"The Neighbors"

Rated M for Mature Content.

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Chapter 25: Emily, Please Help Me

Ryan makes some calls and gets the information they need. He also asks Mark not to say anything so they can surprise Josh and Maya. He agrees. Mrs. Fields gladly lets them use her car. They pack it up and off they go to save Maya…

Emily and Ryan drive as quickly as possible to the cabin but when they finally do arrive they see no signs of Josh and Maya or any traces of them having been there…

Hours earlier…

While asleep, Maya shifts in her seat dislodging the phone from her pocket. It slides down the seat falling to the floor behind her. Josh hears it and his curiosity gets the better of him. He peers behind Maya's seat and sees the phone. All kinds of thoughts fill his head. He knows her cell was destroyed so he has to know whose phone it is and who she's been talking to. He can't wait 'til they get to the cabin; he needs to know right now so he reaches behind Maya's seat feeling the floor for the phone. He takes a quick look away from the road to see where it landed. It's just out of his reach because his seat belt is preventing him from extending himself far enough to grab it. He undoes the belt freeing his body to grab the phone. He reaches through his fingertips looking behind the seat again and sees that it is just within his grasp. He has it but it's too late! The car swerves off the highway surface onto the dirt. He brakes but they're going too fast! Even with his foot pressing the brake pedal to the floor, they aren't stopping. He's losing control of the vehicle! There's nowhere for them to go! Maya is startled awake by the uneven terrain their car is speeding over. She screams Josh's name, she throws her arms over her face hiding her view of the trees they are destined to hit! There's nothing they can do! There's nothing they can do!

The crash is deafening but it doesn't matter. There's no one around to hear metal crunching or the screams penetrating the atmosphere…

Josh's unseat belted body is dislodged from the vehicle when it slams into the tree. Maya is forced back into her seat when the airbag deploys. The seat belt keeps her body in place but her head goes forward and back giving her whiplash. She tries to stay alert but the trauma to her body is too much as she struggles to keep herself from falling deeper and deeper into complete darkness and then her struggle finally ends with her losing consciousness…

Hours later…

Hours have passed when Maya slowly awakens in the middle of this horrific scene. Tears stream down her face as she tries to find the cell phone in her pocket but it's not there. She tries to release her seatbelt but she can't, it won't let go of her. She moves her head slowly looking for the phone calling out to Josh but he doesn't answer. She feels between her seat and the console. She feels between Josh's seat and the console. She touches something. It's definitely a phone. It's wedged next to the driver's seat. With every ounce of strength she has, she wraps her hand around it pulling it once, twice and finally on the third try it comes free! Feeling her body and mind about to lose consciousness again, she calls the one person whose voice she needs to hear before she slips away…

Meanwhile at the Cabin…

Emily bursts into the cabin calling out,

"Maya! Maya! Are you okay? Maya, where are you?"

"Emily, they're not here. It doesn't even look like they were ever here. What's going on?" Ryan wonders out loud.

"They should've gotten here before us. Ryan, they should be here," she says as panic begins to set in.

Emily's breathing increases when her cell phone starts to ring. It's the same number Maya called her from before…

"Maya! Thank god. Where are you?"

In a very soft voice she hears, "Help me. Emily. Please. Help me…"

"Maya! What happened! Maya! I'm here. I'm going to help you just tell me where you are!"

But instead of her voice, she hears sirens in the background.

She hears voices shouting.

She hears, "We've got to get them out of there now!"

Emily yells into the phone, "Hello! Can anybody hear me? Please someone!"

A voice responds from Maya's phone, "Who is this?"

"Oh my god! Is she okay? Please let her be okay!" Emily cries.

"There was an accident and we need to get them to the hospital as soon as possible."

"Accident? Hospital? What hospital? Please what hospital?" Emily pleads.

"Northeast General. Ma'am, do you know these people?"

"Yes. It's Josh and Maya Grayson. Maya is pregnant. Is she going to be okay? Is her baby going to be okay?" Emily cries.

"She was wearing her seatbelt. He wasn't. We need to help them right now. We need to get her to the hospital and check her and her baby's vitals. Thank you for that information."

And then they're gone.

"Hello! Hello! Is Maya going to be okay! Dammit! Tell me!"

Ryan takes the phone from Emily as she falls into his arms crying hysterically. He tries to calm her down so he can find out what's going on. Finally she is able to look at him.

She tries to stop herself from hyperventilating as the words stagger from her mouth, "Ry - an, we ha - ve to g - get to N - Northeast G - General. We ha – ve to h – hurry!"

Ryan doesn't ask any questions. He can see the pain in his wife's eyes, "I'll get us there. Don't worry, I'll get us there."

With that Emily nods her head knowing that he will do just as he said he would. Ryan helps her into the car, sets up the navigation and heads to the hospital…

Northeast General…

Ryan barely has the car parked before Emily opens the door running to the Emergency Room door. She crashes through it gasping for breath demanding to know where Maya is. Ryan runs in after her taking over before Emily gets even more emotional.

"Hi, our friends were brought here. There was a car accident. Maya and Josh Grayson. Can you tell us anything? We're very worried as you can see," Ryan politely asks the nurse.

"Yes, I see that your friends are in ICU at the moment," the nurse confirms their arrival.

"Is there any way we can see them?" Ryan asks hopefully.

"No, I'm sorry. ICU is a very sterile environment. But I will ask the doctor to speak to you when he's available."

"That would be great thank you so much."

"You can wait over there. We have a cafeteria if you need something to eat or drink while you wait," the nurse offers sympathetically.

Ryan and Emily smile politely as they sit and wait for any news good or bad.

"Emily, she's going to be okay and so is her baby."

"How do you know that Ryan?"

"I don't know that, but for Maya's sake we need to think positively. She needs us to do that for her."

"You're right. Oh god, how did this happen?"

"That's a good question. That's a really good question..."

Several hours later…

Emily has finally fallen asleep on the couch when the doctor walks over to speak with them. Ryan stands up to talk to the doctor away from Emily so she can catch up on some much needed sleep.

"I'm Dr. Beckett," he extends his hand to Ryan.

"I'm Ryan Sullivan."

"Mr. Sullivan, you know Maya and Josh Grayson?"

"I do. They are our friends and next door neighbors. We were going to meet upstate at our other friend's cabin. My wife Emily and I got there first which surprised us since they got a head start and then we got this panicked phone call from Maya before she fell unconscious."

"They're lucky to be alive."

"They're alive!"

Emily hears the commotion and wakes up. She sees Ryan talking to a doctor. She hurries over to them,

"Is she going to make it?"

"Yes."

"Honey, isn't that great news!"

They hug each other so happy to hear she is okay.

"Doctor, what is it? What aren't you telling us?" Emily demands.

Ryan holds Emily back but she wiggles herself free of his grip.

"They are both alive. Maya had her seat belt on. Her prognosis appears much better. Josh on the other hand was thrown through the windshield. He suffers from broken bones and trauma to his head. We're monitoring him closely. We'll know more when he wakes up."

"And the baby?"

"Mrs. Grayson is also being monitored. And we will have a clearer idea of the baby's situation once the swelling around her abdomen is reduced."

"So you don't know or you won't tell us," Emily pushes.

"We need to be sure. We don't want to give you inaccurate information. It's best if we continue monitoring all of them before we draw any conclusions."

"What if the swelling doesn't go down?"

"Then it complicates matters. We'll have to alleviate the pressure to help her and her baby. But let's not jump ahead. Things like this take time. I would suggest that you eat something so you can be strong for them."

"We will," Ryan agrees.

"I will have you updated as their condition changes."

"Thank you so much doctor."

"Emily, they're alive."

"I know. I just hope they're going to be okay."

"Me too Emily, me too…"

The next morning…

A nurse approaches Emily and Ryan who are both resting on the couches in the waiting area. She taps Emily lightly on the shoulder,

"Mrs. Sullivan? Mrs. Sullivan?"

Emily stirs. She looks up at the nurse as she regains her senses. She catapults into a sitting position.

"Mrs. Sullivan, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yes, umm is there any news?"

"Yes. The doctor asked me to get you."

Emily stands up, "Is, is she…"

"She's fine. And, she's been asking for you. You did say your first name was Emily, right?" the nurse smiles.

"Yes! Please take me to her," Emily is ecstatic.

"She's right through this door," the nurse pushes it open letting Emily walk in. "It's okay. She's in and out of sleep but you can go to her. I'll be right over there at the nurse's station if you need anything."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

The nurse closes the door behind Emily who looks at Maya lying there motionless except for the breaths that she takes making her chest rise and fall slowly. Her eyes are closed and she's breathing on her own. That has to be a good sign Emily hopes. She walks slowly over to her wiping the tears from her eyes. She needs to be strong for her. She has to be strong for her…

She takes her hand in hers. She sits on the side of the bed. She leans over her kissing her lips gently needing her to feel her love. Maya takes a deeper breath. Emily sits up. Maya opens her eyes. She focuses on Emily. Her hand tightens around her as she smiles,

"Hey beautiful."

Emily tries so hard not to cry but she can't help it. The tears roll down her smiling face as she says, "I love you. I don't know what I would've done if I lost you and your baby."

She kisses her lips once more only this time Maya kisses her back. They look longingly into each other's eyes until Maya says,

"Our baby."

A tear trickles down Emily's cheek, "Our baby."

Maya takes her thumb wiping away Emily's tears, "The doctor said there was a car accident."

"Yeah, Josh was driving."

"He said Josh is still in intensive care."

"Did he say how he's doing?"

"Not really and he didn't really say anything about our baby either."

"They're monitoring both you and your, our baby. They needed the swelling around your abdomen to go down. It must have since they let me see you."

"Emily, she has to be okay. She just has to be!" Maya cries tears of worry.

Emily hovers over her, hugging her, doing her best to comfort her.

"If she's as resilient as her mom then you have nothing to worry about."

Emily sits up looking into Maya's eyes with a love that cannot be denied.

"You're right. She's a fighter. I just know it," she says placing her hand over her belly.

Emily places her hand over Maya's. Their love for each other surrounding their baby, keeping her safe, healing her, making her strong…

Later on that day…

"Mr. Sullivan, Ryan, your wife is with Maya Grayson."

"Is everything okay?"

"Only time will tell. But I need to speak with Mrs. Grayson alone. Can you come with me and get your wife?"

"Sure."

Ryan walks with the doctor nervously as he does not know what he intends to tell Maya about her baby. He just knows he needs to be there for Emily.

The doctor enters her room leaving Ryan to wait in the hall, "Mrs. Grayson."

"Call me Maya, please."

"I need to speak to you and I think it would be wise to have Mrs. Sullivan wait with her husband. He's standing right outside the door."

Maya grabs Emily, "No, I want her here. I need her here. Please doctor, I want her to stay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Maya, you had quite the traumatic experience and so has your body. We're doing everything we can to bring you back to health but it takes time to do that."

"Doctor, I feel fine. What about our baby?"

"Mrs. Grayson, Maya, your baby…"

A nurse brushes quickly passed Ryan pushing open Maya's door interrupting the doctor before he can finish,

"Dr. Beckett, Code Blue! It's Mr. Grayson!"

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To Be Continued…

I had this chapter constructed before the horrible news surrounding the tragic loss of Paul Walker. I couldn't release it at that time. It didn't feel right. I hope you can understand why I felt the need to wait…