Wrong Side of the Tracks by Ashley Zakrzewski
ChapterTwo
My chest rises and falls before asking the obvious question. “What do you mean?”
I didn’t want to hear the answer. There isn’t ever a situation where a cop showing up at your house is a good thing.
“There were in an accident just up a ways. They are being taken to the hospital. Can I drive you?”
In an accident? Is that what I heard a while ago? I should have gotten up and went to see what happened, but instead I just sat there, waiting for them to get home.
“Are you sure it’s them?” I ask.
“Positive, Milo. Let’s get you to the hospital.”
He opens the back door of his squad car, and I get inside. I’m in no shape to drive myself. I fold my hands and pray to God that my wife and daughter are going to be okay. My life would be nothing without them. They are my reason to live. I should have went to the store myself.
The sheriff doesn’t say one word on the drive. He has known me since I was a boy and was friends with my father before he passed. There isn’t anything that someone could say to comfort me in this situation.
“Do you know what happened?” I ask, before pulling into the hospital parking lot. “I mean they are alive, right?”
I didn’t want to ask the question, but I have too.
“They were both alive when they left the scene.”
He pulls into the round-a-bout and comes to a stop.
“Now, I’ll be back to check on you, Milo. Call me if you need anything, you hear.”
I shut the door behind me and run through the automatic sliding doors to the front desk. “My wife and daughter were brought in from an accident!” My heart is racing, and palms sweating. “Hello? Did you hear me?”
“Sir, I’m looking. We are understaffed right now. Please give me a moment.”
She types something on her computer. “It looks like they are in surgery. You will need to wait out here and a doctor will come out to talk to you after.”
“Are they okay?”
“All I can say is they are in surgery, sir. Please have a seat.”
How can you tell someone who just found out their whole world is in this hospital to sit down? She needs to take a course on etiquette. I run my fingers through my hair, trying to calm myself down, but how can I? I have no idea what’s going on, and I’m helpless.
I walk over to the waiting area and pace. What else am I supposed to do? There is no way I can sit still while waiting to find out what’s going on with my girls. I need to call her mother.
“Hello, dear.”
My voice breaks. “Hey ma, I need you to come to the hospital.”
If there is one person I don’t want to be stuck in a room with for a prolonged period of time it’s her mother, but she deserves to be here. I have to put our stuff aside.
“What happened? Is Kennedy okay?” she asks.
“Kennedy and Tina have been in an accident. I just got here. Can you come, please?”
I can hear the car starting in the background. “I’m on my way.”
Tina’s mother, Carol and I have an understanding. We put up with each other because of our love for Tina, but that doesn’t mean we will hold hands and sing kumbaya. Yet, I don’t want to stand around by myself. My heart is in my stomach and trying to hold back the tears from the fear that I might be going home alone tonight.
No, that’s not going to happen. The surgery is going to go good, and then Kennedy is going to run into my arms and I’m going to kiss my wife.
Right now, I need to stay positive. People get in accidents all the time. We are walking out of her as a family.
The doors open and I see Carol. “Over here.”
“Anyone talk to you yet?”
“Not a damn person. The nurse at the desk said we won’t know anything until they are out of surgery.”
In that moment, Carol takes my hand, and looks into my eyes. “They are going to be okay. I know it.”
The sheriff didn’t give me any details on the accident. Where are the police? Did the other person get transported here, too? I have so many questions, but no one to answer them.
What happened to my girls?