me we can get past this Ryder, it won’t be the same without him.”
“I will try baby, but for now, I just need time.”
I turn to face him, and stroke his cheek. I know it’s eating him up too, because he hasn’t been himself. I don’t know exactly what hurt him so much, because he refuses to speak with me about it. I rest my cheek on his chest, and let him pull me close. I hope and pray that we can get past this, because things will never be the same if we all aren’t apart of each other’s lives.
CHAPTER 11
MAYA
“Hey,” I say, answering my phone later that night. I am at my parent’s house and Ryder has gone off to work, but is calling me only an hour in, “What’s up?”
“Maya…” his voice is hoarse. “Maya…it’s Nate. He has been in a car accident. I don’t know… I don’t know if he will live.”
I black out, I don’t remember anything after that because I don’t come to for a long while. When I do, my parents are leaning over me, patting my cheeks. I scream Nate’s name, this can’t be happening. This is something that happens only in someone’s worst nightmare, he can’t die now…he thinks we don’t love him. I daze in and out as my parents drive me to the hospital.
When we arrive, I am numb. It is one of those moments when you can’t hear the people around you, you can’t even hear yourself think, heck you can’t even feel your own feet moving, but you know they are. Everything is in slow motion, and if someone played a tragic song, you would crumble and fall.
Mark is holding my hand, though I can’t feel it. My Mother and Father are walking behind me, their faces solemn. I can’t see Ryder, I can’t see anyone. I walk down the long, bland halls. I pray, pray to anyone who’s listening, to let him be ok. God, please, let him be ok. I turn three corners; all the rooms look the same. All the people look the same.
Then, I see Ryder. He is sitting on a row of plastic chairs, his head in his hands. I let go of Mark’s hand and hurry forward. His head snaps up, and when he sees me, tears tumble down his beautiful cheeks. As soon as I reach him, his hands wrap around me and he crushes me to his chest. Together, we cry and tremble, both of us praying for our best friend.
“What happened?” I whisper.
“I don’t,” he says, choking on his words. “I don’t really know. I hear he was driving and a car came out of nowhere. It slammed into the side of the car and crushed him. ”
“It’s going to be ok, ” I croak, though I don’t believe it. Not for a second.
“Ryder?”
We turn to see a doctor in light blue scrubs. He gives us a kind smile, and we try hard to return it.
“Doc, is he ok?”
“Sit.”
“Is he dead?” I cry, my voice alarmed and traumatized.
“No, please, sit,” he says, sitting beside us, “Nathan’s injuries were bad. We have done everything we can to repair the damage but at this point, he is in an induced coma and we won’t know anything until he wakes.”
“What are we looking at?” Ryder asks, swallowing.
“Brain injuries, internal bleeding, those are the worst two. He was crushed in that car; he had two broken legs, a broken arm, collar bone and ribs. His spine was damaged mildly; his head took a large hit. He has severe internal bruising and bleeding. It is critical at this stage.”
“Oh, God,” I cry, putting my head in my hands.
Ryder stands and storms off down the hall. I stand and run after him, we get outside into the pounding rain and he begins slamming trees and poles with his fist. I grip his arms, “Stop, Ryder, stop.”
He spins around and grips my shoulders.
“If he dies…Oh God…he thinks I fucking hate him.”
I yank him into my arms and we stand in the pouring rain holding each other and crying. His body trembles and shudders, and I know that right now I have to put my big girl panties on and be strong for him. If I don’t, he will crumble and
“I will try baby, but for now, I just need time.”
I turn to face him, and stroke his cheek. I know it’s eating him up too, because he hasn’t been himself. I don’t know exactly what hurt him so much, because he refuses to speak with me about it. I rest my cheek on his chest, and let him pull me close. I hope and pray that we can get past this, because things will never be the same if we all aren’t apart of each other’s lives.
CHAPTER 11
MAYA
“Hey,” I say, answering my phone later that night. I am at my parent’s house and Ryder has gone off to work, but is calling me only an hour in, “What’s up?”
“Maya…” his voice is hoarse. “Maya…it’s Nate. He has been in a car accident. I don’t know… I don’t know if he will live.”
I black out, I don’t remember anything after that because I don’t come to for a long while. When I do, my parents are leaning over me, patting my cheeks. I scream Nate’s name, this can’t be happening. This is something that happens only in someone’s worst nightmare, he can’t die now…he thinks we don’t love him. I daze in and out as my parents drive me to the hospital.
When we arrive, I am numb. It is one of those moments when you can’t hear the people around you, you can’t even hear yourself think, heck you can’t even feel your own feet moving, but you know they are. Everything is in slow motion, and if someone played a tragic song, you would crumble and fall.
Mark is holding my hand, though I can’t feel it. My Mother and Father are walking behind me, their faces solemn. I can’t see Ryder, I can’t see anyone. I walk down the long, bland halls. I pray, pray to anyone who’s listening, to let him be ok. God, please, let him be ok. I turn three corners; all the rooms look the same. All the people look the same.
Then, I see Ryder. He is sitting on a row of plastic chairs, his head in his hands. I let go of Mark’s hand and hurry forward. His head snaps up, and when he sees me, tears tumble down his beautiful cheeks. As soon as I reach him, his hands wrap around me and he crushes me to his chest. Together, we cry and tremble, both of us praying for our best friend.
“What happened?” I whisper.
“I don’t,” he says, choking on his words. “I don’t really know. I hear he was driving and a car came out of nowhere. It slammed into the side of the car and crushed him. ”
“It’s going to be ok, ” I croak, though I don’t believe it. Not for a second.
“Ryder?”
We turn to see a doctor in light blue scrubs. He gives us a kind smile, and we try hard to return it.
“Doc, is he ok?”
“Sit.”
“Is he dead?” I cry, my voice alarmed and traumatized.
“No, please, sit,” he says, sitting beside us, “Nathan’s injuries were bad. We have done everything we can to repair the damage but at this point, he is in an induced coma and we won’t know anything until he wakes.”
“What are we looking at?” Ryder asks, swallowing.
“Brain injuries, internal bleeding, those are the worst two. He was crushed in that car; he had two broken legs, a broken arm, collar bone and ribs. His spine was damaged mildly; his head took a large hit. He has severe internal bruising and bleeding. It is critical at this stage.”
“Oh, God,” I cry, putting my head in my hands.
Ryder stands and storms off down the hall. I stand and run after him, we get outside into the pounding rain and he begins slamming trees and poles with his fist. I grip his arms, “Stop, Ryder, stop.”
He spins around and grips my shoulders.
“If he dies…Oh God…he thinks I fucking hate him.”
I yank him into my arms and we stand in the pouring rain holding each other and crying. His body trembles and shudders, and I know that right now I have to put my big girl panties on and be strong for him. If I don’t, he will crumble and
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