Chapter 2

The hospital called an hour and a half later, and Lina had to drive because Jule was in such a state of shock that she wasn't speaking or even crying anymore, so she certainly wasn't capable of driving. Once they got to the hospital, they walked briskly inside, hand in hand.

"We're here to see Kale and Daniel Brecht." Lina told the receptionist in the Intensive Care Unit.

There were no questions asked; they were taken back right away. The doctor came right out of a room, and Lina caught a glimpse of a figure lying on the bed covered in a white sheet. She knew it was her father, and yet she still couldn't cry.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Grey." He shook both of their hands and then turned his attention to Julie," You're Mrs. Brecht?"

"Yes." Julie had found her voice, but it was weak.

"Ma'am, your son is gonna be ok."

"Oh thank you, God..." Julie sighed and tears of relief fell from her eyes as she squeezed Lina's hand. Lina laid her head on Julie's shoulder and kept thinking,' Ok, Kale is fine... now all he has to do is say Dad is fine too, and then this will be all over... Dad has to be ok... then it's over..."

"He has a dislocated shoulder, a broken leg, some stitches in his face and back, and a fractured elbow, but he's going to make a full recovery."

"Is he in any pain?" Julie asked.

"No. We've given him pain medication, and he's resting comfortably."

Julie paused, letting the good news sink in and preparing herself for what she knew was going to be said," And my husband?"

The doctor didn't respond right away, and Lina took her head off Julie's shoulder and looked at the floor, fighting tears. He was either dead or there was irreversible damage. She didn't know what she preferred; her father to be alive, or for him to be in a never-ending coma or have some sort of brain damage where he wouldn't be able to function on his own. She honestly had no idea what was worse.

Finally, when she just couldn't stand the silence anymore, she looked at the doctor and asked," Dr. Grey... my dad is ok, isn't he?"

He finally responded, but it took him a minute. This was so obviously the part of his job that he hated," I'm sorry... there was nothing we could do."

It was like he had hit them with a ton of bricks.

"Dan's..." Julie stopped as she broke down into tears," Dan..."

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Can we see him?" Lina asked, still unable to cry even as Julie cried hysterically into her shoulder.

"We need to see him." Julie took a deep breath and attempted to calm down, but she couldn't.

"Mrs. Brecht, I don't suggest letting your daughter see him." Dr. Grey told her softly thinking that Lina wouldn't be able to hear. But she did hear, but the fact that he was dead wouldn't register in her brain. Her dad was dead but her emotions wouldn't turn on. She just stared blankly at the floor, and tried to figure out why her mind was so blank. The only thing she could think was that she'd never be able to talk to him again, she'd never hear him call her "Turtlebug" again, that he'd never walk her down the aisle at her wedding, he'd never see her grow up. He was gone, and he was never coming back.

And although she knew all of this, all of the things she would never see or hear again from Daniel, and all the things he'd never get to do, Lina Brecht wouldn't let herself cry.

"Honey? Honey?" Finally she heard Julie's voice and she snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at Julie, but then looked away quickly. She couldn't stand to see her mother cry.

"Hmm?" She asked instinctively as she rested her head against Julie's chest. Julie wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. Lina didn't know if she had embraced Julie for her mother's benefit or for her own.

"I need you to go in with Kale for awhile. I'll be in soon, ok?"

"Ok." Lina nodded, and let go of Julie," I love you."

"I love you too, honey." Julie was stroking her face, and it was the only thing that would comfort her," We're umm... we're gonna get through this, Mom..."

It sounded like both a statement and a question, and Lina wasn't sure exactly which the words actually were.

"We will." Julie agreed as tears fell from her eyes," It's gonna be hard, but we will get through this. You're right. Now go with Kale, ok?"

Lina nodded and Julie kissed her cheek, worry clear on her face. Lina turned and qalked with the nurse to Kale's room, feeling her Mom's concered eyes on her until she had turned the corner out of Julie's sight.

"Mrs. Brecht... I don't suggest letting your daughter see him."

"I'm sorry, there was nothing we could do."

"Mrs. Brecht, I don't suggest..."

The doctor's words played over and over again in her head and they seemed to grow louder and louder as visions of that figure covered in the sheet refused to leave her brain. Lina covered her ears and closed her eyes, her head spinning, as her feet continued to move her forward. When she nurse looked back at her, she made it look like she was just pushing her hair behind her ears.

They got to Kale's door, and the nurse squeezed her hand.

"I am so sorry for your loss, honey. It hurts now, but with everyday, it will get easier."

Lina forced a smile and replied in gratitude," Thank you. I hope so." The nurse's words were nice, but it wasn't what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear that there had been some miracle and that her father was still alive. She didn't want to have to accept that he was gone. She'd never accept it.

She watched the nurse turn and walk down the hallway before opening the door to Kale's hospital room and then going inside.

Kale had his eyes closed; his leg was up in a sling, and encased in a cast, there were stitches covered by white Ace bandages on his face, and his arm was also in a sling. She turned away quickly, not able to take the sight of her brother in so much pain, but then she heard her name spoken soflty.

"Lina..."

She turned back around and tried to smile," Hey Kale."

"What are you doing... all the way over there?" He asked, his voice slightly stronger as he started to wake up from his sedative-induced sleep.

"I don't... I don't know." She replied as she walked forward slowly. She pulled up the doctor's rolling stool that was in the room and sat down beside his bed. She gently grasped his fingers that were sticking out of the end of his cast.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him as she tried to keep her voice calm.

"I need to know what happened..."

"You mean you don't remember?" Lina asked, looking both confused and sympathetic. She wished that she couldn't remember what had happened.

"No... I just remember being in the car with Dad. We were on our way home..."

"That's all you remember?" Lina asked.

"Yeah. How the..." He yawned," How the fuck did I end up in the hospital with a broken leg and two fucked up arms?"

"Well, uh... Mom and I... didn't really get the full story. All we know is that... you and Dad got in an accident."

"Oh my God..." Kale said, looking more terrified than Lina had ever seen him," I remember now... Lina, where's Dad? Where's Dad? Is he ok? He looked so... he looked so dead. Please tell me he's ok..."

Lina knew that it was now her job to tell Kale what had happened.

"Kale..." She gripped his hand a little tighter, and she fought the tears that so desperately wanted to fall," Kale... Dad's... Dad's gone."

Kale's eyes filled with tears, but like Lina, he refused to shed them.

"I..." Kale started, but he stopped, unable to finish.

Before she could stop herself, she had flung her arms around him and she just held him tight, and the tears finally came. She broke down into hysterical sobs, and once she was crying, he began to also.

"Oh my God..." She sobbed hysterically into his shoulder," Why? Why?"

Kale couldn't respond as silent tears fell from his eyes. He held his sister while she cried uncontrollably, and they both just sobbed until they couldn't cry anymore.