"where am I?" I sat up and looked around, everything was blurry. "Charlie! Oh thank God!"My mom came running through the blue
curtain that was pulled around my hospital bed. Wait a minute... a hospital bed. "The wreck! Oh my God! Where's Lorriane?" I asked
quickly trying to stand up. Tears were running down mom's face. "Oh Charlie! You had a concussion, and we were scared you weren't
gonna wake up!" She pulled me into a tight hug. "Mom, I'm awake! I'm ok! But where's Lorraine?" Mom turned away and didn't answer.
"Mom? She's not...?" "She's not dead son." Mom said turning back toward me. "But...she's..."She broke down and Dad walked in. "Hey
teenager." He said softly hugging mom. "How're ya doing?" "Dad I'm fine! Where's Lorraine? " "She's in ICU." Dad said slowly. "She's in
a coma. she suffered a bad blow to the head, and her right arm's broken. She- she hasn't moved since the ambulence brought you here."
"Oh God!" I threw myself back down on the bed and buried my face in the pillow. My sore muscles screamed in pain at the quick
movement, but i didn't care! "Is there...hope?" I finally worked up the courage to ask. "We don't know son." My Mom and Dad came
over and sat on the bed with me. "We just don't know. " "Can I see her?" I asked. "I don't think... " "Please Dad." I pleaded. "I need to
see her!" Dad looked at mom, she nodded. "Alright." Dad sighed. He helped me off the bed, and soon as my feet touched the floor a
wave of naseau hit. I swayed a little,but Dad caught hold of my arm to hold me up. "You sure 'bout this ?" Dad asked gently "Yessir, I
have to see her." I said stubbornly. He helped me down the hallway to the elevator, the elevator increased my naseausness and I held on
to Dad and a rail with my eyes clenched shut to ward it off. "It s'ok tiger." Dad said calling me my nickname from back when I was little.
"Dad honestly." I asked. "Do they think she'll pull through?" Dad looked at mom and sighed. "Right now , there's a fifty fifty chance son."
He said. I clenched my jaw. We came out on the fourth floor, the Intensive Care Unit. We walked through the waiting room where the
rest of my family was waiting. "Charlie!" My older sister Nora hugged me, and the rest of the kids attacked me. "Charlie!" my youngest
brothers, Kyle and Nigel , six year old twins each grabbed one of my legs. "hey guys." I said kneeling down to be down on thier level.
"Where's Lorraine?" Kyle asked. I felt tears spring to my eyes. "She's uh... she's busy now buddy." "We're glad you're ok!" Sarah said
giving me a affectionate hug. "Me too." I whispered, but my thoughts strayed to my other sister, the one I'd never really been close to,
who was in the other room, and she wasn't ok. "Dad." I said standing up. " I want to see her now, alone." Dad told me the room number
and pointed me off in the right direction. I headed off slowly to find her room. Room 32. The numbers glared at me from the closed door.
I slowly opened the door and walked in, shutting it behind me. I tiptoed over to the bed. There she was, a tube through her nose, and one
in her unbroken arm, with an IV attached. Her blonde hair was splayed out over her pillow, she had a big purple bruise on her forehead,
and her skin was pale. I sat looking at her and realized how beautiful she was. And I had never told her that, never, in all her sixteen years
she never heard more then a " you look ok I guess" or a "quit bothering me! You look fine!" Guilt built up in my chest. How could I have
treated her like that? Suddenly I remembered what our last conversation had been. I closed my eyes to block out the memory, but it just
brought a picture of the hurt on her face when I made fun of her not having a date. How could I have been so cruel. I struggled manfully
trying not to cry, but the tears slipped down my face and dropped onto her bed. "Lorraine." I whispered. I'd heard somewhere that
people in a coma could sometimes hear if you talked to them, they just couldn't respond. "Lorraine I'm sorry." I sobbed, touching her
face gently with the tips of my fingers. " I should never have said those things to you! I was just jealous! You've probably had more dates
then I'll ever have. " I picked up her hand. "Lorraine, you can't leave me you hear? I'll never forgive myself. " I was shaking with sobs. I
felt arms around me, I turned and buried my head in my moms shoulder. "It's my fault Mom." I cried. "I wasn't paying attention! That
should be me there, not her! " I lost control and Mom sat down on the couch by the wall and pulled me down beside her. "Shhh Charlie."
Mom said, arms around me, rocking me back and forth. "If Lorraine was awake, she'd kick your butt for blaming yourself! She wouldn't
want you to do that!" "I know mom, but I can't help it." I sobbed. "I was being mean to her, we were fighting, the last thing I said to her
was mean! What...what if I can't apoligize!" "You just have to pray God'll give you a second chance." She kissed my head. "Mom, I
never told her I loved her." I said quietly. Mom held me close. "It's ok baby. She'll come through." We just sat there for a minute.
"C'mon." She said finally , standing up. "Lets go see the rest of the family. They were worried about you. I looked at Lorraine again, then
I followed mom out into the hall.