Hello:) Here is chapter 4! I really think you are going to like this chapter (or I hope you do anyways) This chapter is longer than the other chapters and maybe a little more confusing. When I read it, it makes perfect sense to me, but if you get lost or have any questions feel free to ask:) I also know that both Derek and Casey are both OCC in this story, but they aren't supposed to be. This is fiction, so please don't burn me for changing them up a little! Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. This story is somehow special to me. I have no idea why, but it makes me feel like a proud parent when somebody reviews on it. I know you're thinking this girl is a total loser, but oh well:) Thanks for listening to me drone on...:))
Disclaimer: I do not own LWD, but Michael Seater is all mine! Muahahahahaha! ;D
The rest of the phone calls were pretty much the same as the first call to Uncle Matt. Everyone said "What? Derek are you sure?" "Derek quite messing around" "Do you need me to come down to your house?" "How could this have happened" and more that I can't even remember. After about the fifth call they all started blurring together.
I called my mom right after my uncle. I wasn't going to call her at first because I was sure she really didn't care, but I did anyways. She was upset, but not the way a true mother should be. She cried, but kept it composed like always, never showing emotion. She said she might make it down for the funeral, she "wasn't sure yet." After talking to her I was happy that I never had to see her again.
Casey checked on Lizzie and set the time for us to go and confirm the bodies, to confirm our family. It was set for us to be back at the hospital around four-forty-five. Right now its three-fifty-seven and I am dreading every minute until we have to go back to the hospital. I don't want to go.
I would suggest for Casey to go by herself, but I know deep down that she wouldn't even be able to walk through the doors without me by her side. So there is no choice. I have to go with her.
We finished picking up the house, not daring to go into my dad and Nora's room, Edwin's, or Marti's. I could barely walk past their doors without having a tear escape my eye. Lizzie's room was now picked up, and so was the living room. Casey called her side of the family, with a little help from me every once in a while when she wasn't able to get the words out. Now Casey and I sat in the living room waiting for when we would have to leave.
Now the clock read 4:00pm and Casey started to get up.
"I told Lizzie we would go back to her room before we went to… our appointment." She said with slight hesitation.
"Oh, ok. Well then I guess we should go ahead and go." I said as I got out of my chair, walked to the coat rack, and grabbed my leather jacket. My keys were in the pocket and I jingled them around.
We stood at the doorway for a few minutes just looking at each other in silence until she broke it.
"Derek, are you scared?" she asked in such a quite whisper I barely heard her.
"Yes. I'm terrified." I said trying to stay strong for her.
"Me too."
With that I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and hugged her. It took her a while to respond; probably thinking Why is Derek hugging me? This is not like Derek, but she finally reacted and hugged me back.
After we pulled apart, she grabbed my hand and we walked out the door.
I know that I, The Derek Venturi, is not usually the touchy-touchy kind of guy, especially with Casey, but this was different. We need each other. The only other person we have besides ourselves is Lizzie, and we need to be here for each other. I have to become the man of the house now and keep everything together. I need to keep Casey together. If she breaks down on me, then that might be my breaking point. I can't do this by myself.
We got in the car and started driving to the hospital. We pulled up into the parking lot and I had to circle around a couple of times before I found a close enough parking space to where we didn't have to walk very far. As we got out I felt my stomach drop and I felt like I was going to heave up that little bit of sandwich I had at lunch. I looked over at Casey and she had lost the little bit of color that splashed her face and she paled in a horrible way. She didn't move. She stood right beside the door of the car and didn't as much as blink. I walked over and stood in front of her.
"Case?"
"What Derek?"
"Are we going to go see Liz?"
"Oh, yeah. Let's go." she said as she grabbed my hand and practically dragged my behind her.
We made it up to the ICU floor and walked down the hallway that led to Lizzie's room. As we walked pass the room that held the little body all bandaged up in the dark my heart twisted. What I would give for my family members, even if just one of them, to be laying in that bed like that. I would give everything and anything. We walked pass the room and walked into Lizzie's room.
She was laying there in the bed looking out the window with one small tear rolling down her cheek. She was in pain. I'm not sure if it's at all physical, but I know it's emotional. She has been robbed of her childhood. She will never be as happy as she could have been. She might have to grow up fast than she thought. Casey and I have to grow up and take on responsibility that we didn't think we would have to take on until we got a little bit older, but our lives have been thrown for a loop.
"Hey Liz!" Casey said with a big smile on her face. Her acting has improved.
"Hi Casey, Derek." She said dully. She didn't even tare her eyes away from the window.
"Has Dr. Sutton come in and said anything while we were gone?" Casey asked trying to get Lizzie to talk a little more.
"Yeah, he said that I have improved so much that he sees no reason for me to stay longer. I should be able to go home tomorrow." She said with no emotion. She's going to be like this for a while.
She is no longer going to be the funny, always laughing, playing around Lizzie we know. She's been changed by this, and there is no way she can go back. There is no way any of us can go back.
"Oh that's wonderful news! Isn't it Derek?" Casey said turning around to look at me.
"It sure is." I said trying to pull my mouth into a small smile. "We have everything set up at home for you in your room, now we just have to wait till tomorrow."
"I don't want to sleep in my room." Lizzie said indifferently.
"Well where do you want to sleep?" Casey asked looking completely confused. "Do you want to go live with dad?"
"No Casey, I don't want to live with dad. I want to sleep in Edwin's room."
Casey and I just stood there with our jaws hanging open.
"You what?" I asked with a tone that I didn't have control over.
"I want to sleep in Ed's room."
I could feel tears well up in my eyes, and I knew I had to get out of there before I said something that would hurt Lizzie. I ran out of the door and leaned up against the wall. I let the tears fall down my eye as I slowly sunk to the floor. I could hear Casey talking to Lizzie, but it was muffled to where I couldn't make out what she was saying. The next thing I knew Casey was kneeling down beside me.
"What's wrong Derek?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong! Casey, you know what the hell is wrong! She wants to sleep in Ed's room. I haven't even been in there! She can't Casey! I won't let her!" I let all of my anger out and yelled it at her.
She sat there and said nothing as I got up and started to pace. How could Lizzie ask this, demand it? How could I let her sleep in Ed's room? Knowing Casey she probably told her "Why, yes Lizzie. Anything that helps you feel better." I can't believe this is happening! I looked up at the clock on the wall in front of me. 4:41pm. We have to go to the morgue in less than four minutes. Could it get any worse?
"Derek, I know you don't want Lizzie to sleep in Edwin's room, but-"
"It's ok. I guess I can't stop her anyways." I cut her off.
"Are you sure Derek? Because I can try to talk her out of it."
"It's fine Casey. We better be getting to our… appointment." I said changing the subject, even though I was dreading this alternative.
"Oh, yeah, I guess we should. Let me go tell Lizzie we will be back in a little bit." She said as she walked back into Lizzie's room.
I waited outside of the door not wanting to go back and face Lizzie after how I acted. Casey came back out and looked me in the eyes, tears filling up her eyes.
"Are you ready?" she practically whispered.
"No. But we have to get this over sooner or later." I said taking her hand in mine and started to walk down the hall.
As we walked I realized I had become accustomed to grabbing Casey when I felt like I couldn't go on any longer. She calmed me down when I felt like I was slowly being torn apart, and I don't know why. Even though we were about to walk into a room that held the bodies of my deceased family, I felt a little stronger because I had Casey's hand in mine. We are in this together.
The big metal doors of the morgue came into view. I could feel my stomach twist and I felt Casey tense up beside me. I am terrified to death, but I have to do this. We have to confirm the bodies; there is no getting around it.
We walked through the doors and we met a man standing there waiting for us.
"Hello, my name is Christopher Fletcher, you can call me Chris for short. You must be," he said as he flipped through some papers, "Casey McDonald and Derek Venturi?"
"Yes, th-that is us-s-s"
"Yes, then. I am so sorry for you loss. Please come this way." He said as he walked off wanting us to follow.
I felt Casey shudder and looked down at her. Tears filled her eyes and her face had lost all of its color. Her hand grabbed mine a little harder and I answered it by squeezing hers a little more. I hope we make it through this.
Chris stopped in front of a bunch of silver drawers. He pulled out one and pulled back the blanket that covered my dad. My stomach lurched and I felt hot tears start to rapidly run down my face. Casey turned her head into my chest and I pulled her into my arms trying to protect her from the sight of the man laying in front of me.
You could tell he was my father but he was distorted. The whole left side of his body was mangled. Cuts, scars, and black bruises covered his face and shoulder. Flesh on his shoulder was missing and I almost fainted at the sight of him. How could this be my dad? He was suppose to see me off to college next week, come be the proud father at my games when I go pro, watch me as I walked down the aisle with my bride, and watch my children grow up. But now looking down at him it hit me that he would never be able to do anything for me ever again.
I looked down at the top of Casey's head and it looked as if she was trying to burry herself in my chest to hide from all of this. If that were possible I would let her, but we have been thrown out into the water without a paddle. I pulled her closer to me, looked at Chris and nodded my head. He pulled the sheet back over his head and rolled him back into the wall. As he did so I felt a part of my heart go numb with pain. He pulled the handle on the next door and pulled the blanket down. I gasped and Casey peaked out her head from my chest and put her hand over her mouth.
It was Ed. He was barely recognizable. There was a big, red gash that extended from the right side of his face, went diagonally down his face into his neck and chest, and ended on his stomach. There were other cuts that surrounded it and pieces of flesh were nicked off of his chest. I nodded as I let out a sob letting Chris know he was my baby brother laying there.
"The EMT said that he was in the back seat when they found him, but your sister said that he was sitting in the middle row of seats," Chris said, "The doctors and police think that he unbuckled and threw himself over her. That's why he is so banged up. They said that the back window crashed in and the glass went through his chest."
Of course, Ed saved Lizzie. That's how she survived while the others didn't. Does Lizzie know that he saved her? Did she see what happened? I wish she would talk to us about all of this. Me and Casey are just floating out here with no answers besides the ones that the doctors and polices are trying to gather from nothing.
Casey is shaking uncontrollably by this point. I tried to hold her closer to calm her down but she couldn't stop shaking from the sobs that wracked her body. I looked back down at Ed and my heart again felt like it was going numb from the pain I was feeling.
Tears rolled freely down my face as I looked in to the pale, scared face of my baby brother. He always wanted to make me proud, and I don't think I ever gave him enough praise for all of the things he did that made me proud. He wanted to be just like me. He was never going to be able to go to high school and live his life. I was the person he looked up to and I let him down this time. I wasn't there to save him or Marti…
Smarti. It just hit me that I would have to confirm her body too. I won't be able to look at my baby sister laying there; I may lose it right then. She was just six, just barely born and now she is gone.
Chris pulled the sheet back over Ed's face and before he rolled him back in I reached out my hand and rested it on his chest. There was no up and down movement of breathing and I knew there would never be a breath from my brothers lips again. I pulled back my hand and wrapped it around Casey as Chris rolled my baby brother back into the whole in the wall.
Chris reached for another handle and I held my breath. I can't handle it if it's Marti laying on that steal table. He pulled back the sheet and revealed Nora laying there.
Casey pushed me away and she walked up to her mother laying there. She pushed the hair away from Nora's closed eyes and looked up and down at her. Tears rolled off of her face and onto the blanket that covered her mom for the shoulders down. She started to shake and I tried to pull her away, but just as I did she rushed out of the room through the big metal doors.
Nora's body was the least mangled one. The worse thing that I could see was a big cut on her forehead surrounded by a black bruise. There were other cuts and marks, but the one on her forehead over powered those claiming most of her head. Chris looked at me and nodded his head, I nodded back. He pulled the blanket over Nora's head and pushed her back into the wall.
I felt more tears roll down my cheeks as he pushed my stepmother back into the wall. She was the closest thing to a mother I ever had, and I took that for granted. My mom was a terrible mother and Nora always tried to act like the mother figure to me but I just pushed her away. For some reason I could never accept her as my mother. I was probably so messed up from my real mom that I just couldn't accept her. Now I would give anything to have her here so I could tell her she was the best mom I had. But it's too late now.
Casey came back through the doors and ran into my open arms. I pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head. She whipped her tears on my shirt and looked up at me.
"Are you ok Case?"
"Yeah, I'm b-b-better now that my s-stomach is emp-pty."
My face paled and I squeezed Casey tighter. She was starting to make herself physically sick, and there was nothing I could do except try to hold her tighter.
"Are you ok Ms. McDonald?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you." She said as she nodded her head at him.
"Ok. That seems to be all we need here. You will need to provide cloth-"
"Wait. Hold on." I interrupted him. "You haven't showed us all of the bodies."
"Yes I have Mr. Venturi."
"Call me Derek." I said correcting him. "And no you haven't. There are supposed to be four bodies, not three…"
"Well they only extracted four bodies from the vehicle and one of them was your sister that is in ICU."
Casey looked up at me and then we both looked back at him saying in unison, "What?"
Yay! My first cliffhanger! :) I am so proud of this chapter and I hope you really liked it. I was going to do the next two chapters in Lizzie's point of view, but now after I have done this I am going to have to put it off. I'm not sure if I should finish out this delema in Derek's POV or Casey's? Please review or PM me and give me your thoughts on this, because I'm kind of leaning finishing this part in Casey's... Please, if you may, press the cute little review button under this:))
P.s. I am going to try to upload every saturday or so, but maybe if you leave lots of reviews the upload-fairy might help upload sooner;)
