You have one new message and 3 saved messages. First message from 867-5309.
Nick was immediately confused at the sound of the first number that was announced. He knew he did not recognize this number, and he had no idea who the caller was. Anxiously, he played the message. As the voice went on, Nick’s stomach began to twist and churn from the information he was given. He could have sworn it was a mistake, but to make sure, he played the message again.
You don’t really know me, but we’ve met a few times before. This is Sam. I’m friends with Emily. The reason I’m leaving you this message is because Emily is in the hospital. She was hit by a car that ran a red light and now she’s in a coma. I know you and Emily are friends, which is part of the reason why I am telling you about this, but I am also telling you about Emily’s accident because I know how she feels about you. I think that if you went and visited her it might help her recover. She has always had strong feelings for you, and you make her happier than anyone else. If you could find the time to stop by and visit her, I’m positive it would mean the world to her.
Click.
“This is a joke! This has to be a joke! There’s no way this could possibly be true! I don’t believe this!”
The thoughts of denial plagued Nick’s mind repeatedly as he pondered how something so terminal could possibly happen. She was never anything more than a great friend and a dedicated fan, and now she was fighting for her life. It didn’t make any sense as Nick battled his conscience attempting to convince himself it wasn’t true.
He thought out loud again, “This cannot be happening…”
The panicked young man quickly ran to the phone and called the number to the local hospital. This had to be a mistake and Nick was determined to prove it was. Seconds later, he heard a voice on the other end of the line.
“Clearwater Hospital, how can I help you?”
“Hi, yea, I need to know if there is someone by the name of Emily Gasio registered there. I was told she was in a car accident and she’s in a coma.” His voice was shaky and he fumbled over his words while requesting the information.
“No one by that name is shown as being registered here. However there is an Emily Gasio who was admitted about five hours ago at Gates Hospital.”
“Does it say what she was admitted for?”
“It does, but I am not at liberty to release any information.”
“Well, do you think it’s the same person I’m looking for?”
“I think there’s a very good chance it may be,” the voice said helpfully.
“Oh...Well, thanks for your help.” He hung up quickly, still in disbelief.
How did this happen? And when did Nick start caring so much about Emily?
This is all happening way too fast. Holy shit! Why did this have to happen, he thought over and over in his mind.
It was a very long night for Nick as he attempted to fight off the images of Emily lying in a hospital bed hurt and helpless. All he wanted to do was fix everything for her. He wanted to rush over to her and take all her pain away. He wanted to turn back time and stop her from ever driving down the road that was now threatening to kill her.
Of the few times that Nick did fall asleep that night, he was quickly awoken, soaked in sweat and breathing heavily. Several times throughout the night he found himself staring at a picture he had taken with Emily months back. She was smiling ear to ear, clearly treasuring her time with him. He couldn’t help but notice how happy he looked himself, and unusually so, but Nick had found that he always felt at ease around Emily. Her presence always brought a deeper sense of comfort to him, and he felt safe with her. He trusted her, and he knew she cared about him deeply, he just never realized exactly how much she cared about him. Now he was starting to realize how much he cared about her, and how much he had taken her for granted over the years. She was always supportive of Nick and everything he chose to do in his life. She would often go out of her way to help him, and he only now realized why Emily was so willing to do so much for him.
It was easy for Nick to come to the conclusion that he needed to do everything he could to help Emily recover from her accident. He knew he couldn’t fail her, and he couldn’t let her down. For the first time in Emily’s life, she needed Nick’s help, and he knew it. Despite not being able to personally ask for it, Emily needed Nick, and in some roundabout way, Nick needed Emily. It may have taken a near fatal accident for him to realize it, but he realized it. He cared deeply about Emily and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to be able to see her smile at him one more time.
It was 7:13am and Nick finally decided to give up on sleeping. He showered to rid himself of the night sweat and quickly changed into more appropriate clothing. Around 9:00am he decided he needed to go see Emily to reassure himself that she’d be ok. Despite being unsure if she was even at this location, he made his way over to Gates Hospital. He walked into the lobby and approached the front desk.
“Good morning, Sir. May I help you?”
“Yes, what room is Emily Gasio in?”
The receptionist punched in a few keys on her computer. While Nick impatiently waited, he noticed how dark and eerie the lobby looked. It was relatively empty with only an abandoned custodial cart sitting near the front doors, and a police officer sitting on a bench in a dark corner with a cup of coffee reading the news paper. Nick looked around, almost in paranoia, and quickly spotted a gift shop with a sign reading “Open”.
“Does that gift shop have anything good in it?”
“Oh, yes,” the lady said with a smile as she recited her preplanned sales proposition. “There’s a great selection and plenty of things to make a patient feel better. The prices are a little high, but what does money mean when you’re in a hospital?”
“Yea, I guess that makes sense,” he agreed with a fake smile.
Nick’s mind began to fade in and out of reality as he realized where he was and why he was there. His nightmare from the night past had become reality, and he felt his face turn pale as his knees weakened.
“Room 422.”
Nick jumped, completely startled by the voice. “Huh?” He asked dazed and confused.
“Emily Gasio. She’s in room 422, on the fourth floor.”
“Oh right!” He paused, still feeling slightly confused. “Yea, thanks.”
“Sir, are you ok?” The receptionist asked suspiciously.
“Yea!” He nearly shouted. “Yea, I’m fine. I’ll be fine. Thanks.”
He walked away from the desk and headed towards the gift shop. After entering, he looked around and spotted a Teddy bear with a heart on it. It was perfect for Emily. As he turned around, he noticed a giant display of flowers. After staring for several seconds without the slightest idea of what he should get, Nick remembered Emily mentioning her favorite color was green once before, and his eyes quickly zeroed in on a bouquet of flowers with green pedals. After picking out a card, he made his purchase, and then started his journey to room 422 on the fourth floor.
He was petrified and shaking. Several times he felt as though he would pass out on the walk to the room. He had broken into a sweat again, dismissing the purpose of the morning shower. His face was ghostly white, and his stomach was left somewhere on the first floor. As he made his way down the final hallway of the intensive care unit, Nick was struck with absolute fear. This was real, and it had to be faced. He stopped and allowed his back to fall into the wall behind him. He raised his right hand to his face, slightly massaging his eyes, hoping to hide the emotions that were rapidly flowing through his mind. His heart was pounding louder than the loudest bass drum, and the drops of sweat on his face had now turned into bullets. The door was only twenty feet away, but it seemed like miles.
As Nick began to move closer towards the door, he noticed his feet felt much heavier, almost as though he had cinder block attached to each foot. It had been only a few minutes, but forever had already passed in the short time Nick had been in the hospital. As badly as he wanted to see Emily, he knew the moment he walked into her room, this would all be real. There would be no way to change anything that happened. Denial would not be an option.
He was nearly at the room when a nurse startled him.
“Excuse me?”
He jumped, nearly falling over. Whipping around in a state of panic, he blurted out, “What?” Realizing his reaction, he quickly regained composure and took a second shot.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean... well... Can I help you?”
“Well, I was wondering the same thing. Can I help you?”
“I’m here to visit a friend,” he said, still noticeably startled.
“Oh, well visiting hours don’t start until 11:00. You can have a seat over in the waiting room around the corner if you’d like.”
“Oh, ok. Thanks,” Nick replied still looking like he was from a foreign planet.
The nurse flashed him a friendly smile and headed in the opposite direction. Nick just stood in place, attempting to regain his composure as well as comprehend exactly what happened in the last two minutes. Finally, he decided the waiting room would have to do. In frustration, Nick looked at his watch and saw it was only 10:15.
“11:00. Great.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
FYI, the phone number is a joke :-P
