She walks over to me to wet a washcloth just like my mother would have done. She saw the blood in the toilet and gasped.
“Is that blood?” I could hear the fear in her sweet voice.
“No…” I flush the toilet trying to hide as much as possible.
She rubbed the cloth over my face gently and showed me the rag covered in dark red blood.
“You have marks all over your face, Reese?”
“I’m fine, Natalie. I just did that when I overshot the towel rack and hit the toilet by accident.”
“I’m going to get Mom.”
“NO! Just sit with me.”
“I really think I need to get Mom. You don’t look so good. You have no color to your face and the blood, something is going on... I don’t...”
Crap. I have got to think of something really fast to keep her from getting Mom. “I am fine, just sit with me and you’ll see.”
“You’re scaring me, Reese...”
“I don’t mean to...”
She finally sat and didn’t remove her eyes off me. I couldn’t tell my little sister I was just as scared as she was. I had made a horrible choice last night and I hope it doesn’t cost me my life.
I fell asleep with my head in Natalie’s lap. She rubbed my head trying to make me feel better and eventually putting me in a slumber. I felt peace. Maybe this will all be okay...
I wake up with my body shaking uncontrollably. I can’t open my eyes and I can’t control anything.
I know I am lying on the floor, and I hear my sister screaming. I can feel her tears falling on me and I can feel her shaking me. “REESE... REESE... REESE... MOM... MOM... MOM... HELP... HELP!!!” I’m trying to tell or show her I am okay. I can hear her, but I can’t comfort her.
~ ~ ~
I am jolted awake and am moving my eyes around trying to figure out where I am. I am suffocating. I have a mask over my face and I feel tubes all around me. I start to pull at the mask over my face to get it off.
“Hi, sweetie, I’m Linda your nurse. You’re gonna be okay. You can’t take that mask off. You have to have it on to breathe. Listen to me, if you take it off your blood pressure is going to drop and you are going to get sicker. Do you understand me? If you do, shake your head.”
I shake my head slightly to show her I understood.
“We are finishing evaluating you and then I will fill you and your parents in. You just hang in there.”
I continue panicking, but I know there is nothing I can do but lay here. It is all out of my control. I’m trying to remember why I am here and all I see is black in my brain, a dark white gray cloud that is empty.
“Are you in pain?” Linda asks me.
I shake my head yes, but in all reality if I could have screamed it out I would have. I hurt everywhere. My head feels like it’s being pushed and pulled on at the same time. My chest feels as if someone was sitting on it, and my stomach feels like someone is twisting my insides. My skin even hurts. I try to move my hands down to see if I still had my legs and arms, I did but nothing seemed right. Pain is good right? That means I’m alive, for now anyway.
“I’ll get you some medicine and let your parents know you are awake.”
I closed my eyes again trying to remember why I am here concentrating until I couldn’t concentrate any longer.
~ ~ ~
Movement in my hospital room wakes me up. Two different nurses are trying to move me around and changing things out that are connected to me. It was a blur other than my mother sitting beside me holding my hand and my dad at a distance pacing at the foot of my bed.
“Oh, Reese, you’re finally awake, baby girl.” Her sweet voice. The voice that had comforted me so many times in my life. She had Kleenex in her other hand blotting her eyes.
“What… what…” I couldn’t get the words out.
Dad came and stood up beside me. I had never seen his eyes puffy from crying. “Reese, they are getting you ready for surgery. You have extensive body damage and internal bleeding. It is life...”
Mom finished his sentence, “Threatening. It is emergency surgery.’’
“But… how? Why?”
“Honey, we really don’t know anything. Natalie found you in the bathroom and you were vomiting blood. Then you passed out, but she thought you were just sleeping until she tried to wake you up and you wouldn’t…”
Oh my God… what is wrong with me?
We were interrupted by the nurses moving my bed. “We are taking her to surgery. We can’t possibly wait any longer. I will keep you updated as I am informed of her status. Please wait in the waiting room.”
“I love you, Mom and Dad.”
“We love you too, sweetie.” I saw out of the corner of my eye my parents standing beside each other and my dad comforting my mom. Mom’s head was tucked into dad’s chest and he was holding her close trying to give her the strength she needed. I wish he could comfort me too. What did I do to cause this?
Garrison
I have been texting Reese’s phone since last night after the bonfire and haven’t heard back from her. Her silence shocks me since we had such a wonderful night together.
Garrison: You’re not answering me… Did I say something to make you mad? I am worried please text me.
After fifteen texts of similar pleading, she hadn’t answered me. Everything and anything was running through my head.
Reese: This is Natalie. Reese isn’t home. Actually it’s not good, she is at the hospital.
My heart stopped. I could have had her the entire time we were in school together but was too stubborn. Now, something is wrong and I’m not there to help her.
I called her number immediately hoping Natalie answered.
“Natalie, this is Garrison. What’s wrong with Reese?”
“I don’t know yet. Mom and Dad just called and she is having emergency surgery. She has internal bleeding.”
“How? What happened?”
“I have no idea. I just know I heard her in our bathroom last night and when I got in there she was sick, throwing up blood. Blood was everywhere. I was so scared…”
“Sure you were. But what happened?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t go out last night.”
I knew she had because she was at the bonfire with me. And Autumn. Did she sneak out to just be with me? It was my last night in town and I know how bad I wanted to be with her, she must have felt the same way.
“Okay thanks, Natalie. What hospital is she at?”
“Memorial Hospital.”
“Okay, I’m on my way. I’m in San Marcos but I’ll get there as soon as I can. If you see her, please tell her I love her.”
“I will… I hope my parents will be coming to get me soon so I can go see her. I don’t know what I will do without her…”
I am lost on how this could have happened.
~ ~ ~
I do the only thing I can think of. Call Autumn.
I dialed her number and it went straight to voicemail. I left a voicemail and dialed again.
Autumn answered on the third time I called. “This better be important!”
“Do you know what happened to Reese?”
“What do you mean what happened to Reese? She should be at home in bed sleeping like I am.
That’s where I left her.”
“WHAT do you mean that’s where you left her? Didn’t you leave right after I did?”
“I wanted to stay longer. She was ready to go. In fact she sat in the car waiting to go… total party pooper.”
“She is at Memorial Hospital about to have emergency surgery! Did something happen?”
“What do you mean she is having surgery?”
“I have been texting her phone and calling. Her sister answered and told me she had internal bleeding and was having surgery.”
The phone went dead.
“Autumn? Autumn?”
Damn it! I threw my phone against the wall.
Great. Just great. I packed a sm
all bag and jumped back in my truck for the longest ride of my life not knowing how I could deal with the reality I would be faced with when I arrived.
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?
An Ordinary Me Page 14