Chapter 28

Be Careful What you Wish for

Amy waited at the scene as she waited for the ambulance to come while alone in the car with Emma. After the accident, the car that hit them left the scene. She searched for her phone for someone to call and she decided to call Sean. Sean was still talking to Jay against the wall at the club when he heard his cell phone vibrate. He pulled it out and saw it was a call from Amy, "Jay sorry let me get this."

Sean went to his feet and stepped forward for some privacy, "Amy?"

"Sean, it's me. I um need help."

"What is it this time?"

"It's Emma." Sean's expression softened but it didn't sound so calm and it didn't take him long to realize she was in danger but his thoughts were interrupted by Amy's cries, "We got t-boned leaving the club, we're almost home and she's not exactly awake. There's blood all over her I'm scared. She's like not moving, and I keep touching her shoulder and talking to her and like she won't wake up. I'm seriously fucking scared. If they catch me I can go to juvie for being drunk. Hell knows I need a wake-up call but -"

"I'll be there." That is all he said and Amy grimaced and looked at Emma.

"Please hurry!"

He hung up his flip phone and turned to Jay, "We gotta go."

Jay was still against the wall with his head in hands, he wasn't listening to the phone call but he knew Sean was talking to someone on the phone, he slurred out loud, "What's going on?"

"Amy's car was hit and Emma was inside. She's okay, but time is running out for Emma. We gotta split like now." Sean was smart, he had only one drink that night - a beer. He wanted to make sure his friends were taken care of and he's not a big drinker given his family history of substance abuse. He got into Jay's car and they raced to the scene. Fortunately, they beat the ambulance to the scene. He asked Amy, "Are you okay?"

"I'm a little sore, the car just drove away right after."

Jay stood outside the passenger side door and saw Emma, his heart sank seeing her in the condition she was in. He opened the car door and her limp almost lifeless body fell onto him, "Emma." he whispered, "hold on they're gonna come for you. Just hold on a little longer." Emma stirred a bit, it was obvious she was suffering severely. She reached upward for his hand and he reluctantly held it, "I'll ride to the hospital with you." He called over to Amy, "Amy she's waking up."

"Oh my god keep talking to her, when the ambulance comes Sean and I will talk to them," Amy looked in the mirror and made sure she didn't look wasted. Sean reached in his pocket and took out some minty gum and passed it to Amy. She smiled and told him, "thanks."

Jay turned his attention back to Emma. He ran his fingers through her hair and held her, "You're okay, I'm here."

She didn't really form words. She just looked up at him silently. He knew this was really bad but he tried to remain calm, "I know you're probably scared and it's okay to be. If it's any consolation I am too."

She tried to say something but then her little words she was about to say were drowned out by the whirring of the ambulance sirens. That's when everything changed and the night became a blur. It all happened too fast. Amy emerged from her side of the car and talked to the driver. Jay could see them looking over every few seconds as he knelt at Emma's side.

Finally, they came over with a stretcher and asked him, "Are you coming with me?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

They silently loaded her onto the stretcher and Jay followed them into the back of the van, Jay knew it was no time to joke but that's when she started to panic seeing the white lights of the van, "What's going on?" She managed to murmur.

Jay observed them hooking her up and checking for her vitals when they heard her speak, they were able to just give her the IV and do what they had to do to help her survive. They looked at her injuries, they murmured inaudible to Jay and he ended up having to wait inside the waiting room. He asked a million questions but got no answers. She has quickly whisked away to another area once they arrived at the hospital. He paced about for a few moments trying to gather what to say, and he realized that in the pocket of his jacket he saw Amy placed her phone in his jacket. He was able to realize her password was her birthday and get into text Manny. When she didn't answer right away he called her, "Manny it's Jay."

"Jay?" She asked groggily, "it's two in the morning and Emma hasn't come home. Are you with her?"

Jay was dreading this phone call because he knew for sure her parents were going to be there, he'll probably get yelled at or blamed for this in some way in his twisted mind but never in his wildest dreams would he ever want her in harm's way. He wasn't angry but he was somehow sobered up by the circumstances he didn't know how to put it but he finally spoke, "She's in the hospital, it's bad."

"What happened?" she sat up in her bed wide-eyed, "Oh my god, tell me everything, I'm worried sick!" She had his undivided attention.

"A lot of shit, I'm sure you've heard all about.

"She dipped out of student council and skipped the rest of the meeting and never came home. Her parents are livid at her for that. They were talking about possibly attempting this intervention shit but I called off the dogs on that. I think she's just - it doesn't matter. What's going on? I know literally zilch nada."

"I saw her tonight, she was with Amy, they went out together to this bar and - it doesn't matter. What she does is she needs her family to know she's at Bartley Valley hospital and she's been in a really bad accident. Cars absolutely fucked from a mechanical standpoint and the driver who hit them dipped out before anyone got here to help out."

"Amy? What the fuck? She's a bad influence. How could you let this happen?"

"I didn't know they were friends!" He cut her off, "With all due respect Manny, I kept her when we were hanging out away from her but she managed to find her somehow I don't fucking know. What I do know is Emma is in trouble. She might not make it. I've been asking staff and they haven't," Jay was freaking out and close to tears, "I'm really scared and I thought you should know that she's here."

Manny sighed, "We'll be there in a few. I gotta wake up Emma's parents and let them know about it. Do me a favor and stay there!."

"I won't be going anywhere," Sean was at the vending machine, he got he and Jay a Hershey bar and walked back over to him in the waiting room, "Why do you look like that?"

Jay asked rhetorically, removing his baseball cap and combing back his hand on his head with frustration through his hair, "How are you thinking about your stomach at a time like this?"

"What is there to do?" Sean muttered as he passed Jay another bar. He held it in his hands and sighed. Sean took a bite and then instructed Jay, "eat."

Jay was hungrier than he had realized and took a bite, he chewed and then swallowed a bite then he told Sean, "I called Manny."

"What? She's gonna bring Christine and Archie into this. I don't want you to panic."

"Wait a second, what? I mean Christine's fine but Archie? I don't know if it's the whole reason I fucked it all up with Emma."

"What are you talking about?" Sean asked laughing and then he got serious, "I'm listening."

"Emma had me over to meet her family and it didn't exactly go as planned. Dinner was fine, Her mom asked me the usual stuff like work, school plans and I was fine or so I thought. Like she's seemingly fine with me Snake's dead quiet the whole time. I looked over a few times between bites and conversation to see his expression, but it was like he saw through me and hated everything I said and stood for. Anyway, dinner ends. Fast forward, Emma, Christine, and Manny went to go in the kitchen to clean up and set up dessert after and it was weird. The whole thing changed and he was quiet all dinner long and then you know he really dove into me. He said some awful shit and that I should break up with her before I cause her any shit. It was never something I planned on but the more he talked and the more time I spent by myself that night I thought what choice do I have? He'll never like me as a guy. For her, it doesn't matter if I get successful with cars or not. It's like I'm less than like I feel like I'm nothing and nobody special and Emma's sooner or later gonna see it too."

"I've had my fair share of never feeling good enough, it's a confidence thing man." Sean told him pretty honestly, "you just gotta believe in yourself because you're only gonna piss away everything, even things that could potentially make you happy."

Jay didn't say much after that and Sean continued, "Are you okay?"

"How do you think I feel?"

"I don't know."

"Like shit, worried, freaking the fuck out about seeing her parents here."

"Jay, I'm worried too but we have to think positive for Emma's sake and -"

"Why are you being so nice to me? You sound like a therapist, Emma did mention you were seeing someone."

"Look, man, life's short I told you back there at The Dot. It's too precious to piss away friendships for no reason and beat yourself up over something that'll be a blip later when we're both at our class reunion as friends. If life's taught me anything it's that it's a gift. Not everyone is as lucky and I'm grateful for everything and every moment I spent with Emma. Don't make the same mistakes I did with her, treat her right this time, and maybe just maybe if the fates do their thing you'll have another chance with her. You have my blessing just spare me and don't give me the details. I want to be friends."

Jay paused for a moment and replied back "I want to be friends too, dude."

"So now we're gonna chill, we're gonna sit down and wait until we hear anything new? You hear me?"

Jay was lost in thoughts, what if Emma doesn't make it? What if the last moments were the last moments they had together? What if something horrible happens? What if he loses her forever? He simply nodded his head and threw himself onto the seat where they sat until Spike and Snake got to the hospital with Manny.

They ended up coming and Manny hugged both Sean and Jay. She was dressed down, not her usual glammed-up self with no makeup and her hair was up. Spike and Snake looked like wrecks and were showing their age. Snake walked away to find coffee and probably in an effort to get away from Jay. Christine was mostly just concerned she had been crying. She was shaking like a leaf when she pulled away from Sean's hug, "What exactly happened guys?"

Manny sat between the family and Sean and Jay when everyone sat down.

Jay didn't say a word, he simply mumbled quietly, "I just want her to be okay."

"We all do, Jay." Manny patted him on the back hoping to soothe him a bit, "I don't want to lose my best friend."

"We're not gonna lose her." Sean muttered in response. "She fights hard."

Sean leaned over and told Christine, "I just don't know why she was with Amy."

"Who is Amy?" Christine asked, "like when she got hurt?"

Sean awkwardly admitted, "My ex after her and anyway yeah she was in the car with Amy and they were hit and Amy wasn't exactly completely 100% sober so she's probably screwed. She called us about Emma and the ambulance so she's not a completely terrible person. She just gets mixed up in the wrong shit but I think Emma has gravitated toward her. I don't even know how they could've been friends."

"They're not friends." Jay muttered back, "you can't trust the girl as far as you can throw her. Words can't describe how angry I am for Amy putting her in harm's way."

"I think you did that all by yourself." Snake muttered with coffee and gave everyone a coffee, even Jay, "hope you guys like it black I couldn't find the cream."

Everyone shyly told him thank you.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jay stood up. Sean looked on unsure of what to do.

"Well, you should know ever since you two started going together -

They were interrupted by a doctor and nurse who came into the room and walked up to them, "Who is here for Emma Nelson?"

"We are," Christine frantically raised her hand, "is she awake?"

"She woke up, yes. We are asking two visitors at a time family first." Jay knew they were going to say that and he was prepared for this but nothing prepared him for what was going to happen after the fact, once he was going to see her, or if he was going to see her. "There is a bit of a snag, we need to see how her memories are intact. She had a major head injury, she is stable she was asking for one person, in particular, a guy named Sean."

"That's me." Sean stepped forward bashfully, "why would she want to talk to me?"

The doctors uncomfortably shrugged, "You guys can head in with the patient. Mom, dad and Sean."

Sean looked back at Jay who was crestfallen from her first words being Sean of all people. Manny looked awkwardly at Jay and sat down on the brown uncomfortable waiting room chairs and held her head in her hands tiredly. Jay sat a seat away from her and let out a sigh as he watched the door close behind them.

"Mom?" Emma beamed softly as Christine was the first in the room with Archie not so far behind her, "Hi Mr. Simpson, what are you doing here?" Sean stayed back to give just her parents some time especially with the second thing she spoke he realized the severity of the situation more than likely before her parents did.

"It's Archie, Snake, you know family."

"Okay?" She ran her hands through her hair and noticed a bandage, and then looked over in the corner, her eyes sort of danced with excitement when she saw Sean, "Sean! I don't know where I am but I'm so glad to see you."

He offered her a smile but looked to Archie uncomfortably.

"What year does she think this is?" Sean muttered softly to Archie while she gabbed to her mom about things and her mom asked her some things. Everything lighthearted and calm. She just explained she had an accident. Emma wasn't mentally damaged as far as not a vegetable or mentally handicapped by far but her memory was affected in the accident but they didn't want to psych her out just yet. Archie had this horrified look on his face as he quietly sipped his coffee.

She patted the side of the bed and looked back over to Sean, "Would you come over to sit with me? I need to talk to you about something."

Her parents went to go talk to the nurse who was at the door looking on and also to give them time to talk.

"I wanted to apologize for what happened and I miss you."

"Apologize for what exactly?" Sean asked her softly.

"When I was like a bitch to you last year."

"What year do you think it is Emma?"

"2002, duh." Sean's eyes widened, "You look different though your hair is long. You look like you've got a growth spurt and like . . . you look really really good. Can I touch your hair?"

He reluctantly nodded and she reached over and touched his hair softly and a smile formed as she beamed from ear to ear, she opened her mouth to talk and Sean told her, "I don't want to alarm you but that was a really long time ago."

She sounded like someone killed her dog, "What do you mean? I don't know what's happening but I know we never had a chance to do something I've always wanted to do."

"So much has happened since then. I - we - you and -"

Emma leaned over to him, "I've always wanted to kiss you."

"Emma!" He pulled away, "I need to tell you something/

"Is it someone else?"

"No nothing like that, I'm just ugh Emma we're not thirteen anymore."

"Of course I am." She furrowed her brow, "We have MI and Kwan together at school, um you and I haven't spoken in almost a year.."

"Actually we do have English together but I literally saw you yesterday," he softly laughed out loud, "but that's beside the point. You and I had a life together and we kissed and it was special. We got to have a chance to be together and of course I screwed it up like I always do."

"What happened? Is this real?"

"I don't know if it's my place to tell you this," Sean was at a loss of what to do. He blinked back tears of sadness of frustration as he picked his words carefully, "Just know I care about you more than you'll ever know or understand. And yes I want to kiss you but I just can't not like this."

"Well, this hospital gown isn't ideal I know. Can you at least hold my hand?"

"I can do that," Sean told her as she reached over with her good hand the one not covered in IVs and medical tape. She wouldn't take her eyes off him, as she just beamed at him. She didn't remember anything. Behind them was a heartbreak one that took Emma a year to reason with, she knew she was nearly a goner so she saw Sean and wanted to make a point to make things right with him for whatever was going through her head.

"Why did Mr. Simpson come, I mean I know he's been over the house a lot but I don't know if it's love you know like I know with you." And then chuckled out loud and put her face in her hands embarrassed, "I can't believe I just really said that."

Sean softly smiled, but he knew not to fall in too deep with someone who was a memory. She bit her lip softly, as she recovered, "Does Manny know I'm here?"

He nodded, "She's in the waiting room."

Sean understood that right in the present moment Emma believes the year is 2002. She is perplexed by the fact that Snake wasn't really in the picture yet in regards to family and she was confused by that. She is still hopelessly into him, even albeit in love with him. These were the facts at the time and it wasn't pretty.

"Sean, why are you looking so sad? I'm awake. I have a little soreness and my head kind of hurts." Emma caressed his cheek making it hard for Sean to hold back. It's as if she doesn't believe that there's something seriously wrong she thinks it's a lifetime ago. Which is a blessing in disguise after all Sean wished that Emma simply would forget about Jay and she has, Emma wished for things to be so simple and they kind of are she had literally forgotten about the shooting, how traumatized she was after the shooting and lastly about the source of her recent heartbreak - Jay himself. "I'm okay and I'm going to make a good recovery you'll see."

"Okay." Sean faked a smile and got up to be courteous to the time constraint, "I'm going to have Manny come in right now, okay? Take care." He kissed her forehead softly and walked away.