November 9th 2002

The ride endless, the seconds like minutes, minutes like hours, hours like days. Apprehension flooding the small car had clearly been overwhelming. The wipers hummed their own tune as they busily fought to keep the rain off the clear windshield.

Will Girardi tightly held the leather steering wheel as he drove. The perfect world he lived in was crumbling before him. The once firm foundation of life's securities was cracking beneath him. Will silently promised his family he would be the strong one in this, even though his pride and joy was fighting for his life he had to keep the father role.

Helen, the sensitive mother, stared out the window. The rain made everything look like a smeared painting. Her long thin arms wrapped around a small silver glass frame that was pressed against her chest. When she was told of what happened it was the only thing she could grab. With everything trembling, Helen hung onto the frame with her life. Tears rapidly streamed down her cheeks.

The youngest son sat in back completely numb in shock. Going to turn into a teenager in a short ten days excitement suddenly went under the current of 'who cared'. The kid looked back on all the memories of his role model of a big brother. Kevin had things always handed to him on fine china. Good looks, popularity, athletics, charm, and the way with the ladies. Luke cringed in his seat, a large green monster tended to jump on his back when he thought these things. Something in him wanted Kevin to not be alright: just so he would have to fight for something in his life. Luke shook his head hoping the idea would fall out of his head.

Joan, the only daughter and sister, sat in the cool leather with her face pressed on the glass window. Her face had experienced the coolness of transparent glass. The burgundy beanie on her head kept her small white forehead warm. Her dark eyes looked up at the dark sky. The clouds offered no promise at all. Mentally, Joan began to pray. To whom? She was not sure, she wasn't raised to talk to a god. Why start now, at the age of fourteen? Had the sun gone away and now that the storm rolled in, she needed someone more dependable to lean on. With her lips moving but nothing coming out Joan prayed and made tons of promises.

When Joan finished her small prayer the family car pulled into the Emergency parking lot of the hospital. As soon as the car had been shoved into park all four of the Giradis charged out of it like a bullet being kicked out of a gun. They all pushed through the emergency doors and stopped at the desk. The young nurse behind the counter looked up with a friendly smile.

"How may I help you?" she questioned.

"Our son...we-we just got news that he..he was in a car accident." Will stammered as his role he put on crumbled.

The nurse nodded as she grabbed a clip board and flipped through a few of the pages. She rose out of her seat and walked in front of the desk.

"Kevin Giaradi?"

As her husband agreed, Helen's worst fears were confirmed. The entire short time the young lady looked through the papers, she hoped and prayed it would turn out it wasn't her son. But it was Kevin. Her grip on the glass frame tightened.

The family followed behind the nurse as she lead them down the hallway. The narrow strip of yards seemed to stretch for miles causing more stress to build in all four of them's blood pressure. Finally the young lady stopped in front of a room and then she swung her small body around. She looked at the Giaradi's and slowly explained one of the hospital's rules.

"In the ICU, there are no more then two visitors allowed in at one time. I suggest we have the parents go first."

Will wrapped his arm around his wife's waist and turned her slender body towards him. He looked into her soft blue eyes. He saw two dark pools of fear and not knowing what the future held for everyone.

"Are you ready?" Will made sure his wife's emotional state had been secured.

With more moisture filling in her eyes, Helen nodded. The nurse slowly lead the two of them into the room. Nothing could prepare them for the sight they would see. Amidst all the heard of medical staff, lied a boy who once had so much promise but now had one he was leaning towards onto. Death.

Many cords were shoved into Kevin's body sending sounds of hanging onto life into the advanced machines. Not wanting to risk further injury one the nurses grabbed a sharp blade and used it to rip through Kevin's brand new tennis shoes.

As the expensive brand named shoes fell to the ground, Helen felt a tear stream down her cheek. He just received them as a prize for getting honor roll not even a day ago. But her sad thoughts were shoved aside by a grievous sight. Kevin's bright white socks were soaked and drenched with blood.

Helen's eyes slowly made their way up the rest of her oldest son's broken body. Many cuts fell on him and many had blood oozing profusely. Numbly Helen stepped closer to the right of her son's bedside.

His eyes, barely open, looked up at her. A neck brace prevented him from any possible damage. The IV taped to his nostrils fed him as much as air as his broken body needed. He lied there completely lifeless and in pain...agony. For his mother's panicking sake, Kevin forced on small grin on his lips.