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Howie remembered the day that he decided that he had waited long enough, and that he was going to find out what happened to his new best friend.

~*~April 2001~*~

She hadn’t responded to his last four letters. Their letters to each other had been frequent and always made him feel incredibly happy since that first letter back in 1999.

From the very moment he wrote back to her his mood changed considerably. He no longer felt depressed and on the edge. He got along better with everyone and performed better. Only a few knew of the letters, but no one understood how much they had come to mean to him.

He frowned trying to remember what her last letter to him had said exactly. Were there any hints of trouble, or of her having a reason not to write back? He couldn’t remember any.

That was why at the moment he sat in his rental truck fingering the piece of paper with directions to her address. He had determined that he was going to pay her a surprise visit, and to hopefully find out if anything is wrong. He’d never been so nervous in his life. What if she just didn’t want to read about him bitching and moaning about his life anymore? Or maybe she’s just to busy to write back to him. Lord knows that he’s been too busy to write to her at times.

He sighed. But then again something might be wrong. He looked at the address on the paper again, and then up at the house with the same number on the side of the front door.

“This is it.” He whispered softly to himself.

He got out of the truck and shut the door. He straightened out his clothes, smoothed back his long hair, and slowly made his way up to the front door.

Howie took a deep breath, knocked, and waited. Slowly the door opened and he looked up. The tall, black man standing at the door looked at him.

“Can I help you?” the man asked.

“Uh… is this the home of Tori Roberts?” Howie asked unsurely.

The man nodded. “Yes it is, why? Who are you?”

“I’m just a friend of hers. I-is she home?”

The man stared at him for a moment than sighed. “No… she’s at the hospital.”

Howie looked up at him surprised. “The hospital!? Why!? What happened, is she alright!?”

“She was in an accident with a couple of her friends. Her, a guy and a girl. The other girl was driving and swerved to avoid hitting a possum I think, after coming home from a party they had went to, and ran into a telephone pole. The girl was killed instantly. Tori and the guy wound up in the ICU. She’s out now though and in a regular room, but the guy is still in ICU. She’s at Jamison Memorial Hospital, room 305 if you want to see her. Maybe you can cheer her up.” The man said sadly.

Howie nodded. “Thank you.” He said as he hurried back to his truck and got in. After a quick look at the map he was on his way.

~*~

After what seemed like years he finally made it to the hospital. He went inside and found his way to her room. Taking what seemed like his millionth deep breath he stepped inside the room.

‘Wow,’ he thought. ‘She’s not what I imagined her to be.’

They never had gotten around to trading pictures, although she knew what he looked like obviously. He only got a brief description of what she looked like, and he had forgotten up until now what that description was.

She was short… at least 5’3” or 5’4”, with dark brown hair that was a little bit longer than his. She had long curly eyelashes and full lips. He had known that she was African-American, but when she told him that he had pictured her a little bit lighter than the milk chocolate complexion that she was. He smiled slightly as he decided that he liked her as is.

Howie bit his lip looking her over once again, taking in her injuries. She had scratches on her face and arms, and he imagined that she had them everywhere. She also had a deep gash just above right eye. Her arm was in a cast and he could tell that her ribs were wrapped under the hospital gown she had on.

Howie went over to the side of the bed and sat down in the chair once he had scooted it closer to her bed. He took her hand gently and watched her as she slept.

Suddenly his cell phone rang. He grabbed it and turned it on quickly. He glanced at her to make sure that the noise hadn’t wakened her up.

“Hello?” he said softly.

“Yo D, where are you?” Nick said back to him.

“At the hospital. She’s here, that’s why she wouldn’t write me back, she was in an accident.” Howie answered.

“Oh… is she ok?”

“I think she will be. She’s been asleep since I got here. I haven’t had the chance to talk to her yet.”

“Oh. What are you going to say to her when she does wake up?” Nick asked.

Howie sighed and looked at her again before turning back around.

“I don’t know man, but I’m gonna go, cause I don’t want to wake her up.”

“Ok D. Call me later and let me know how things are going.”

“Ok. See-ya.” Howie said as they hung up.

He sighed and looked back her at her to find her looking back at him.

Howie opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t find the words.

She smiled slightly watching him as he opened and closed his mouth several times in attempt to speak.

“Hi…” he finally said.