The Douglas family rushed through the busy parking lot of the General hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas couldn't believe what was shouted at them in a flurry of words as their sons talked over each other about something that happened, the jumbled verbal assault ended in a near unison that there was a car accident and they have to get to the hospital. Before they could wonder what a car accident had to do with them?
Rocky, nearly at a loss of breath, says to himself "Emily can't die".
They were promptly on the move. It wasn't easy with ambulances heading away from the location to where the Douglas family are going.
'This is all my fault. Talking on the phone while driving is no different than texting.. What have I done?' Rocky laid into himself during the drive over, and through the mad-dash he chanted "Please be ok, please be ok" over and over internally. They were instructed to sit in the waiting room, as they were not family to the injured young lady. It was there that he chanted for a better outcome. "She's fine. She's fine." He expelled a breath and took a seat. A stone statue of patience and positivity.
"I'm gonna see if I can find Callub." Sam walked into the hall to locate Callub Farmer.
"How do things like this happen?" Mrs. Douglas wondered to herself. "Probably someone trying to beat the light. No regard to others, or worse, someone on their phone." She took Rocky's hand giving it a squeeze to assure him that everything will be fine; not even knowing that her absent murmuring cut him deeply.
Emily was on her phone, with him. And rather than tell her they'll talk when she's at home, he kept her on the phone. If she dies, or even wants to... He'll die with her. He can't lose her. She's too important in his life. Not just as a romantic interest, but as a friend. His number one female friend whom he's known forever. Every moment between them flashed before his eyes, ending with her smiling and agreeing on a date with him. He pushed the reel down. He doesn't want the concept to be real. Because those dying, do see their lives flashing. And it would seem that the flashes - are as well - played for those left behind.
Callub Farmer walked into the waiting room with his wife, and Sam Douglas behind him. The Douglas children swarmed him like bees would a hive. Eyes searching for answers that would either be good or bad. But they had to know. He had to tell them instantly. But when Daphne hugged her friend, Jessica, the boys were expecting an upset.
Rocky remained still, where his brothers stood in wait, he sat. He was not about to take the bad news away from a higher place than the floor should he collapse from shock.
"She's all right, Jess," wept Daphne. "My little girl survived it," she broke down in relief tears right then
Rocky was about to join her in the happiness rain. She's all right. Emily is alive. She's still here with them. He held his tears. Standing, he asked. "Mr. Farmer, can we see her? Is she in surgery?" He swallowed a lump in his throat that landed in his stomach as a cold knot.
"She's resting. She thankfully didn't need any surgery. A black eye and bump to the head. But, she's intact."
Rocky wished Emily was awake. But, if she needed rest then she should rest. He sat down in a chair, receiving pats on the back and shoulder from his brothers.
"She's staying overnight so the doctors can check for concussion. But, they say she's fine for the most part." It felt a bit awkward talking so contently about his child when others are coming in panicked and looking for their loved one who'd also been in the accident. "Thank you for coming. We'll let Emily know you came, but, you should get on home."
"Come on boys," Sam pat his friend on the back again. Happy for him. He ushered his family from the waiting room.
"I'll wait here." Rocky stated firmly.
"Son," Sam protested simple and clean. "You won't get to see Emily tonight; let's go home and see her in the morning during visiting hours." He thought that over, then added. "She may be home by then."
Rocky doesn't care. He wanted to see her now. To know that she's all right. That he can just whisper something sweet to her slumbering figure, so that she feels better. Less scared. But, his father steered him to the exit. They were going, he had no choice in the matter. He walked out with a heavy heart. He could have rode back with the Farmers.
Rocky had to spend an awkward ride home convincing himself that Emily was, in fact, already at home and he could see her the next day, in order to avoid glaring at his dad in the rearview mirror.
He was in an emotional slump as he trudged to his bedroom, head down, heart heavy. He undressed and yanked on his night clothes. He brushed his teeth, then washed the anger from his face. When he climbed into bed, he released a breath to remove the anger in his heart. He was being immature. The important thing is that Emily is ok. Not his inability to see her. With an affirming nod, he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him.
Rocky woke up early the next day. He dressed quickly after a brief shower, and hurriedly managed his damp hair. He had to get to the hospital to see Emily. He has to hear her voice with his own ears. He has to see her smile... He has to know that he can make her smile. He can't live if she's mad at him. If she hates him, he'll be glad he's in a hospital because surely he'll be near to death if that is the scenario he's going to face.
He climbed into his car and started for the hospital.
"Please be awake, please be awake." He murmured. He's not even sure if the hospital will allow him to see her this early, his not being family and all. But, he'll wait. The hospital can't deny him access to do that.
"Rocky?" Emily said from behind him.
"Huh?"
He looked into the rearview mirror just in time to witness the back of his car hit, and Emily shoved forward at an alarming speed. She was thrusts right between the two front seats and out of the car through the windshield.
His eyes shot open as if torn violently apart. His heart rate was off the scale. His breathing, though audibly silent, was going in and out at an alarming rate. It was a dream. A nightmare. He swallowed as if to keep those words internally. He took a minute, then five more to calm himself. To completely wake up.
"Rocky?" Colt whispered to avoid their parents hearing. Then he remembered it's Spring break, and said a little louder, since it doesn't matter if they sleep or not on non school nights. "Rocky? Do you think she's really ok? I mean, they wouldn't lie, right?"
"Of course not." He said a little too quickly. "That would be rude, and weird." His tone was unintentionally icy.
He's still hurting from the nightmare. He hoped Colt didn't take it the wrong way. His anger wasn't for him. Try as he might, he can't sleep. The threat of having another car accident horror-mare bubbled too close to the surface.
"They know how close you and Emily are. And they could have still been in shock over the situation that it didn't seem like a lie to them."
Rocky couldn't help but feel that his brother was trying to push his sanity button to off. It wouldn't be the first time, and likely not the last. "Just think positively. We'll see her tomorrow." He's one to talk. He'd like to be at the hospital right now; to be the first person Emily sees when opening her eyes later this morning. He noticed the time is after midnight. He hates that, that too graphic dream had lasted three hours, in different depictions.
"Rocky, just promise that no matter what happens that you'll be all right."
Perplexed by that request, the eldest Douglas asked. "What do I have to do with anything?"
"It's just.. ya know.. People act all fine and then the next minute they're fatally falling apart," he was heard turning his head by a fabric of the pillow rustling. "Or you're flat-out gone in secret, and just waiting to be found."
Rocky blinked. He wanted to say that's ridiculous, but he had to admit that just a moment ago he thought he'd die if Emily died. He smiled faintly over being that cared for by his knucklehead first brother. "I'm not going anywhere, Free, I promise." In times like these, one has to be one's true self once all is stripped away.
Most people call someone named Jeffrey, Jeff. But the brothers, even their parents, go by Colt's personality calling him "Free" for the end pronunciation: 'Frey'. Even grandpa squeezed it in there on the Day of Names, that Colt was wild and free.
"Thanks." Colt replied sincerely. He doesn't wanna lose a family friend, but most of all he doesn't want to lose his brother in the same time span. "G'night."
"Good morning." Why deny it? It's 3 am after all. He closed his eyes, and once again woke up in a cold sweat. He could only imagine what Emily must be feeling right now.
...
Morning was far too slow moving for Rocky. He couldn't believe that visiting hours weren't until eleven! The nerve of the hospital! But, as it turns out, it was a wait that was needlessly aggravated by, because the Farmers pulled into their driveway and three sounds of doors closing met the ears of the family friends.
"She's there." Rocky bolted from his bedroom and down the stairs. Barefoot, he bolted out the front door of his home heading swiftly across the street. "Emily! Emily!" He paused to catch his breath, then he straightened up and opened his arms to hug her. "It's amazing that you're ok."
He wraps his arms around her. But his heart sank when the show of affection was not returned. She's pissed. No if's, and's, or but's about it. A one-sided hug is a death sentence.
"Emily, I.."
Emily looked him in the eyes, paralyzed, mystified, a little spooked when he moved away to look at her.
Rocky silently begged for forgiveness. He was silenced in the scrutinizing presence of her parents. He needed for her to reconsider her anger and forgive him. But what he saw confused him. It was not anger, just... blank.
"Thanks." Was her reply to the embrace. The solo embrace.
"Are you mad at me?" He asked shyly. Why sit in wonder?
"No. I.." she was cut off before she could finish by Colt and Tum Tum dashing over. "Hey, guys," she greeted them with a smile.
Rocky could have kicked them both. Why do they get a smile, but he gets a response explanation?
"I'm glad you're all here, it makes telling you easier." Mr. Farmer began.
Daphne sighed then steered her daughter into the house.
Rocky got right down to business. Something was up, and he needed to know. "Mr. Farmer, Emily is OK right? There wasn't a need for surgery or anything?"
"Boys... my daughter is suffering of a concussion from that slam she took." He looked at them then settled on Rocky. "She has amnesia."
"Whoa!" Tum Tum gasped.
"Really?"
"The doctors told us she had a bit of trouble remembering what had happened. When asked, she took a long time remembering her own name. As the morning progressed, she did recall many things... But, her memory isn't back one hundred percent yet."
"So then, when she hugged me.." Rocky corrected his statement in his head, as she hadn't hugged him. "When we hugged, she didn't respond because she might not know me?"
"That's right. I wanted to tell you all before you saw her, but you beat me to the encounter."
Rocky and his brothers processed that knowledge. Amnesia. Doesn't and won't know them. This was terrible!
"Cal, how's your daughter?" Asked Jessica, after she found her way across the street. She wanted to give them their space, but the view from the living room window was so bizarre, she lost out to curiosity and intruded the politeness window.
"Amnesia, I'm afraid. The doctors say that it's temporary, however, aggetation might upset her recovering her memory."
"That's upsetting." She thought about amnesia, and just could not relate it to a simple forgetfulness of misplacing something or forgetting a face from childhood to the adult they've become. This is medical. The possibility of permanent is very staggering. "How can we help?"
"Don't force anything on her, just be natural. She didn't know Daphne and me when we'd arrived, but during the time she was preparing to come home, she remembered us. She called us by title very naturally, even asked about the car. She thankfully doesn't recall the accident, but she remembered that the car was busted up."
"Small miracles." Replied Jessica. If Emily was going to forget anything, removing the accident was the best of it.
"Yeah." He addressed the children again. "So, please don't hesitate to interact with her, but gradually. Don't try to force memories."
The Douglas brothers nodded that they would be willing to help, not hinder, Emily's recovery.
"Apart from a black eye and lump on the side of her head, she truly was lucky." He knows one of the other drivers was not.
"Do they know what caused it?" Rocky glared at Colt, who shoved him for asking the question. The eldest had to wonder if his brother knew what he was thinking? That he blamed himself for being on the phone, distracting Emily on her way home.
"Not entirely. There was a four car pile up. The one hit the hardest was fatal..." He silenced. "Well, for now, give her some room. We're going to spend some time with Emily." He said good bye then headed into his home.
The Douglas family went back to their home with the news of what happened for Sam to take in. He felt the same as them, it was horrible but the best outcome of many.
"You must be happy, hunh Rocky?"
"Excuse me?" He glared at his little brother like he could have tossed him from the window.
"Well, think about it." Tum Tum held up his hands in defense of an attack. "She might not remember you all the way, which means she won't remember why she wouldn't date you until you pretty much held her emotionally hostage."
"Tum, you're sick; I'm not gonna take advantage of Emily just so I can date her."
"You're not taking advantage of her, but the situation. Situations don't feel pain."
"No."
Tum threw up his hands. "You think you know a guy."
Colt had to agree with his younger brother. If it was his oppurtunity to go out with a girl he'd either screwed up with or never had a shot with.. He'd take the chance big-time.
Rocky scoffed at how little his brother knew him, if he thought he'd do something so underhanded... He wouldn't... Nope. His dual-colored gaze shot out of the window. And he wondered... Would he?
