Ryan's thoughts were swimming, each becoming a little hazier than the one before it. Her stomach felt like it was full of Jell-O and with every movement she made she felt like its slushy contents were going to show themselves all over the floor.
"Ryan, you might want to sit down," Ms. Jones motioned to the chair in front of her desk. Ryan's brain told her to sit but her feet stayed rooted to the spot. "This is a very difficult thing I have to tell you," Ms. Jones had a concerned look that terrified Ryan.
The two sat in silence until Ms. Jones broke the silence with a long sigh and began, "As you know, your brother was on his way home from college today." Ryan froze, everything around her stopped. "No, not Joe, please Lord don't let anything have happened to my brother," she silently prayed. "I'm.... I'm not exactly sure of what happened," Ms. Jones's voice was quavering as she slowly explained, "it was raining and the road was slick. Ryan do you understand what I have told you?"
And then everything that had stopped around Ryan crashed. The Jell-O that was in her stomach sank to her knees. She could feel her legs wobbling, her knees giving away. Ryan wavered then crashed into the chair next to her.
She tried to breathe but her breath caught in her throat. Everything was blurring around her as she tried with every fiber of her being to take a breath. Finally, with one mass of effort, she took in a shuttering breath.
Ryan couldn't comprehend what was happening. Finally she managed to find her voice, "Please tell me that he's okay! Please tell me he's not d-d-de..." Ryan couldn't bring herself to say it, that would make it final.
Ms. Jones brought head up from where it was resting in her hands to look at Ryan, "No, he isn't but the doctors... well they're not sure how much longer it will be." "NO!" Ryan threw herself to her knees and sobbed.
Ms. Jones jumped from her swivel chair to tend to Ryan. She hoisted her back into the chair and knelt in front of her. "Your mom wants you to come to the hospital as soon as possible," she said in a soft comforting voice.
She laid a hand on Ryan's shoulder. Ryan nodded, "I guess I need to go then." Ryan stood up, how she managed to walk was a mystery to her. She slowly made her way out of the office to the band room where Brett waited anxiously for her.
"What's wrong?!" he asked, panicked. Ryan shakily repeated the story to him. Brett protectively pulled her close to him, providing a shoulder for her to cry on. "I think you need someone to ride with you to the hospital," he whispered to her. He then picked her up and carried her to her car, Ryan still sobbing.