Determined: To Love: (Part 2 of the Determined Trilogy) (15 page)

“Oh you will,” she replied, her eyes wide. I knew she was thinking about that strawberry daiquiri.

We resumed our trek to the car. My phone started to buzz again. I looked down. It was David. I picked up as we headed down the sidewalk.

“Hey.”

“Samantha where are you?” His voice was brusque and clipped.

“Just walking back from dinner, why, what’s up?”

“Is Elliot with you?”

“Of course. What’s going on?” I glanced up the street at Elliot who was a few paces ahead of Erin and I. He was scanning the area as we walked. It was dark outside, and there were a lot of cars since it was a Saturday night. We started to cross the street to where we had parked one block up.

“Okay, I want you to go home right now and stay there.”

I was about to ask him why, but then everything stopped.

16

A fog started to clear. I was on the ground.
Why was I on the ground?
All I could hear was a high-pitched buzz. I felt the asphalt with my hands. It was rough. I felt it burn on my cheek. I pushed myself up. I was lying in a crosswalk and there were lights flashing all around me. Then I saw someone in the crosswalk with me. I recognized the shirt. Erin had a shirt like that. Erin.

Oh my God.

Erin.

She was on the far side of the crosswalk, not moving. I tried to get up and go over to her, but Elliot was kneeling down next to me, telling me not to move. I motioned to Erin, helplessly, as he checked me over. Finally, he helped me to my feet and walked me over to the curb. I tried to push him away so I could go to Erin. He wouldn’t let me. I think I screamed something at him, but he was measured in his reaction. My mom and dad were crouched down next to her. I couldn’t see their faces.

I didn’t even notice the crowd that had gathered until I was being loaded into the ambulance. Elliot came with me, and my parents went with Erin in a separate ambulance. No one was telling me what had happened. All I could hear were remarks about my blood type and other medical terms I couldn’t recognize. I hated being in that ambulance. What had just happened? I turned to Elliot.

“Elliot,” I started.

“Just stay still. You were hit by a car.”

“What?” I gasped, finally able to hear what he’d been repeating. The skin on my cheek seared with pain. I winced.

“Don’t talk. They want to check you out at the hospital. Just try to rest.”

I didn’t fight him. All the adrenaline had taken a toll on me. I closed my eyes as the EMT monitored my vital signs.

~

I woke up in a strange room. Opening my eyes slowly, I looked around.

“Dad.” My dad was sitting in the corner, along with Elliot. He looked up.

“Sam.” He jumped to his feet and came over. “Sammie, don’t worry everything is going to be fine.”

“What happened?”

“You and Erin were hit by a car.”

“Is Erin okay?”

My dad looked up at the ceiling for a moment and then back at me.

“Dad, is Erin okay?” I asked again.

His eyes were red, and he looked about ten years older than when I last saw him. “She got hit pretty bad. She has a broken leg and a severe concussion. There’s been some swelling in the brain, so they put her in a medically-induced coma.”

The room seemed to cave in on itself. I was glad I was already lying down.

“What?” Tears started welling up in my eyes. “Is she going to be okay?”

“They said that we’ll know more by tomorrow. They want to see how quickly the swelling goes down.”

“I want to see her.”

“Sammie, you need to rest. You’ve been banged up pretty badly.”

“Nonsense. I’m fine. Just some scrapes. I want to see Erin.”

“The doctors want to hold you until tomorrow for observation.”

“Dad.”

“Please don’t fight me on this, Sammie. Besides. It’s my birthday. You have to do what I ask.” He smiled weakly at me.

I laid back in the hospital bed and gave a resigned grunt.

“Your mom is up with Erin, but I’m going to go let her know you are up. Do you need anything? Pain meds? Water?”

“I’m fine, Dad. Go see Mom.”

“Okay, that button right there, if you need a nurse, you just press it, okay?”

“Go see Mom.”

He leaned in and kissed me on the head.

“I love you, Sammie.”

“I love you too, Dad. Tell Erin I love her, okay?”

“I will.” My dad looked down at me and then headed out into the hallway.

I looked over at Elliot. “I’m so sorry about this, Elliot. I’m sure spending the night at the hospital isn’t your idea of fun.”

“Sam, I am so sorry.” Elliot actually looked like he was going to cry.

“Elliot, calm down. It was just a freak accident. What was it, a drunk driver?”

Now it was Elliot’s turn to avoid eye contact. He looked off to the side.

“Elliot, what are you not telling me?”

“Sam.”

“Elliot.”

“Sam, Mr. Keith doesn’t want you to get upset.”

“Oh, Mr. Keith? Really? Elliot, I was just hit by a car. I don’t think I’m going to get much more messed up than I am right now. Did they catch the guy? What did David say?”

Elliot took a deep breath. “No. They have not caught the guy. It was a hit and run. We have an APB out on the vehicle, though. They won’t get far.”

“And what did David say?”

“Mr. Keith seems to have reason to believe that the incident was not an accident.”

My breath hitched. I felt a knot forming in my stomach.

“What do you mean
not an accident
?”

“Please, Miss.” Hmm. Elliot rarely called me miss.

Suddenly, I remembered my conversation with David on our way out of the restaurant. “Elliot, do you have my phone?”

“Yes, miss.” He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to me.

The screen was shattered. I pressed a few buttons. It was dead. Dammit.

“Can I borrow your phone? I want to call David.”

“He’s on a direct flight back, Sam.”

“I want to talk to him.”

Elliot looked at me.

“Please.”

He sighed and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and handed it to me. It rang as I held it up to my ear.

“Elliot, status report,” David’s firm voice came crashing over the airwaves.

“Hey, it’s me,” I said softly.

“Samantha” His voice dropped. I started to cry.

“Hey.”

“Samantha, baby, are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine, but Erin isn’t.” I swallowed.

“I know. Elliot told me. I am on my way back right now. I don’t want you to go anywhere until I am back, okay?”

“What is going on, David?” He was quiet. The lack of response made me nervous. “I’m scared.”

“Everything is going to be fine, baby. Right now I need you to concentrate on resting. I will fill you in when I get back.”

“Tell me now.”

“I’d prefer to not do it over the phone, Samantha. And I’m serious; the doctors said you need your rest. I am going to have to insist.”

I grunted my disagreement.

“Please do not leave the hospital until I get there. I should be there in five hours.”

“Please hurry.”

“I am, baby.”

I hung up the phone and looked at the time. Four in the morning. I handed the phone back to Elliot and leaned back in the bed, hoping to pass the time with sleep.

17

Sleeping in a hospital is tough. I had no idea. My restless slumber was interrupted by nurses who came in and out, asking me about my level of pain and taking my blood pressure. It all felt very unnecessary, especially when compared to the state Erin was in.

Finally, around eight in the morning, the nurse said I was allowed to visit my sister. My dad had spent the night on a rollaway bed and Elliot had slept on the small sofa.

As my dad helped me out of bed, I was surprised at how sore I was. I guess being hit by a car could really do that to you. I pulled up the skirt of my gown and glanced down. My entire right side was varying shades of dark purple. Elliot brought over a wheelchair, and I accepted it, secretly thankful for the assistance. He wheeled me out of the room, and I noticed a security officer was stationed outside. For a moment I wondered if that was David’s doing, but then quickly let the thought go. I only cared about seeing Erin.

We headed down the hall in silence and took an elevator up to Intensive Care. As the doors parted, a receptionist looked up and grabbed an older blond nurse that was walking by.

“Cathy, can you take these folks to see Erin Sharp?”

The nurse looked us up and down. “Are you all family?” They must have just switched shifts.

“Yes, I’m her father, and this is my other daughter.”

“What about him?” The nurse motioned to Elliot.

The receptionist cut in. “They have clearance, Cathy.” She motioned for us to come closer and snapped a blue wristband onto each of us. This seemed to appease the skeptical nurse.

“Okay come with me, please.”

We followed her down the busy hallway. Outside Erin’s room, another security officer sat, looking bored. Cathy opened the door and let us in.

Inside, the room was quiet, except for the hum and beeps of different monitoring equipment. My mom was in a chair next to Erin’s bed. She looked up at us, her eyes red from crying.

“Sammie,” she came over and bent down to give me a gentle hug, “how are you feeling? I came by earlier, but you were asleep.”

“I’m fine, mom. Really. Just sore. How is Erin?”

We all looked over at the girl who was lying in the bed. She was dressed in a hospital gown and had a large plastic mask over her face, helping her breathe. She looked much younger than her nineteen years. I started to sob uncontrollably in my seat.

My dad rubbed my back. “Honey, it’s okay, she isn’t in any pain.”

I didn’t care. Looking down at her, I felt guilty and confused. What had David meant on the phone? Why would someone do this to us, to her? What had Erin ever done to anyone? I was struck with an overwhelming need to see David. I felt like he knew something. I needed to understand why this happened, and I needed Erin to get better.

My mom cut in. “Really, honey, it’s okay. The doctors say that her swelling is going down. They think they can bring her out of the coma later today.”

“It’s my fault. I should have seen the car,” I whispered.

“Don’t be silly, honey. It was a random idiot. It could have happened to anyone. Don’t worry, the police will find him.” Her voice was strong, and I knew she was trying to be brave for all of us.

My dad interjected. “Plus, David has made sure we have the best doctors working on her. He called in some favors overnight.”

I took a deep breath and nodded.

~

Back in my hospital room, the nurses came by and announced that I was fit to be released. Had it been anyone else, I would have questioned their decision, given the shape I was in, but I was eager to get out of that hospital gown and back into my regular clothes.

The nurse gave me back my outfit from the day before, and she helped me dress slowly, while Elliot waited outside. Pulling my jeans on over the bruises took about three times longer than normal, and I had to let the nurse slip my shoes on for me. They gave me a little kit of toiletries, and I used the tiny bathroom in the room to freshen up. I gingerly manipulated the toothbrush inside my mouth, being careful to not open too widely, as the cuts on my cheek were still raw. But it felt good and refreshing, after having been in the hospital all night. I used a comb from the toiletries bag and tried to wrangle my messy mane, but quickly gave up. My hairdo was just not at the top of my priority list right then.

I opened the bathroom door. Elliot and my father and the nurse were gone. My heart stopped.

“David.”

“Samantha,” he croaked. His eyes widened and grew moist.

His voice unleashed a wave of emotion that had been building in me over the past two days. I collapsed into his arms, unaware of any pain. He cradled me gently and stroked my hair as I sobbed silently into his chest.

We stood there for several minutes, until I had expended all of my tears. Then he kissed my head and pulled himself back so that he could look at me. I rubbed my eyes. I didn’t even know where to start. We hadn’t finished our conversation from earlier, but now there seemed to be more pressing matters. I started to open my mouth, but David cut in.

“How are you feeling? Are you in any pain? Have the nurses been giving you what you need?” He cupped my head in his hands and looked down sternly, examining me.

“I’m fine. Really. It looks worse than it is. They said I’m cleared to leave.” I smiled weakly at him, wincing as my cheek stung.

“Don’t smile if it hurts Samantha,” he commanded, and then his eyes softened. “I can’t believe I let this happen to you.” His lips pursed in a thin line, and his jaw tightened, pain evident in his expression.

“Elliot said you think that this might have been on purpose?” I ventured carefully.

“I can tell you more later. For now, I want to get you home.”

“I want to stay with Erin.”

He glanced around the room. I could tell he was mulling over options in his mind.

“Okay.”

I was pleased he didn’t try to fight me on this one.

“The doctors said they are taking her out of the coma soon. How long do you want to stay?”

“I don’t know yet.”

He nodded solemnly at me and brought me back in for a gentle hug. I knew we’d stay as long as I needed.

~

Later that day, Erin was transferred out of the ICU. We went to meet her. David had arranged for a fancy hospital suite, and we were all able to gather at her bedside once she was strong enough for visitors. A young nurse led us to the room, and her nervous chit-chat along the way proved that she was not immune to David’s charms. Normally, I’d seethe with jealousy, but right now my focus was on Erin.

“My name is Alyssa. Please let me know if you need anything else,” she said, as she opened the door and let us in.

“Thank you, that will be all,” David said, without a trace of emotion. I walked out ahead and hugged my parents, who were already there. Then I turned to my sister.

“Hey Erin,” I said, gently, as I approached the side of her bed.