The walls were closing in on Ephram, and he knew that he had to get out. He was confused by his anger. He was in love with Amy, and she with him and yet this felt entirely separate. Yet again he could not believe the lack of importance that his father placed on his life and the lives of those that were and had been important to him. He could not believe that for whatever bizarre reason his father had made Madison feel that she had to leave town. There was no sensible explanation. His head spinning he grabbed his keys and headed for the door. His father called his name as he walked out but he ignored him.
Ephram drove around town in a daze. He debated going to collect Amy and doing something to take his mind off the row but felt that it would not be fair to her. He wouldn't be able to concentrate and Ephram felt almost like it would be unfaithful to her to have Amy sitting in the car while his head was so full of Madison and what had gone wrong.
Andy sat on the sofa his head full of what to say to his son when he returned. If he returned. The thought made Andy's blood run cold. He had only acted in what he believed were the best interests of his son. He had to do that. He had to do all that he could to protect his children. Every fibre of his being told him so. And now, because of it, Andy felt as though he was losing his child all over again. After everything that they had been through over the past three years. How far they had all come together as a family. It was so nearly right. The only thing missing was the one person that they could never replace. Julia was gone forever, but with her passing Andy had learned what was truly important in his life and that was his family.
Andy was roused from sleep on the sofa by a hammering on the door. He had dozed off fitfully waiting for Ephram to return. Nina had agreed to keep Delia for the night so that the two could batter out their differences if necessary. Staggering up to the door, he pulled it open, dishevelled. Looking at his watch he realised it was gone midnight.
"What? What couldn't wait until morning? Do you have any idea what time it is?" he snapped, opening the door harshly.
Standing on his doorstep was Harold Abbott, his practice partner.
"Harold? What is it? Haven't you heard of the telephone? Or office hours?" Andy muttered. Something in the look on his partner's face quelled Andy into silence.
"Dr, you need to come with me. Is your daughter here?" Dr. Abbott asked solemnly.
"No, she's next door with Nina. She has her for the night. What's the matter Harold?" Andy asked with dread filling his chest.
"You need to come with me. It's Ephram. There's been an accident. You need to come right away."
Andy felt himself slumping against the doorframe and Harold moving forward and supporting him slightly. The dread that had entered his chest seeped into his whole body and he felt himself shake before steadying himself.
"What, Harold? What accident? Where's my son? Is he okay?" Andy heard himself say.
"Andy, come with me now. We need to move quickly."
The next thing Andy knew he was outside of his office on Main Street. There were flashing lights, an ambulance and police, a truck veered across the road, but most horrific of all was the sight of Ephram's car, lying upside down in the street. And then he saw it. A solitary sneaker, lying in the middle of the mayhem that brought it home that his child had been inside that car. It was not some prank. His child had been here. Had been in that mangled wreck of a car. Where was he now?
Harold tried desperately to hold Andy back, but before he could stop him he had hurtled toward the paramedics. Shouting at them, Andy cried out, "where is my son? Where is he?" and then he saw him. Ephram. Bloodied and bruised, lying in the road. Not moving or responding. And time stood still. Andy's heart stopped. Please God. Please, he thought. Not our child. Not my boy. Please not our boy. It was as though Julia was beside him, pleading for their child's life with him. And then in a rush of sound he heard a lone voice. "I have a rhythm. Get him into the ambulance." Aware of nothing else, he hurried forward and was ushered into the ambulance with his son.
The ride to the hospital was the longest of Andy's life. He sat by Ephram, barely talking out loud. Just enough so that he thought his son could hear him.
"I am so sorry Ephram. I have made so many terrible mistakes when it comes to the well being of this family. And look what it has brought us. Nothing but heartache and pain. Just look at you son. What happened to you? What happened tonight? Please don't leave me. Please don't leave your sister and me alone. We'll only be half of who we were without you."
If Ephram could have answered his father at that moment, he would have told of anger building up inside of him and driving blindly through the streets of Everwood. A flash of headlights in his eyes and then sound of brakes, and metal on metal and the nothingness that followed. But Ephram could not. Instead Ephram hung somewhere in the void between life and death, unaware of his surroundings and all alone.
