an oncoming car. Declan! Miranda was alert and trying to get herself out of bed despite the myriad of tubes connected to her. "Declan! Is Declan okay? I've got to see him! I've got to get to him!"
"Miranda, Miranda, calm down," said Peggy immediately concerned for fear that Miranda would injure herself further. She gently pushed Miranda back into the bed.
Miranda finally calmed down, but she turned her attention to the ceiling. She couldn't look at Peggy anymore. She had seen the sorrow in Peggy's eyes and it was more than she could take. Quietly she asked, "How bad is it?"
Peggy hesitated to tell her the truth.
"Please, Peggy," said Miranda turning her head to look at her. "Please tell me the truth."
Peggy nodded. "He's in surgery right now. They say it doesn't look good. But there's always hope."
Miranda turned her gaze back to the ceiling. The tears started to silently fall down her face. She felt Peggy's warm hand upon her arm trying to comfort her. And that's when Miranda knew that Peggy had done her share of crying already.
Chapter 4
Peggy had some time before her next appointment so she decided to stop in and check on Declan. She always did that. She thought her work would keep her from worrying about him, but it didn't. While she was in session with her patients, all she could think about was checking up on Declan for some sign of improvement, for some sign of consciousness.
When Peggy got to Declan's room, she found Miranda sitting by Declan's side in her wheelchair.
"Hi, Miranda. I'm surprised they let you out of your room to see him."
Miranda looked up at Peggy. "They wouldn't. I told them I had to see him, so they made me sit in this wheelchair and an orderly brought me down."
Peggy saw dullness there in Miranda's eyes that frightened her. Miranda was normally subdued, normally presented an unemotional front, but this was deeper. Miranda felt a sorrow so deep, that she had to keep a tight control over her emotions lest they overwhelmed her.
"I'm glad," said Peggy trying to smile. "They say patients in comas can still hear sometimes. I've been talking to him when I get a chance. I find myself tying to say something, something that will make him sit up and start arguing with me..."
A silence fell over the room. Miranda spoke up and said, "I was sitting here thinking about the time when I fell ill, remember?"
Peggy nodded.
"And Declan used that last piece of cloth to save my life. I told him not to do it, not to waste it on me, but he did anyway. He saved my life. Just like in the accident. I never asked him to save my life. It was a sacrifice I wouldn't have allowed him to make."
"He would have done anything to protect you. That's just the kind of guy he is," said Peggy.
Miranda looked up at Peggy. "What I wouldn't give for a piece of that cloth. It's ironic; Declan spent the past couple of years investigating miraculous phenomena. He's seen miracles happen to so many people. And the one time he needs a miracle, there's nothing. It's not fair, Peggy."
Miranda turned her attention back to Declan. His chest slowly, mechanically, rose and fell; yet he spoke not a word. Peggy crouch down next to Miranda and spoke quietly, "No, it's not fair. Not fair at all. When that phone rang telling me you two had been in an accident, it brought it all back for me, when they called me to tell me that my husband was dead. They may have caught his killer, and they may not have caught the driver who hit you and Declan, and I know it doesn't comfort you that you are okay, but I'm glad you're okay. What's more I know that Declan is glad you're okay."
Miranda turned to look at Peggy and tried to give her a smile, tried to show her that she was grateful for her kind words even if she didn't care that she was okay.
Chapter 5
Miranda and Peggy stood at Declan's gravesite. It was hard to believe that two weeks had gone by since the accident. It was harder to believe that Declan was gone. The two women stood there looking at the casket. All the other mourners had left the cemetery to go to the wake held at the University, but Miranda and Peggy remained.
Peggy finally broke the silence. "You remember that time you were stuck by electricity and you took on that outgoing personality and could play the violin."
Miranda nodded mechanically. "I said some horrible things to Declan."
Peggy shook her head; "I was talking to Declan about you. He was really upset at the thought that you might not want to be his friend anymore. You know what he said to me? He told me he loved you. He cared about you and he just wanted you to be happy."
Tears started to run down Miranda's face. She didn't even try to hide them or wipe them away. She knew that Peggy too shared her grief. Then Miranda surprised Peggy by reaching out and giving her a hug. After Peggy recovered from being startled at this display of emotion from Miranda, she hugged her back. That's when she realized that she herself was crying.
"He loved and cared about you too, Peggy. I just want him back in my life. It's so empty without him."
"I know," said Peggy, her voice full of emotion. "But Declan will always be with us and he's already a part of us. He changed us simply by being our friend. And that part of him will always live on inside of us."
Miranda could only nod at what Peggy had said. Her grief was too elusive to be put into words by her. But she hoped and felt, as deeply as Peggy did, that Declan was out there, somewhere, and at sometime, at some point, they would see him again.
By: Olivia
Chapter 1
"C'mon, Miranda. Get in. I'll give you a ride home," said Declan as he and Miranda reached his car in the University parking lot. He had stayed late grading papers and Miranda had been working late in the Physics lab on an experiment for class.
"I can walk to my apartment, Declan. It's not that far."
Declan wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. His face lit up with a boyish smile. "It's late. C'mon."
Miranda was too tired to argue, or walk for that matter, and it was late. She got into the passenger seat. Declan pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the main street heading for Miranda's apartment. Declan was trying to regale Miranda with stories of some of his student's insanely incorrect, albeit hysterical answers, to his midterm when Miranda suddenly shouted out, "Declan!"
Declan's attention swung back and was riveted by the headlights of an oncoming car that was bearing down on them. There was no time to question what a car was doing headed for them down the wrong side of the street. There was only time to react. Declan's thought's flew to Miranda as he quickly made a hard right with the car. But it was still too late to get completely out of the way. The car rammed into Declan's truck on the driver's side spinning the car around until it finally came to an eerie stop amid crushed glass and pieces of metal.
Chapter 2
A jarring sound startled Peggy out of a deep sleep. In her sleepy state, she was trying to figure out what the sound was. When she realized that it was the phone ringing, fear took its icy hand and clutched at her heart. Despite the dread she reached out into the darkness and picked up her phone.
"Hello?" said Peggy breathlessly.
"Hi, Peggy, this is Anne from the hospital."
Anne, Peggy thought, the emergency room nurse from the hospital. "Yes, Anne?" Peggy tried to sound causal as if it was completely normal for the emergency room nurse to call her late at night.
"I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you this, but...it seems there was a car accident. That anthropologist you're friends with was brought in with that other lady, Miranda."
Peggy's throat constricted. She could barely breath but she managed to get out, "They're okay right?" She wished with all her heart that Anne would say so.
There was a pause. It was the longest pause of Peggy's life.
"I'm afraid, with all the commotion, I don't know. But one of them was rushed into emergency surgery. I just thought you might want to come down here."
"I'll be right there," said Peggy and she hung up the phone. She quickly threw on some clothes, ran out the door, and drove as fast as she could towards the hospital. It was only later during the drive that she realized she had forgotten to thank Anne for calling.
Chapter 3
Miranda was trying to open her eyes. She ached all over. She couldn't remember has ever feeling this bad before. The bright lights of the room were hurting her eyes, but she finally able to get them open. She slowly moved her head to the right where she saw a familiar face.
"Hi, Miranda. How are you feeling?" said Peggy in that calm, soothing voice all her own.
"I ache all over," Miranda managed to get out. Her throat was raw and sore.
Peggy smiled at her. "The doctors say you're going to be just fine. You've got a nasty concussion and some scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious. Do you remember what happened?"
Miranda cast her mind back. She tried to think. Suddenly, it all came rushing back to her. Her and Declan in the car. The blinding headlights on an oncoming car. Declan! Miranda was alert and trying to get herself out of bed despite the myriad of tubes connected to her. "Declan! Is Declan okay? I've got to see him! I've got to get to him!"
"Miranda, Miranda, calm down," said Peggy immediately concerned for fear that Miranda would injure herself further. She gently pushed Miranda back into the bed.
Miranda finally calmed down, but she turned her attention to the ceiling. She couldn't look at Peggy anymore. She had seen the sorrow in Peggy's eyes and it was more than she could take. Quietly she asked, "How bad is it?"
Peggy hesitated to tell her the truth.
"Please, Peggy," said Miranda turning her head to look at her. "Please tell me the truth."
Peggy nodded. "He's in surgery right now. They say it doesn't look good. But there's always hope."
Miranda turned her gaze back to the ceiling. The tears started to silently fall down her face. She felt Peggy's warm hand upon her arm trying to comfort her. And that's when Miranda knew that Peggy had done her share of crying already.
Chapter 4
Peggy had some time before her next appointment so she decided to stop in and check on Declan. She always did that. She thought her work would keep her from worrying about him, but it didn't. While she was in session with her patients, all she could think about was checking up on Declan for some sign of improvement, for some sign of consciousness.
When Peggy got to Declan's room, she found Miranda sitting by Declan's side in her wheelchair.
"Hi, Miranda. I'm surprised they let you out of your room to see him."
Miranda looked up at Peggy. "They wouldn't. I told them I had to see him, so they made me sit in this wheelchair and an orderly brought me down."
Peggy saw dullness there in Miranda's eyes that frightened her. Miranda was normally subdued, normally presented an unemotional front, but this was deeper. Miranda felt a sorrow so deep, that she had to keep a tight control over her emotions lest they overwhelmed her.
"I'm glad," said Peggy trying to smile. "They say patients in comas can still hear sometimes. I've been talking to him when I get a chance. I find myself tying to say something, something that will make him sit up and start arguing with me..."
A silence fell over the room. Miranda spoke up and said, "I was sitting here thinking about the time when I fell ill, remember?"
Peggy nodded.
"And Declan used that last piece of cloth to save my life. I told him not to do it, not to waste it on me, but he did anyway. He saved my life. Just like in the accident. I never asked him to save my life. It was a sacrifice I wouldn't have allowed him to make."
"He would have done anything to protect you. That's just the kind of guy he is," said Peggy.
Miranda looked up at Peggy. "What I wouldn't give for a piece of that cloth. It's ironic; Declan spent the past couple of years investigating miraculous phenomena. He's seen miracles happen to so many people. And the one time he needs a miracle, there's nothing. It's not fair, Peggy."
Miranda turned her attention back to Declan. His chest slowly, mechanically, rose and fell; yet he spoke not a word. Peggy crouch down next to Miranda and spoke quietly, "No, it's not fair. Not fair at all. When that phone rang telling me you two had been in an accident, it brought it all back for me, when they called me to tell me that my husband was dead. They may have caught his killer, and they may not have caught the driver who hit you and Declan, and I know it doesn't comfort you that you are okay, but I'm glad you're okay. What's more I know that Declan is glad you're okay."
Miranda turned to look at Peggy and tried to give her a smile, tried to show her that she was grateful for her kind words even if she didn't care that she was okay.
Chapter 5
Miranda and Peggy stood at Declan's gravesite. It was hard to believe that two weeks had gone by since the accident. It was harder to believe that Declan was gone. The two women stood there looking at the casket. All the other mourners had left the cemetery to go to the wake held at the University, but Miranda and Peggy remained.
Peggy finally broke the silence. "You remember that time you were stuck by electricity and you took on that outgoing personality and could play the violin."
Miranda nodded mechanically. "I said some horrible things to Declan."
Peggy shook her head; "I was talking to Declan about you. He was really upset at the thought that you might not want to be his friend anymore. You know what he said to me? He told me he loved you. He cared about you and he just wanted you to be happy."
Tears started to run down Miranda's face. She didn't even try to hide them or wipe them away. She knew that Peggy too shared her grief. Then Miranda surprised Peggy by reaching out and giving her a hug. After Peggy recovered from being startled at this display of emotion from Miranda, she hugged her back. That's when she realized that she herself was crying.
"He loved and cared about you too, Peggy. I just want him back in my life. It's so empty without him."
"I know," said Peggy, her voice full of emotion. "But Declan will always be with us and he's already a part of us. He changed us simply by being our friend. And that part of him will always live on inside of us."
Miranda could only nod at what Peggy had said. Her grief was too elusive to be put into words by her. But she hoped and felt, as deeply as Peggy did, that Declan was out there, somewhere, and at sometime, at some point, they would see him again.