Chapter 3

Driving at a regulated speed along the empty roads, because of what time it was, Officer Cole Bennet could not wait to be done with his late night shift. Just thirty minutes more and he'd get to go home to his girlfriend Leah, and their dog, Buster.

This night had been uneventful with the only thing he seemed to be able to catch in it being the cold and he was glad for that. Although getting into the force and being paid for his duties because there had to be disorderliness and criminal activities going on around, he and many other officer like himself, except for those narcissistic trigger happy officers, wished there would be more peaceful nights like this in the city.

He drove, changing lanes from one street to the other until he got unto the highway, where he saw it.

"Shit...." All thoughts of Buster and Leah fled.

This looked very gorey. He sped up to meet the accident scene. The truck had collided with the blue car. He didn't like seeing things like this, he thought as he proceeded towards the real deal, wondering what on earth had caused this and as he got closer to the scene, he pulled out his flashlight carefully.

There were teenage girls in the car and he wondered why they were out so late. From what he saw. The ones in the back seat and the passenger seat had broken things. The driver though, she had a nasty cut on her forehead that wash gushing blood. The sight of it sent chills through his body. She looked like she'd taken the nastiest hit.

He leaned in closer and touched it, the fresh blood, still dripping, taking note that this accident had just happened and if he had arrived any sooner he would have even been able to hear the sound made when the collision happened but on the up side he thought, since the accident just occured then maybe he wasn't too late. Was he?

"Dispatch I need backup, there's been an accident involving a truck and a smaller vehicle... Victims number up to three teenage girls in the smaller vehicle, all unconscious and tons of blood everywhere and as for the truck, well, lemme go check" 

He continued talking to the station while he rushed over to the truck but gently so as not to trip on the parts of the both vehicles than were on the road. He checked and the driver was unconscious, with his body resting on the air bag. He didn't look too bad.

The smaller blue vehicle, although looking more banged up than the truck, obviously, it was a good sight that it wasn't on fire and the car wasn't turned upside down so officer Bennet didn't need to rush the girls in it out and to a safer location because moving them, especially the one in the driver's seat could have had bad implications in the case they had fractured ribs which would pierce the lung when moved or internal bleeding or some other things of those nature. Although unfortunate, there being an accident if this magnitude it was still fortunate that things weren't worse.

Officer Bennet finished informing dispatch of everything he sees in complete detail and the total number of victims of the accident after checking the back of the truck in case there were people being transported at the back but fortunately again there were just goods and with that he ended the transmission, remaining there and waiting for help to arrive.

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Moments later, in Charles Taylor Memorial Hospital...

The night wasn't too busy, maybe not at all even. The reception nurse sat at her desk checking files and humming idly. There werent that much people around  when suddenly, the front doors were flung open, and four stretchers wheeled in one after the other. They bore three young girls and a man who looked like they'd been in a bad wreckage.

The previously idle nurse pushed the blue button, and the emergency doctors on standby appeared with their nurses. The team wheeled the three girls in for surgery and the man for check up as he didn't look as bad as they were except for a bruise and cuts here and there but there was still the possibility of him having internal bleeding. Nothing to rule out in situations like this.

Nurse Tina Baker turned to officer Bennett.

"Any ID?"

"Yeah, one driver's license. I already contacted the parents. They should be here in no time."

As he spoke, they began to appear. Kleo's mother, Connie Dawson. Dawns parents and Jodie's mother with her boyfriend. Connie, red eyed and blotchy faced from crying, led the group. She walked up to nurse Baker,

"Where are our girls?"

Tina was filled with sympathy for the woman and her tone showed just that "They're in surgery ma'am."

At the mention of surgery, Nikki Prince, Jodie's mother entirely broke.

 

"Mrs. Prince, it'll be, okay."

Genie, was hugging her husband and sobbing hard. To think she was about to yell at Dawn for staying out so late but after all the sobs and emotional outbursts, finally Nurse Tina had managed to convince them that all would be well, they proceeded to sit and wait.

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At 12am Doctor Joanna Patel came bearing news. At doctor Patel's lead, the parents proceeded to their daughters. Connie saw Kleo's pale skin and nearly fainted. Her baby, summoning all of the courage she could find, she shakily proceeded to Kleo's bedside. With all the wires attached to her, she looked even more pale than usual. Connie touched her daughter's red hair and an involuntary sob escaped her....

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KLOE'S POV

I could hear my mom crying and I didn't even understand why except for the fact that I couldn't open my eyes to even look at her and tell her that. I'm not dead. I wanted to reach out and tell her to stop, that it's going to be okay, but I couldn't. Everywhere was still dark. I wondered if I was stuck in some weird third dimension.

My mind suddenly goes to Dawn and Jodie. Are they okay?!

While everyone wondered what was going to happen while being extremely tensed about things and the progress that was going to happen the monitor suddenly went into overdrive, alarming everyone and mom screamed for the nurse, 

"Fix it," She babbled messily, her daughter was dying in her mind so her responses were justified.

The nurse injected me with a sedative to stop my seizure I was having.

"Fuck did this lady just inject me with?" I suddenly, felt extra drousy. I tried very hard to fight it, but slowly and surely I couldn't until I was off.

The surrounding to me was already dark to begin with but I somehow felt more darkness consumed me as I went of it. I became unconscious and while I was knocked out, mom and the nurse watched my heart rate slow down.

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In the room beside them, Avan Colton sat by his mother's bedside. He was sobbing as he stared at his mother's shriveled figure. She was withered. He wondered how much longer he'd have to watch this happen. Every time she'd get sick, she looked like she was going to die, and obviously life was leaving her. He didn't know what to do or how to help because every time the doctor was going to speak she asked him to get her something.

Her hazel eyes fluttered open.

"Mom," he said and she laughed weakly. Something was obviously wrong, but he forced himself to smile back,

"How are you kiddo?"

"You're not one to ask that type of question mom. What was that?"

For an instant something flashed across her features, it was like fear and sadness combined. But it passed in a flash,

"I'm not the one who looks like their wife just died." she retorted.

Avan's breath caught. He didn't enjoy it when his mother joked about death, and she did it all the time.

"Mom stop." he insisted 

She laughed and then the doctor came in. There was only one question on Avan's mind. "How long before we can go home?"

Doctor Jones said gravely, "In about a week, son."

"Avan, why don't you go get yourself something to eat?" his mom requested and he eyed his mother suspiciously because this was what she usually does when the doctor comes to say something about the progress of her wellbeing

"Why don't you want me here?"

"Avan don't fight me, just go."

He huffed and stormed out. Sierra, his mom, turned her attention to the doctor before her and said "Don't look at me like that." She said exasperatedly,

Doctor Jones replied, "You've got to tell him. He's not a child, Sierra."

Her eyes turned to steel "Do you have anything to tell me or came to tell me how to parent?"

"Going this way never ends well, Sierra. Tell him."

"Get out!" She spat bitterly,

Doctor Jones left with a sad glance at her and she watched him walk out of the room and then, curled up in the bed to let the hot tears fall down her face moment later.