Title: Green light for Good, Red Light for Ruin
Author: Turnipchick
Summary: Pre-series, the Eppes family head out for the beach, instead of sand and sea they find their worlds are turned upside-down, because of one careless lorry driver.
A/N: Apologies for the short chapters, I will try to update regularly to compensate.
:) R&R Please! I'm a new author and I need your help to get better! :P
It was summer, and finally the family Eppes was together, at home. With both Charlie and Don on vacation from college, Alan and Margaret were determined to do something as a family.
" Come on," Alan shouted up the stairs, "and bring a towel, we're going to the beach"
Cries of "Aw, Dad" came from both sons. Don, now supposedly a grown man at age 20, was much to old for the beach, and Charlie, with his newly broken voice, felt like he had to rebel against everything that wasn't Math.
Eventually they all bundled into the car, but only once they'd packed baseball stuff for Don, and convinced Charlie that he could do equations on the sand, and set off for the half hour journey. They'd been driving for about 10 minutes when they came up to a junction, they waited, Charlie trying to explain to Don his latest ideas, oblivious to the fact that Don had headphones in, and wasn't hearing a word he was saying. Finally, Green Light. Don still listening to music, Charlie still attempting to explain his math, Alan still driving, Margaret still discussing their plans for the rest of the summer. A lorry driver still driving, still driving, right through a red light and straight into the Eppes' car. There were no screams, no tears before the impact, no time, not even a second to comprehend what was going on. The Lorry hit the left of the car, closer to the back; Alan and especially Charlie took most of the force.
Then, for everyone involved - Darkness.
Don woke first, with a killer headache, he checked himself over, he was pretty much Ok, but his arm was definitely broken, and his head was bleeding. Suddenly what had happened hit him, and he took a sharp breath, before looking around him and reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. He undid his seatbelt to try and get a better look at his family as Margaret Eppes began to wake from her lorry-induced slumber.
"Mom" said Don his voice hoarse.
"Oh God Donny..." She said as she turned to look at him reaching out to his blood covered forehead.
"Are you alright?" asked Don, nervously looking at his bruised Mother.
"Yes, I think... maybe my ankle, but your head Donny..."
"No mom," said Don pulling away from her touch "Dad, and Charlie" They both turned, first to Alan, who did not look good, The whole left side of the car was pretty much crushed, and Alan's legs with it. At this Dons Mother started to cry, and Don turned back to his cell phone.
"Damn! No battery" shouted Don, angry at his own stupidity. "Mom, you have yours?"
"No, but Charlie..." They looked at the 14 year old at the mention of his name.
"Oh... Charlie" whispered Margaret at the sight of her son's broken body. Charlie was a bloody mess, his hair matted with blood, his small body caught inside the twisted frame of the car.
"Donny...is he..." Don cut her off
"He's breathing mom, he's alive" he left out the 'barely' for his mother's sake. He took a deep breath "Where's his cell mom?" and turned to his mother, tears streaming down her face.
"In his pocket I should think."
Don closed his eyes, looking at the broken wreck of his brother was just too much. He opened them to a slit and concentrated on getting his brother's cell. He remembered Charlie calling him to say he'd finally been allowed to get one. Don had had no idea what he would use it for, the only people he'd call was mom or dad, or him he supposed.
Finally after extracting some pens he found the solid plastic casing of the phone. Suddenly a wave of dizziness hit him and he instinctively passed the phone to Margaret.
"I think you better call, mom... I feel like I'm gonna..." and then the darkness took him once again.