Jake

Pain. Unbearable pain. My head felt like it was going to explode. My right arm or at least I thought it was my right arm, felt like it would drop off. I groaned. My ears seemed to pound as I heard hurried footsteps approach me. I tried to move my right arm, but something was weighing it down. I lifted my left arm to my head and pressed down on my forehead. My eyelids felt like lead as I pried them open. My sight was fuzzy and unclear at first, but then images came into view. I was in a white room, which was the first thing I saw. Where was I? I lowered my arm and the rest of the picture came into view.

At first I didn't recognise the people that were standing around me, and then their faces all came into better view.

Marco was standing beside my bed, looking down at me happily, but with a kind of sad expression on his face, if that made sense. Cassie was gripping my right hand, which it turned out was in a cast along with my whole arm. Rachel was sitting at the end of my bed, staring intently at me. I tried to sit up, but only my left arm wasn't enough to keep me up.

"Hey Jake," Cassie said softly, as if I was senile. "How do you feel?"

"Where am I," I asked, my throat soar.

"You're in the hospital," Rachel said, hesitantly.

"What…what happened?" I asked, my voice coming out in a hoarse whisper.

"Uh…" Marco looked at Cassie and Rachel uneasily.

"Jake, just rest," Cassie said, touching my cheek. "We'll get your mum."

The tone in her voice shook me. It was so sad that for a moment I wondered why it was so. Then it hit me. The car accident. I was in a car accident, but I wasn't the only one in the car accident.

"Where's dad?" I asked desperately, remembering my dad's last words to me.

Rachel stood up. "I'm going to get your mum," she said, hurrying out.

Marco looked disappointed that she got to the door before he did, but he didn't go anywhere. Cassie just looked disappointed that I had caught on.

"Jake, take it easy," she soothed.

"Tell me!" I demanded, my voice getting stronger.

"Jake, man," Marco said. "Your mum will be here soon."

"I don't give a damn!" I shouted. "Tell me…"

"Oh my god, Jake!"

My mum had appeared in the doorway, followed by a disappointed Tom. Rachel stepped in afterwards, looking awkward. Marco and Cassie moved aside as my mum rushed up to me.

"Jake," she moaned, tears streaming down her face. She sat down on the side of my bed and touched my face gently.

"Mum," I said, my voice weakening again as the pain in my head became insufferable. "Where's dad?"

I knew what happened to dad. I knew it, but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted someone to tell me it wasn't true. My friends silently walked out the door, so it was only me, my mother and Tom.

"Jake, honey," my mum said, trying to look brave, but failing. "You need to know that I love you and everything is going to be alright…"

"Mum!" I said urgently. "He's not…Dad's not…"

"I'm sorry, Jake," she whispered, drawing me close.