Everything They Didn't Tell

by Marcaila Edwards

  Everything They Didn't Tell.

  By Marcaila Edwards 2018 ©All rights reserved.

  __________________

  The 2nd Edition

  This book is dedicated to my parents, Mark Edwards and Sandra Knight-Edwards. Thank you for your never ending support. You are the best parents one could ask for.

  To my dear cousin, more like sister, Xaundrea. Thank you for giving me the experience of a real friendship. Thanks for being the best and dearest friend throughout my lifetime. It is through your love and friendship experience that I've learnt to paint the vivid image of friendship between the characters in this book. Our friendship is one that cannot be bought, broken, copied or replaced; it comes straight from the heart.

  With Love,

  -Marcaila.

  All places, names and ideas are from the author’s imaginations. Similar names, places or ideas are strictly coincidental.

  -Marcaila Edwards

  Prologue

  After a long shift at work, I drag myself to the parking lot and hurriedly get home because all I want to do is head straight to bed. Again, I drag my tired limbs up the staircase of my city-view apartment; I open the door, quickly going inside without hesitation. It's the wee hours of the morning. The moment I get in, I lock the door behind me and crash unto the chair. And now sleep abducts.

  I get up, after three hours of rest; I make a cup of coffee, then turn to the answering machine, as I am sure there had been a million messages on there.

  – “Hey Rachel, its Dr. Manning. I was wondering if you could give me a helping hand on my Heart Transplant tomorrow? Just call me as soon as you get this message.”

  – “Rach, it's mom. I’m just calling to find out if you’re taking care of yourself. I know you’re busy with that hospital and all, but remember you can’t be looking about other people’s health and not yours. Anyways, I love you, cupcake, Talk to you soon. Oh, and before I forget, your dad said, Hi.”

  “I love you too, mom,” I say out loud as if she could hear me.

  –“Rach, it's mom again. You need to call me now; it’s really urgent.” My body stiffens and my heart pounds; my mother sounds as if she was crying. I proceed to the next message.

  – “Rachel, its Mrs. Black here. Just call us, please.” Now, I am even more concerned as my best friend’s mother is never usually depressed.

  I rush for my bag, pulling my phone out to call my mom.

  “Mom, I got your messages, is everything okay?”

  “Oh Dear,” I heard her sobbing on the other end of the line, “I’m so sorry– I wish I could say everything is okay. I have some really bad news; I think you should sit.”

  I turned the lights on and push my hair over my shoulders.

  “Go ahead, mom.” I wait for the words to spill off her lips.

  Say it, momma, just say it.

  “Rach, Robyn –” she starts to speak but pauses suddenly.

  “What’s wrong with Robyn, mom!” I clamour.

  “Sweetie, Robyn met an accident,” she says timely and softly.

  “Well– is she okay?”

  “The cops only found the car, Rach; they– can’t find her.”

  Now my body is as stiff as a board, my limbs numb and unable to move. My mouth desperately begs my brain for words but none would come. All I can do is process the words mother had just said to me. My thoughts are blank. The last thing I remember is being in an unrecognizable part of my apartment. I try calling for David, but it is too late. My head comes in contact with the mahogany floor and darkness consumes me.

  ***

  “Rachel Can you hear me? If you can hear me please squeeze my hands.” I hear this stern and low masculine voice. Obediently, I squeeze his hands. Then, everything starts coming back to me. It is David, my fiancé.

  I force open my eyes to take a look at his olive skin tone, which seems never to change, his curly moist brown hair, which always looks unruly, perfectly matching with his hazel brown eyes and his tall stature.

  “Everything is going to be okay, Rach; I’ll make sure of it,” he whispers in my ears.

  “Ro... Robyn…” I barely muttered.

  “Shh…. It’s Okay, I know.” He says, trying to soothe me.

  He seems to be taking the news pretty well, although I know under all that tough shell, he is feeling pain. He, Robyn and I are inseparable. People call us 'The Three Musketeers'.

  “Nurse, hang one more IV and get a head CT STAT! We need to check for any head injuries, she did hit her head really bad,” he shouts, his voice echoing across the modern architecture hospital room.

  I lie here on the gurney, experiencing how it feels to be on the other side, you know, being the patient, not the doctor. All I can think about was the fact that my best friend, almost like a sister to me, is gone.

  I'm brought out of my daze by a soft, tender hug. I knew that touch from anywhere – it's my mom. I bury my head in her arms while letting the warm tears flow down my cheeks.

  My brain decides to torture me even more by flashing images of Robyn and I together and replaying our conversations that are cached in the back of my mind. Suddenly, my most fund memory of her comes to me.

  “Rach, make me a promise,” Robyn says, at our high school graduation.

  “Sure. What is it?” I enquire, waiting patiently for her next words.

  “Promise me that even if the world is ending, you will never, ever leave me. And Rach, if I die before you, promise me that you will not waste your life mourning over me and become one of those old ladies with 50 cats. Live your life, follow your dreams, but never forget me, ” she says, saying each word while looking in my ice blue eyes.

  “Robyn don’t even go there. It will always be me and you, and of course, David, till the end,” I would tell her. “I will fulfill your wishes, but only if you do the same.”

  “I Promise.” We both promise in unison and hugged it out.

  I’m brought back to reality by my mother, asking me if I wanted to know how she met the accident. My mother goes on to explain that Robyn was on the freeway and a drunken truck driver hit her car in the back. She said when the cops arrived they only saw the paper crushed car but they couldn’t find a body. Hearing this tears begin to rain down on my cheeks, uncontrollably.

  “Did they search everywhere?” I enquire, hopefully.

  “Yes honey, I know it hurts.” And for the fifth time within this hour, I break down.

  Chapter 1

  It’s been three years exactly since Robyn had gone missing, as I like to call it. I still don’t like to think of it as if she’s dead. Who knows, she could be out there. I would call every month to check up on her parents and though it is a 2-hour journey, I would visit them, just to see if they are physically well.

  It’s my lunch break and I'm going to eat with David. On my way there, I stop to make a call to Robyn’s parent as today is the anniversary of Robyn’s ‘death’.

  “Hi, Mrs. Black, Rachel here. I’m just calling to find out how you and Mr. Black are coping?” I greet, trying to put as much chirpiness as possible in my voice.

  “Oh, Hi Dear. We’re doing just fine here, and how about you?”

  How can one be fine on the anniversary of their daughter’s death? Maybe she just accepts the fact that Robyn won’t be coming back and has moved on.

  “I know today must be tough for you and Mr. Black, but I pray for God’s richest blessings on both of you.” I express my genuine sympathy to the woman I consider my other mother.

  “Thank you, dear. I try to think of it as if she’s way on a long vacation. I guess I just have to accept it?”

  Well at least she’s taking this well.

  “Well, I’m glad yo
u’re doing okay. Say hi to Mr. Black for me. Got to run.”

  “Alrighty, Dear. Have a good one now.” Her voice begins sounding frail. Maybe she's going to cry when I hang up.

  I hurriedly place my phone in the pocket of my lab coat and sit on the seat opposite of David.

  “Hey, babe,” he greets.

  “Hi,” I let out shakily, still in a daze.

  “Hi?” David questions.

  “Sorry, it’s just that …I was just on the phone with Robyn’s mom and she seems to be doing pretty good, but, ” I state, nonchalantly.

  “Isn’t that a good thing,” he asks, obviously confused.

  “Yeah, I guess I’m just wondering how is it that her mother is – doing fine, while I’m here, trying to move on.”

  “Everyone takes different time periods to grieve. You were very close so it’s not unusual.”

  “I just can’t stop thinking about her you know. It’s like she’s begging me to look for her. I don’t know if it’s my mind or what but I just feel like I’m betraying her.” I can’t hold it any longer. I place my head on the table, trying to contain the sobs.

  “Hey. Shh… It’s Okay” he hushes me. Through my blurred vision, I see this woman passing by the cafeteria window, and my god, does she look like Robyn. My entire body jolts, my palms become sweaty and I start hyperventilating.

  “David, look!” I point to the glass window.

  “What– is it?”

  “I– I, just saw this woman who’s body frame looks like that of Robyn,” I bellow, even as my eyes search the parking lot outside the cafeteria window.

  “Honey, are you sure. Probably your mind is just playing tricks on you. Come on let’s just go home and sleep this off.”

  “Okay,” I sigh, feeling as if I’m totally losing it. Maybe I'm–– losing it.

  Chapter 2

  After a half an hour drive, we finally arrive at my apartment.”

  “Babe, I’m going to make us some pasta and – ” His voice echoes through the kitchen walls.

  “Okay, I’ll be in the living room. Call me when you’re done,” I mutter, from across the thin wall.

  I kick my sneakers off and curl my body on the lounge seat, hoping to find some comfort.

  “Dinner is ready, so are you going to eat in here?” He approaches from the kitchen and sits on the edge of the seat.

  “Let’s eat in the dining room; I’ll start setting the table,” I croak.

  Lazily getting up from the couch, I go to the kitchen to look for the utensil, plates and glasses to set the table. David comes with the chicken fettuccine and red wine and places them on the table.

  The atmosphere becomes heavy. It's like one of those movies, where everyone is literally making small talks to keep the event flowing. This is so uncomfortable, I can feel David's eyes, drilling holes through my head, probably saying I've gone mad, but trust me I haven't. After minutes, which feel like hours, of listening to knives and forks clattering against plates, the gulping of wine and teeth chewing food, I surrender. I can't sit in this deafening silence anymore.

  “I can’t do this. I know what you’re thinking, David. I know you think I’m crazy, but I’m telling you I saw that woman today. She had a body frame just as Robyn's,” I howled, storming away from the table.

  He runs to my side saying, “Rachel come on, talk to me, explain to me; not saying you didn't see someone.”

  “Yeah, right, like you believe anything that is coming from my mouth right now.” I roll my eyes, leaning against the kitchen sink.

  “Rach, I do believe you. I didn’t propose to a mad woman, did I? Probably the woman just looks like her.”

  “Promise?” I sigh, hopefully.

  “Promise,” he pledges and.

  ***

  I go to the kitchen and start to prepare some French toast with blueberries and Black Coffee, just the way David likes it. I look through the kitchen arch to see if he's still sleeping, which is highly unlikely as he never sleeps past seven. As expected, David had just gotten up.

  “Morning.” he mummers, rubbing his eyes with his fisted knuckles.

  “Morning,” I chirp.

  “Someone’s in a great mood.”

  “Yeah, I think I’m going to try not to think about Robyn today. I can't forget about her at all. I even dreamt about her last night, but I think I’m going to just forget about it, or at least try to,” I explain to him while I shrug my shoulders, returning my focus to the coffee I’m pouring in the mug.

  He gives me a smile and we both proceeded to eat the meal I prepared. We leave the kitchen to the bathroom to get ready for work. In 10 minutes we were both outside the apartment ready to leave for work. I’m glad David and I had cleared the air, there’s currently no tension between us and the ride to work is smooth. It’s just 7:10 A.M and the traffic in the city is crazy.

  I hear David drumming his fingers against the dashboard of the vehicle while nodding his head to the same beat...Though it's catchy, I am more focused on something else. As I roll down the window to look at the lush green grass, which has sprung up neatly between the concrete walkway, I am greeted by a fresh floral smell that takes over the car immediately.

  My eyes catches a set of flower boxes, neatly placed in a grid. They are so bright, colorful and make you happy instantly. The box is packed with Cherry Blossoms, Dahlias, Anemones of all different colours and sizes. I then look further down the block to see a group of children playing in the grass and picking flowers. Seeing those children playing probably isn’t the best thing as my mind starts going back to my childish days with Robyn.

  Honk! Honk! -

  I was snapped out of my semi-conscious state.

  “Shut up!” I bark, through the window on the passenger's side of the car.

  “Easy there, tiger,” David jests.

  We both grin, acknowledging the fact that I might have been too harsh on the fellow motorist.

  Seconds after, I hear the sound of screeching tires, and the once beautiful floral smell is converted to a scent of burning rubber. As my head raises out from its laid-back position, I look up to see two cars colliding into each other, both looking like paper balls, all crushed.

  “Oh my God. Get the first aid kit and call Stacy. Tell her we need an ambulance here STAT!” he blurts out and starts to glove up. I do as I'm told and run to the scene of the accident, putting on my gloves, getting ready to spring to duty. I was in a state of shock, but I still manage to pull myself together as I need to do my job.

  What do we have?” I question quickly.

  “A two vehicle collision, the other driver is okay. No major external injuries but he’s bruised up pretty bad! This is Megan and this is her daughter, Dana. Dana checks out fine but Megan has a patellar fracture and is losing blood due to the laceration on the side of her left leg.” He looks up, momentarily, while packing the wound on the woman’s leg.

  I look down on Megan’s knee and I see the woman in her twenties, crying and taking deep breaths. This is one nasty knee fracture. I quickly grab some more gauze from the kit and hand it to David.

  “Is my mommy going to be okay?” I turn to see little Dana sobbing and holding a stuffed doll. I look at her and all I see is worry and concern. Fear paints her entire face.

  “Yes, Sweetie, as soon as the ambulance get’s here and takes her to the hospital, she will be just fine,” I reassure her. “You are one brave little girl. Everything’s going to be okay,” I add.

  Overhearing David telling Megan that he’s about to set her knee back in place, he signals for me to distract Dana. I take her to our car and tell her to close her eyes tight, real tight and not to open them until I tell her to. Good, she is obedient and she follows my instructions.

  I run over to the scene, pushing my way through the thick crowd of onlookers, to assist David. In my all years of being a surgeon, David is one of the best Trauma surgeons I've ever seen.

  “One, three, one, two, three,” David counts.

 
; “ARRRRGGGH…!” Megan grunts, gripping my palms tightly.

  I leave Megan's side and rush over to the other driver, who had hit his head on the curb of the sidewalk.

  “David! The gauze!!! Hurry!!!”

  “Doc, please don't let me die,” the bloody man pleads.

  “Hey, don't do that, okay?” I manage to let out as I wrap his head quickly.

  I keep picking small talks with him so that he stays awake, keeping his brain active. I glance through the corner of my eye, seeing David helping the EMTs, putting Megan and Dana in the first ambulance and then he points to the area where I'm at, signaling the other ambulance to stop.

  Thank God the ambulances got here on time.

  David is still on the phone with Martha, our head ER nurse, giving her a heads up on the incoming. As soon as he ends the call, he removes his gloves and pulls me into a tight hug, which I gladly return. We are brought out of our coziness by the applauding of the people on the streets and in the vehicles.

  Phew. I haven’t even gotten to work and so much already. I wonder what else is in store for today.

  Chapter 3

  Approaching the automatic glass door, I look down at my scrubs and realize how bloody they are. I use my handbag to hide it while we walk past the nurses’ station.

  “Hey, If it isn't the super couple.”

  David and I stop in our tracks and all heads are turned to us. I smile and let out a small chuckle.

  “Martha, how many people now about this?” I whisper.

  “Eh. Not a lot, just the entire city that's watching the news.” She points to the television, which has footages of me and David on the news broadcast.

  I like helping people but I don't like drawing attention to myself. I quickly rush to the locker room to change my bloody scrubs, which by now had blood drying up on it .