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"Ahh!" Stevie squealed, opening the door of the warm coffee shop and tiptoeing into a snow drift. "This was not here when we came in!" She quickly stepped back inside and closed the door. She turned to her companion, Charlotte, a friend from school. The girls had worked all afternoon on a group presentation. The library had been packed with students, so Stevie's suggestion of her favorite coffee place in town became their destination. Stevie, Allison, and Jason frequented the spot and they knew the elderly owner was friendly. Charlotte joined her at the door. "Do you think we're even going to have class tomorrow?"
"There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect for the Washington D.C. Metro area. A Winter Storm Watch is spanning the North East from Virginia to Vermont. Proceed on roads with extreme caution. No word on whether or not air traffic has been halted. Keep it here for more news and alerts regarding the storm. Multiple school and university closings..."
"I'll eat my hat if they send you kids to school tomorrow," Tom, the owner chimed in over the sound of the TV alert. "We've got more than a foot already and it doesn't look like it's going to be stopping! Will you girls be all right getting home?"
"We will, thank you. We're both close by," Charlotte answered, pulling on her coat and gloves. Stevie followed suit and grabbing her bag, they were almost out the door. "Thanks Tom!" Stevie cried out.
"Hey Stephanie," Tom called in reply. "I just finished a batch of those blueberry scones. You want to take some for Allison and Jason?"
Stevie laughed, "Tom, what would us McCords do without your constant supply of baked goods? Mom ate that entire chocolate chip brownie by herself!" Tom smiled at her praise and packed the pastries in a box as Stevie paid for them. "Tell Jason that next week I start making those apple turnovers again."
Stevie smiled, "I will. He's gonna want to move in! Thanks again, Tom."
"You're welcome, Stephanie. Be careful, girls!"
"We will!"Their voices chimed in unison as they stepped out into the storm.
They broke out in giggles as they fought their way through the snow to the street where Stevie's car was parked. Thankfully, the plow hadn't been past and so she wasn't going to be stuck.
"Are you gonna need a push?" Charlotte asked when they reached the sedan. "I think I'll be okay. My Dad made sure I got new snow tires so I'm basically covered for snow-mageddon." Stevie replied with a laugh, pulling her car door open and dropping the pastry box safely on the seat. "You sure you don't want a ride?" Stevie asked as Charlotte started down the sidewalk. "Stevie McCord, I'm from Buffalo! I'm used to this!" Charlotte said with a laugh, "Be careful on the road!"
"See you later!" Stevie called after her retreating friend as she brushed the snow off the windows of her car. She hopped into the driver's seat and turned the heat all the way up. Shivering against the chill of the cold car, she grabbed her cell phone. The Weather Service's warning echoed in her ear as she texted her mother. Elizabeth's meeting was hours ago. Her flight was surely on the ground here in D.C. She had to be back by now...she peeked at the text message she'd sent to her mother ten minutes ago.
"Mom, Leaving now. The roads are getting bad. Be careful whenever you leave xo." and Elizabeth's reply: "Thanks sweetheart. I love you."
Stevie sighed, no mention of where she was or when she would be home. But she knew better than to call her mother when she was in the middle of important meetings. Stevie shook her head at just how normal their family made matters of national security seem. It was all just part of the routine.
She moved to pull out of the parking space, but before she did, she turned the radio on. Allison's favorite new song played through the speakers. She laughed and picked up her phone once more. Pressing "Allie" she waited to hear her sister's voice before she burst into song...
"Hey, It's Allie. I can't answer right now. Text me or I'll call you back later. Bye!" She hung up before the beep. Her sister was probably curled up on the couch in the living room sketching, or maybe she'd fallen asleep.
The siren were piercing, the lights glaring...
"Do you know her name, Mary?"
"Allie. She said her name was Allie. It could be Alexandra or Allison?"
"Caucasian female, approximately 16 years of age, vehicle crash, check for head trauma, possible shock, lacerations on her hands and neck..."
"I'm going in with her."
Jason yawned. He got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen to make himself a cup of hot chocolate. He set to work heating up the mug in the microwave and then moved to sit up on the counter top. The morning paper was still there. His mother's peace negotiation talks had made the front page. His eyes skimmed the article. Elizabeth had left for New York early in the day. They had all met in the city, neutral territory or something, Jason thought. He lifted the paper and his eyes fell on his father's wallet. "Crap," Jason whispered. Henry never forgot his wallet or his cell phone. Jason was sure that in the midst of the commotion surrounding his father's drive back to school that he'd forgotten it. They'd been planning that snowball fight...
Jason shrugged the moment off, certain that there wasn't anyone on the road tonight and his dad was the last person to receive a speeding ticket, especially on a night like this with so much snow.
The microwave timer sounded and Jason carried his hot chocolate to the couch. Letting the liquid cool for a minute, he took a sip. It was never quite as good as when his dad made it. Not that Jason would ever tell him. Manly pride and all that. He grabbed his cell phone and texted Henry, just in case. "Dad. You forgot your wallet."
The nurse stood inside the linen closet, reaching for the softest blanket she could find. Mary couldn't shake the little girl's face from her mind. As a nurse, she often helped frightened children. The little girl's hair had been windblown, her pallid cheek dashed with red, her hands bleeding freely onto the white snow. She'd grabbed the girl's hands first, putting pressure on her cuts. What troubled Mary the most wasn't the blood, it was the little girl's face. She knew she'd seen her somewhere before. Her delicate features were unmistakable, even in her fear. If her son had been in an accident and they couldn't identify him to call her, she would be petrified. She couldn't let another family go through that. She had to think. She had to remember.
"Hey kiddo," Stevie called. She shook her boots off at the back door and walked into the warm kitchen with the pastry box in tow.
"You made it home alive," Jason said, without looking up from his video game. Stevie threw herself onto the couch beside him, rubbing her hands together for warmth. "It's nuts out there. Freezing! See!?" she pressed her cold hands to her brother's bare foot.
"Holy crap!" Jason cried, "You're the one who's nuts! You, Dad, and Al. They went to Georgetown to get some folder Dad had to have for the weekend," Jason explained, elaborating when he saw Stevie's confused look. "What time did they leave? The snow is insane now."
Jason shrugged and Stevie yawned, "Is there dinner left over? I'm starving!"
Allison shivered and pulled the plush yellow blanket up around her shoulders. The thin hospital gown didn't her warm at all and she longed for the softness of her sweater. Dad. The nurses had tried to soothe her over and over again, but even now she was shaking so hard that her teeth were chattering. Dad.
She hadn't felt the IV go into her arm, nor the stitches against her broken skin. Mom.
She was alone now. Stevie.
She looked down at her hands, wrapped in bright white gauze. Jason.
If she moved her head slightly she could see her own scared face mirrored in the blackness beyond the window. She saw a dark red gash on her cheek and another across the right side of her forehead. Dad. Mom. Stevie. Jason.
A sudden thought occurred to her and she gave a gasp.
No one knew where she was.
No one knew Dad was hurt.
Jason was home by himself.
Stevie
Mom
Dad
Allison looked around the room, a growing frantic feeling building in her chest. She tried to think back to the last time she had it. Her lifeline to getting in touch with her family. Her parents always joked that she and her cell phone were inseparable, but now that she needed it, where was it? Even if she could get in touch with someone she wasn't sure she could talk or scream or even make a sound. Where was it? At home? In her room? In her pocket? She remembered then...in the car.
Allie. The jumble of voices grew louder. Allie. The pain seared through his shoulder. Allie. The room swam before him. Stevie. Jason. Elizabeth.
"Mar. Calm down. It's only been a couple minutes." Mary looked over at her husband, who was sitting in a small alcove near the doors. "Rob will be here soon." She sat down and took her husband's hand. "Are you all right?" he asked her.
Mary shook her head. "The little girl from the wreck? She's familiar to me and I don't know why. She didn't have any ID on her and I don't have any word about her father."
"Honey, you help so many kids they're bound to start to-"
"No, she's different. I feel like she was on tv or in a magazine. I feel like I should know who she is! Imagine how afraid her family is..."
"Mom!"
Mary looked up at the sight of their teenage son running towards them. Rob's face was flushed from the cold. "I found it in the snow." he handed the black cell phone to his mother. "I took a look at it. It's her's. I found out who she is. You know the Secretary of State's daughter? The younger one?"
"Allison," Mary whispered, comprehension dawning. She knew she'd seen the girl's face before tonight. She glanced at her husband and son.
"Mom, we've gotta call someone for her-" Rob started.
"Mar, let the police handle-"
"I'm not letting her family find out through someone who doesn't know a thing about what happened. They'll be terrified enough."
She slid the screen lock across and saw "missed call: Stevie." She took a deep breath, pressed the "call back" button, and let it ring.