A/N: Well, here's the angtsy chapter I promised. I eventually plan to write some follow-up chapters exploring the consequences of this, but they won't be immediately after this one.
It had all happened so fast. One second, Jack had been riding past the VIP box during his victory lap, and the next he had lost control and slammed into the wall. He had apparently gotten distracted while sneaking a look at Carly and the girls, and had turned just a hair too quickly or slowly (Carly couldn't recall which). For a few moments, Carly's brain couldn't process what she was seeing. But then the paramedics had run onto the track, and Erika had started screaming, and the reality hit her.
Carly had raced down the stairs as quickly as she could, but it seemed like it took forever. She was still holding out hope that he might be okay, since he had crashed before and sustained no lasting damage. That optimism was shattered, though, when she saw Jack's equally broken body. He had broken his right femur, hipbone and three vertebrae in his back, and knocked his head against the wall so hard that the doctor said he would have almost certainly died on impact if he hadn't been wearing a helmet. But of course, Carly didn't know any of that then.
Astoundingly, Jack remained conscious for a few minutes after the crash. He had mouthed her name and tried to turn his head toward her, much to the chagrin of the people who were working to keep his head immobilized.
Carly was still numb from shock as she was driven to the hospital...they hadn't let her ride in the ambulance. She didn't register Erika's shrieks as she fought the security guards tooth and nail to try to see her father, or that Rose had gone deathly quiet. At any other time, Carly would have thought this very unusual, since Rosie was notorious for tearing up at the slightest provocation. Later that evening, Rosie had a seizure and was also rushed to the hospital. Although she turned out to be fine, it had given the household staff a good scare. Carly felt guilty about not being there. But there was no way she would have ever been able to leave Jack.
After the initial flurry of operations, all they could do was wait. Carly was by his bedside amongst the wires and beeping machines almost constantly, even sleeping in the uncomfortable chair. It was only two weeks later that the doctors started to say confidently that Jack would survive this, and took him off his drug-induced coma. Carly, already knowing what the answer would be, had tentatively asked whether Jack would be able to continue his career in the Pro League some day. The doctor had just looked at her, but that was enough. Carly was dreading the day when she would have to tell this to Jack himself. He was going to be devastated no matter how gently she tried to break the news.
She was neglecting her parental duties and she knew it. Erika had regressed to throwing tantrums n school and wetting her bed. Rosie, having been put on medication, had no more seizures, but had withdrawn into herself; she rarely even spoke. Jackie, who had been at home during the incident and was naturally easygoing, had been least affected, but even he could sense that something was wrong. All Carly could do was hope to make it up to them later. Now, as Jack was slowly regaining his senses, she had to put all her energy into helping him back as close to his old self as she possibly could.