Authors: Brooklyn Taylor
Chapter 15
Reese
I’ve been a fog sitting on white clouds for what seems like hours. I can hear voices around me talking and I recognize them but am not able to open my eyes. I’m trying, trying harder than anything in my entire life but to no avail. I hear Mom crying and Dad with his stern voice and then Autumn.
Autumn is talking. I hear her telling the story of what happened last night at the bonfire.
“Mr. and Mrs. Owens, we wanted to go to the graduation bonfire. Reese knew you weren’t going to let her go so after we knew ya’ll were in bed after 9:00 I came and picked Reese up. She was waiting at the end of the driveway. In all fairness, she wanted to go really bad since Garrison was leaving today but I was the one who really pushed her to go. She didn’t want to lie or get into trouble. She knew she was breaking the rules.”
Dad expressed his anger. “You’re damn right she was breaking our rules. I would have never… Allowed… my daughter to leave at that time of the night and go somewhere were there likely was drinking, drugs, and God knows what else going on.”
“Yes, sir. I know,” Autumn responded then continued. “Anyway we were both having a great time and our plan was to leave the bonfire at midnight. Garrison had to leave at midnight since he was leaving today for college, but ya’ll already know that. At 12:00, Reese came to find me and I was hanging out with Ryan. He wanted me to stay longer and I wanted to just as badly. I had been drinking and Reese was already frustrated with me. She didn’t have a drop to drink other than some bottled waters she brought along.”
“And...” Mom said.
I hear Autumn mumbling, “Reese got mad and went to sit in the car. At about 2:00 a.m., I went to the car with Ryan, Cannon and some girl he was dating and was going to drive us home. I know now looking back how bad of an idea it was but last night… it was like my brain was not working properly. I mean, my dad died from that, what could have happened… When I got to my car Reese was sleeping. I didn’t wake her but just told her I was here and we were taking the others home real quick and then going home. I was just going to stay with her last night since I was so tired.”
It is all coming back to me now. It’s as if a light switch flipped on in my brain. I’m starting to remember what happened. I remember being so furious at Autumn. I was ready to go and she was putting me off to spend time with Ryan. I wanted to get home. I had snuck out and didn’t want to stay out any later than I was already so I didn’t get caught.
“So… I started to drive us home. We were right off County Rd. 973 when a deer ran out in front of us and I swerved. We ended up in a ditch. We were all tossed around the car and thank God we were all able to get out of it. Reese took a little longer than us since she was lodged behind the dashboard and she had been sleeping so she didn’t see what happened. I actually had to wake her up so I think she may have passed out for a few minutes. She was wedged but was able to crawl out. She didn’t look normal but then again I don’t know if I knew what normal was. I was tired and had been drinking earlier in the night.”
“Of all the irresponsible things to do, Autumn. I am so ashamed… My little girl had EMERGENCY surgery for her injuries and you are getting off with no consequences…” Mom was furious.
Autumn interrupted her to finish, “Wait, Mrs. Owens. You need to hear it all. If I don’t tell you now, I know I won’t. I had no idea what to do next. My car needed to be towed. We had no way home, and we had snuck out. It was like each wrong choice kept leading to another and it was spinning out of control. Anyway, we walked a little ways down the road to get away from my car and then Cannon called two cabs one for us and one for them. We got home and I helped her in the window and then left. When I left her she wasn’t sick, she seemed sleepy and I had to pretty much drag her in the window but she wasn’t bleeding that I saw.”
“That you saw!!!!!!!” Dad yelled.
I knew I needed to wake up, to come to so I can say something, to defend what happened, but I knew what I did was wrong. I wanted so badly to see Garrison before he left and had no regrets for that part of the night. He was the guy I loved and had to see one more time before he left for I feared he would never come back. This could have been the last time I saw him. The wreck, of course, was a different story.
“Does your mom know what happened?” Mom asked.
“No… not that she would do anything about it anyway. I know I can’t apologize or take away what happened but I can say I would do anything to put myself in that bed instead Reese. She is my best friend and I would never want her hurt.”
“You should have thought about that before you did what you did,” Dad said.
“Yes, sir.”
“I think it’s time for you to go,” Mom said. I had never heard her speak so coldly to Autumn.
Autumn starts to cry. “I don’t want to leave her. I need to know she is going to be okay.”
“None of us know that, Autumn. I really wish you would have thought about that before you did what you did last night. Consequences. I just don’t understand…”
“I don’t either.”
I heard footsteps and then a door shut.
“She has to be okay doesn’t she?” I hear Mom ask.
“I sure as hell hope so,” Dad replies.
I sure hope so as well.
Garrison
I get to Comal Memorial and have no idea where to even look. I ask the woman at the front desk if she can tell me where Reese is. She advises me she is in ICU and I would have to wait till the next visiting hours. She told me directions to the waiting room so I could wait there until then. I walked through the hospital almost shaking not sure of what I was going to see. What bothered me most was not knowing what happened. How could this happen to her? To the girl that I love. I can’t lose her. I finally let myself love and she is going to be taken away from me. I feel it. I don’t know what this world has against me. This universe just doesn’t want me to have happiness. It was a punishment.
As soon as I take a seat in the small waiting room, I hear a TV playing world news, the smell of strong coffee and see her parents sitting in the corner with her mom leaning on her dad’s shoulder.
I get up and walk over to them hoping to find something out.
“Mr. and Mrs. Owens, is there any update on Reese?” I’m trying to hold myself together and feel so much guilt for not making sure she was safe.
“Hi, Garrison. No, her surgery went without complications but she is still not out of the danger zone yet,” Mrs. Owens answered.
“What happened? When I left her last night she said they were about to leave. I would have never left if I would have known she was in danger. The last thing I would have ever wanted was her to be hurt in any way.”
“I know, son.” Mr. Owens replied. “Autumn came and filled us in. We are furious to say the least but all we care about right now is making sure she survives. The last thing any parent wants to witness is their children fighting for their lives.”
“What was her surgery for? What were the injuries? I just can’t believe this is happening…” My voice was shaking with fear.
“Her injuries are quite extensive. She has multiple injuries including head injury, shattered femur, lacerated spleen, several broken ribs, and a collapsed lung.
“What did Autumn say happened?”
Mrs. Owens cleared her throat and then proceeded to tell me the story as it was told to her. “Apparently Reese had snuck out, I guess you already knew that.”
“No, ma’am, I didn’t. I knew she was at the bonfire but I didn’t know she snuck out.”
“Well anyway, I guess after you left Autumn wasn’t ready to leave. Reese went to the car and fell asleep. When Autumn decided it was time to leave, she had Cannon, his girlfriend and Ryan with her and they were all drunk. Autumn proceeded to drive them home. Mind you, she really hasn’t driven that much in the dark and adding drinking to it didn’t help. Anyway, from what Autumn says a deer ran out and she swerved ending up in a ditch. Instead of getting help by calling the police the guys thought it would be a good idea to call two taxi’s not even caring if anyone was hurt more than they could see.”
I shook my head letting her know I was taking this all in. I was sad, mad, disappointed. I fight the tears I feel wetting my eyes as I am listening. I was balling my fists feeling the frustration and anger in my body. I was full of rage. How in the hell would they do something so stupid?
“The girls got in one taxi, the guys in another. Autumn helped her in the window once they got to our house and then she left. She said when she left Reese was sleepy but seemed fine.”
I had no words… “I’m just speechless. I should have been with her.”
“Natalie found her in the bathroom throwing up blood and then falling asleep. Natalie got scared and finally came and got us a while later when we called 911. She was unresponsive and her pulse was very weak. We thought we had lost her.”
“I’m going to kill Cannon! What kind of guy just leaves girls like that and doesn’t make sure they get home safe? Especially after that. Has he come up here?”
“No, not that we are aware of. Only Autumn.”
“Of course he didn’t. He isn’t going to take responsibility for anything. I’ve known people like him all my life.”
They didn’t say anything. I mean, what in the hell could they say?
“Can I see her? I just want to see she is okay. I won’t stay long…”
“I don’t see anything wrong with that. I know you truly care for her,” Mr. Owens spoke up shocking me.
“I love her.”
They shook their head as if they already knew before I spoke it. “We know you do.” Both parents say in unison.
I had an hour until the visiting hours started, and I could not wait to see Reese. This was exactly what I was afraid of. Her being taken away from me. Here she is fighting for her life, and I haven’t had a chance to tell her I love her. What if I don’t get that chance? What if I lose her?
Visiting hours had finally arrived with one the slowest clocks in time. Her parents went in first and I paced with urgency of trying to understand the struggle between life and death. She had offered her heart to me and I was too blind to take it instead denying it for the last year. We had such a great night last night and then I find out this morning of this horrific accident that may take her from me.
Reese’s parents came into the waiting room finally.
“Garrison, she is barely awake but you can go try to talk to her. Please keep it short for now.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Owens. Yes, I will.”
I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as I walked through the long hall looking for her room. I kept hearing loud beeping that startled me. She was in Room 4 and it is supposed to be on the left hand side. I was nervous and damn near shaking aware I had never been in the ICU of a hospital. I observed the rooms as I walked seeing the sick people hooked up to tubes and family leaning over them either crying or with the look of shock on their faces of uncertainty.
I arrive at her room just as the nurse was closing her sliding glass door. I take a deep breath not ready for what I was going to see trying to prepare myself. Reese was my angel that never judged me, loved me for me, accepting all of me. Reese was someone that always showed me nothing but love and friendship.
I feel the vomit rising and fight the urge knowing that would be the last thing she would need to see.
I quietly walk into her room and hear silence other than the beeping from her machines that were hooked to all parts of her body. She looks asleep which I was thankful for giving me time to gain my composure.
I sit by her bed in the chair that was clearly where her parents sat staring at her beautiful face that was covered in black bruises with swelling. I sit down and continue staring at her willing her to look my direction. I reached for her hand and was careful not to touch any of the bruises or lines from the wires taped to her.