The next morning, Craig could barely eat his breakfast. All he could
think about was the letters he had delivered the day before.
"Something the matter, Craig?" Joey asked. "You seem a little distracted."
"Uh, no, not really. Just, uh, wondering how I did on a pop quiz I took yesterday." He downed the last of his orange juice.
"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm sure you did fine. Come on, you want a ride to school today?"
"Sure, what's the occasion?" Craig asked, as he helped his sister put on her jacket.
"Well, I'm heading in that direction," Joey replied, smiling. "Gonna go visit Caitlin before work."
"Ah I see," Craig replied with a teasing grin. "The two lovebirds finally together and can't get enough of each other, right Ange?" Angela giggled.
"Yeah, yeah, maybe I'll leave you by the side of some road." Joey led them outside to his red car. "Brrr, it sure is cold out today." He rubbed his hands together.
"Yeah, Angie, you better make sure you keep that hat on. You don't want your ears to turn to icicles," Craig said as he strapped her in then sat in the passenger seat.
Joey backed out of the driveway slowly. "It's icy too. I'm gonna hafta drive like my mother."
Craig chuckled as they eased their way onto the main road. The few cars around them were also driving very slowly. Craig noticed a black truck headed towards them from the opposite direction. It was obviously trying to pass the car in front of it and came onto the wrong side of the road, speeding. Without warning, it began to skid on the slick roads.
"Joey watch out!"
Craig's warning was no use. Joey twisted his wheel, trying to avoid the truck but also began to skid.
And the two cars collided.
+++
Ashley sat impatiently in her first period class, staring at the door. It was ten minutes into the period and Craig still wasn't there. She had decided she didn't want to hate him anymore and to talk to him about the letter. But he was nowhere to be found.
After the bell rang, she strolled slowly to the computer lab, keeping an eye out for Craig. When she reached the classroom, a minute late, students were still chatting and standing around. Mr. Simpson wasn't there yet.
"Where's Simpson?" she asked Ellie, taking her seat. Ellie shrugged. "No clue. Hope he's okay." Just then Mr. Simpson came into the room, looking harried. "Okay, sorry I'm late, please take your seats!" He waited until everyone had settled down before starting the lesson. "He looks really freaked out," Ellie whispered to Ashley. "Wonder what's up." Ashley shrugged.
+++
Joey paced the hospital waiting room. He had a small cut on his forehead and his arm was badly bruised but other than that he was okay.
He cursed himself over and over again for not having the passenger side airbag checked. It hadn't deployed when the accident occurred and Craig's head had apparently slammed into the dashboard. Tears filled his eyes when he thought of Angela. The car seat had broken when the car behind them had been unable to stop and collided with them as well. He had been horrified to discover her small limp body on the floor of the backseat. The worst part was that the doctors didn't appear to be sure of anything right now.
"Joey!"
Joey turned to see Caitlin hurrying through the emergency room doors. He had called her when he reached the hospital, then Snake, unsure of who else to call.
They embraced when she reached him. "What's going on? How are they?"
"They don't know anything yet."
"Come on, sit down then. You should rest." She led him over to a chair, holding his hand tightly.
"I can't even think about resting, when they're." Joey trailed off. "God if only I would have noticed that truck earlier."
Caitlin rubbed his arm comfortingly. "There's nothing you could have don't differently. You told me that truck was driving dangerously under such bad conditions. It's not your fault. I don't want to hear you blaming yourself, got it?"
Joey just sighed.
After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor came through the swinging doors and headed towards them. Joey and Caitlin both sprang to their feet.
"How are they?" Joey asked breathlessly. "A-Angela and Craig. Are they okay?"
The doctor held up a hand. "Just calm down, Mr. Jeremiah. Everything's going to be better if we just take a breath. Why don't we have a seat? " He cleared his throat as they all sat down, Joey and Caitlin across from the doctor. "Okay, well, Craig has a concussion and he's still unconscious. Fortunately, we believe that he will recover just fine. We'll still have to run some tests once he wakes up, however."
Joey smiled slightly at Caitlin in relief. "Okay, and what about Angie?" His heart stopped when he saw the expression on the doctor's face. "Oh God."
"Angela suffered some more serious head trauma. It was especially worse because she's so young." The doctor paused to take a deep breath. "She's in a coma, Mr. Jeremiah. I'm terribly sorry."
Joey felt the world drop out from underneath him.
"Something the matter, Craig?" Joey asked. "You seem a little distracted."
"Uh, no, not really. Just, uh, wondering how I did on a pop quiz I took yesterday." He downed the last of his orange juice.
"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm sure you did fine. Come on, you want a ride to school today?"
"Sure, what's the occasion?" Craig asked, as he helped his sister put on her jacket.
"Well, I'm heading in that direction," Joey replied, smiling. "Gonna go visit Caitlin before work."
"Ah I see," Craig replied with a teasing grin. "The two lovebirds finally together and can't get enough of each other, right Ange?" Angela giggled.
"Yeah, yeah, maybe I'll leave you by the side of some road." Joey led them outside to his red car. "Brrr, it sure is cold out today." He rubbed his hands together.
"Yeah, Angie, you better make sure you keep that hat on. You don't want your ears to turn to icicles," Craig said as he strapped her in then sat in the passenger seat.
Joey backed out of the driveway slowly. "It's icy too. I'm gonna hafta drive like my mother."
Craig chuckled as they eased their way onto the main road. The few cars around them were also driving very slowly. Craig noticed a black truck headed towards them from the opposite direction. It was obviously trying to pass the car in front of it and came onto the wrong side of the road, speeding. Without warning, it began to skid on the slick roads.
"Joey watch out!"
Craig's warning was no use. Joey twisted his wheel, trying to avoid the truck but also began to skid.
And the two cars collided.
+++
Ashley sat impatiently in her first period class, staring at the door. It was ten minutes into the period and Craig still wasn't there. She had decided she didn't want to hate him anymore and to talk to him about the letter. But he was nowhere to be found.
After the bell rang, she strolled slowly to the computer lab, keeping an eye out for Craig. When she reached the classroom, a minute late, students were still chatting and standing around. Mr. Simpson wasn't there yet.
"Where's Simpson?" she asked Ellie, taking her seat. Ellie shrugged. "No clue. Hope he's okay." Just then Mr. Simpson came into the room, looking harried. "Okay, sorry I'm late, please take your seats!" He waited until everyone had settled down before starting the lesson. "He looks really freaked out," Ellie whispered to Ashley. "Wonder what's up." Ashley shrugged.
+++
Joey paced the hospital waiting room. He had a small cut on his forehead and his arm was badly bruised but other than that he was okay.
He cursed himself over and over again for not having the passenger side airbag checked. It hadn't deployed when the accident occurred and Craig's head had apparently slammed into the dashboard. Tears filled his eyes when he thought of Angela. The car seat had broken when the car behind them had been unable to stop and collided with them as well. He had been horrified to discover her small limp body on the floor of the backseat. The worst part was that the doctors didn't appear to be sure of anything right now.
"Joey!"
Joey turned to see Caitlin hurrying through the emergency room doors. He had called her when he reached the hospital, then Snake, unsure of who else to call.
They embraced when she reached him. "What's going on? How are they?"
"They don't know anything yet."
"Come on, sit down then. You should rest." She led him over to a chair, holding his hand tightly.
"I can't even think about resting, when they're." Joey trailed off. "God if only I would have noticed that truck earlier."
Caitlin rubbed his arm comfortingly. "There's nothing you could have don't differently. You told me that truck was driving dangerously under such bad conditions. It's not your fault. I don't want to hear you blaming yourself, got it?"
Joey just sighed.
After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor came through the swinging doors and headed towards them. Joey and Caitlin both sprang to their feet.
"How are they?" Joey asked breathlessly. "A-Angela and Craig. Are they okay?"
The doctor held up a hand. "Just calm down, Mr. Jeremiah. Everything's going to be better if we just take a breath. Why don't we have a seat? " He cleared his throat as they all sat down, Joey and Caitlin across from the doctor. "Okay, well, Craig has a concussion and he's still unconscious. Fortunately, we believe that he will recover just fine. We'll still have to run some tests once he wakes up, however."
Joey smiled slightly at Caitlin in relief. "Okay, and what about Angie?" His heart stopped when he saw the expression on the doctor's face. "Oh God."
"Angela suffered some more serious head trauma. It was especially worse because she's so young." The doctor paused to take a deep breath. "She's in a coma, Mr. Jeremiah. I'm terribly sorry."
Joey felt the world drop out from underneath him.
